Boyton, Suffolk
| Boyton | |
| Suffolk | |
|---|---|
 St. Andrew's Church, Boyton | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | TM377471 |
| Location: | 52°4’18"N, 1°28’5"E |
| Data | |
| Population: | 147 (2011) |
| Post town: | Woodbridge |
| Postcode: | IP13 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | East Suffolk |
Boyton is a small village in Suffolk, about eight miles east of Woodbridge, and close to Orford Ness. The village stands between the channel known as the Tang to the north and the Boyton Marshes, between the tidal reaches of the Butley River and the River Ore, the latter taking its course parallel to coast, separated from the North Sea by just a shingle bar. Boyton and the Boyton Marshes are is part of the county's long heritage coast.
In the Domesday Book of 1086, Boyton was recorded under the name "Bohtuna".[1]
At the 2011 census, Boyton had a recorded population of 147. The village is nevertheless well equipped for its size, with a village primary school and a village hall hosting many village activities. HM Prison Hollesley Bay is also located not far from the village center.
History
In the 1870s Boyton was described by as:
- "a parish in Woodbridge district, Suffolk; on the river Alde, near Hollesley bay, 4 miles WSW of Orford, and 7 SE of Melton r. station."[2]
The marshes amongst which the village sits would were in prehistory a ground for hunters of fowl and fish, catching with nets, hooks and flint-tipped weapons.[3] Early evidence of settlement in the town of Boyton includes a bronze age gold torque found in Boyton, now in the British Museum (with a replica in the Ipswich Museum).[3] Little is known about Boyton in the Dark Ages nor much after until the 16th Century. It has been discovered though that the north east section of Boyton "had an important Anglo Saxon settlement and has been excavated by the Butley Excavation Group with students from London University and local volunteers.".[3]
Boyton was mainly a place for agricultural, fishing and smuggling, as with much of the Suffolk coast, it was reported that local people who had previoulsy remained within the honest agricultural trade "were recruited by the notorious Captain Bargood who had cottages at Hollesley and Butley".[3]
After the First World War, the agriculture market within Boyton began to decline, and as a result trustees began to sell off their land, including the three farms; Valley F, Dock Farm and Laurel Farm.[3] During the Second World War, there was a tank range around Boyton, and the remains of a military building are still visible today.[4]
The 1970s and 1980s brought the production of a small number of detached properties in an attempt to regain a community spirit[3] though the village shop and post office had closed. Later 175 acres of Boyton Marsh (including the fine old Banter's Barn and Boyton Dock) were acquired by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds as a reserve.[5]
Outside links
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("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Boyton, Suffolk) |
References
- ↑ Boyton, Suffolk Folio: 318v Little Domesday Book - The National Archives
- ↑ Wilson, John Marius: Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales (A. Fullerton & Co., 1870)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Bantoft, A.H.R: Boyton History
- ↑ What to see and do - Village Voices
- ↑ Boyton Marshes: RSPB