Descriptive Gazetteer Entry for FRAMLINGHAM

FRAMLINGHAM, a small town, a parish, and a sub-district in Plomesgate district, Suffolk. The town stands on an eminence, near the source of the river Ore, and at the terminus of a branch line of the East Suffolk railway, 18 miles NE by N of Ipswich. It dates from very ancient times; was early inhabited by a great mixture of diverse races; and took thence the name of Fremdlingham, signifying "the town of strangers. " A castle was built at it, in the 6th century, by Redwald, one of the earliest Saxon kings; was the retreat of King Edmund, in 870, after the battle of Thetford; was besieged by the Danes, who compelled Edmund to flee, and held possession for 50 years; was retained by the Crown, during two reigns after the Conquest; passed, in the time of Henry I., to the Bigods, and was rebuilt by them; went, through various hands, to the Mowbrays and the Howards; reverted, in the time of Henry VII I., to the Crown; was the retreat of the Princess Mary, during the efforts of her opponents to place Lady Jane Grey on the throne; was given back, by Queen Mary, to the Howards; reverted again, in 1572, to the Crown; was given back once more, by James I., to the Howards; passed by sale, in 1635, to Sir Robert Hitcham; and was given by him to Pembroke Hall, Cambridge. The castle was so strong, both by nature and by art, as to be proof against all sorts of attack which could be made upon it before the invention of gunpowder; it was defended, on one side, by a lake called the Mere, -on the other side, by a double ditch, -and was approached by a causeway, commencing at a grand gateway; but it was long ago reduced to a mere shell; and it is now represented by only the gateway at the commencement of the causeway, - the battlemented outer walls, 8 feet thick, 44 feet high, round an area of fully 1¼ acre, -and thirteen square towers or turrets, 58 feet high, two of which are barbicans.

The town is tolerably well built, and has a very spacious market-place. An ancient cross formerly stood in the centre of the market-place, but has been taken down. A workhouse was erected within the area of the castle, out of materials from demolition of the castle's building; and has been converted into assembly-rooms. A corn exchange was built, a few years ago, near the principal inn. The parish church consists of stone and flint; is mainly decorated English, with later English clerestory; has a nave 64 feet long, 50 feet wide, and 44 feet high, -octagonal pillars 37 feet high, with moulded capitals, -a very rich timber roof, -and a tower 90 feet high; and contains a figured font, and monuments of a number of distinguished members of the house of Howard. The Albert College, in honour of the late Prince Consort, by the county of Suffolk, was built in 1864; stands adjacent to the ruins of the castle, on a plot of 15 acres, given by Pembroke college, Cambridge; occupies an area of 240 feet by 230; is in the collegiate Gothic style, of red brick, with stone dressings; is designed for the education of 300 boys, in a sound but inexpensive course of middle-class training; contains a dining-hall, large enough for 500 boys; has, connected with it, but apart, a chapel with spirelet, and an infirmary; and cost, with-out the chapel, about £13, 000. A statue of the Prince Consort, 8 feet high, on a pedestal of 9 feet, stands on a terrace, in front of the chief entrance. The town has a post office‡ under Wickham-Market, a railway station with telegraph, two banking offices, four dissenting chapels, free school and alms-houses with £644, and other charities, with £72. A weekly market is held on Saturday; and fairs on Whit-Monday and 11 Oct. The town is also a polling-place. -The parish comprises 4, 657 acres. Real property, £12, 117; of which £60 are in gas-works. Pop., 2, 252. Houses, 550. The property is much subdivided. The park connected with the castle was noted for very fine oaks. The living is a rectory, united with the p. curacy of Saxted, in the diocese of Norwich. Value, £1, 201.* Patron, Pembroke Hall, Cambridge.—The sub-district contains also three other parishes. Acres, 9, 465. Pop., 3, 330. Houses, 739.


(John Marius Wilson, Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales (1870-72))

Linked entities:
Feature Description: "a small town, a parish, and a sub-district"   (ADL Feature Type: "cities")
Administrative units: Framlingham AP/CP       Framlingham SubD       Plomesgate RegD/PLU       Suffolk AncC
Place: Framlingham

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