DBRIDGE OO SO W C IE E T H Y T

Newsletter Autumn 2017

Editorial Alan Vaughan Recent reports have suggested that Wood-

bridge is among the fastest rising property

On a perfect July evening, my wife and I markets, and that our young have to leave to watched the King’s River, the pageant get on the housing ladder. Some of the newer presented by the Woodbridge Riverside residential developments in the town seem Trust, with the first half being at the to be targeted at the second home market. It Whisstocks site and the second in the is important that planning applications bal- Riverside Theatre. With the river as a ance the need to protect the town’s heritage backdrop, the setting for the first half was and provide affordable housing. magical.

In this Issue

From its conception to its production, the

amount of work that was necessary to stage 2 Planning Matters this work is awe inspiring. It wasn’t without 4 Blue Plaque for Roger Notcutt its hiccups as the original performance dates 5 The Story of a Street: New Street had to be changed because of construction 9 Archaeology and Royal Rendlesham delays at Whisstocks. This necessitated arranging new dates when performers, 11 The Riverside Trust

musicians and backstage helpers, including 12 Writing The King's River the chaperones for the children, would still 13 Summer Visits be available, and a commitment from the 14 The Co-op in Woodbridge warriors to keeping their beards for longer! 15 Move out Budgens; move inCo-op

It was a magnificent achievement and 16 Traffic and Parking: your letters reflected well on Woodbridge that there were 17 SCDC in Numbers and Pictures so many volunteers prepared to give their 18 Woodbridge on Show time and effort to perform a wide range of 19 Family Businesses tasks. This town has a lot going for it, the

generally good quality of its built environment, its location by the river and Editorial Tim Cornford that it has fewer second homes than some Production Carol Wiseman other popular towns on the coast. Photography Anthony Mather (except where stated)

overwhelmingly negative. There have been Planning Matters more comments posted on the SCDC website Alan Vaughan about this than for the Adastral site.

Woodbridge Town Council, Melton Parish The former District Council offices and Sutton Heath Parish Councils have all objected, as have your own Society, the National Trust, River Deben Association, Woodbridge Riverside Trust, the Suffolk Preservation Society, Suffolk Wildlife and the RSPB. Woodbridge’s County Councillor, Caroline Page, has memorably described the large blocks as cheese wedges.

There has been no greater indication that planning matters than the controversy that surrounds the proposals submitted to the District Council for the development of their former offices.

This time last year, having attended the Community Planning Weekend in April 2016, I wrote in this newsletter about community planning. I quoted a publication from Civic Voice, which said that, ‘The planning process seeks to secure sustainable development in the long-term public interest through democratic means. All too often, however, it becomes adversarial and communities feel What has disturbed objectors is not only the alienated from the process…. It is important design but the scale of the buildings to recognise the difference between (presumably to accommodate the extra consultation and participation; consultation residences added after the community without participation is simply asking people planning meeting), the lack of parking, the to agree what has already been decided by proposed demolition of the older buildings others.’ The firm that organised the fronting Melton Hill, and the impact the Community Planning Weekend are buildings will have on views from the river

and . subscribers to this approach.

What has happened does not feel like There are also concerns about the inevitable participation by the community. The conflicts of interest when the Council is application bears little resemblance to what deciding on a planning application for a site emerged from that weekend with an increase that it owns and may have a financial in residences to 100. These can only be incentive to grant permission for as many accommodated on the site by proposing tower residences as possible. blocks, described by the developers as ‘a family of canted cubes, boldly shaped’, out of The problem of conflicts of interest when a sympathy with the surrounding area. council grants permission on land it owns

and plans to sell has long been recognised. In The reaction from the community in general the past, councils used to sell land they and Woodbridge Society members has been owned without planning permission.

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However that meant any financial gain from The process of putting together the planning accrued to the developer, so now application obviously took longer than councils are allowed to sell land with anticipated. Following the public exhibition, planning permission or subject to planning the architects claimed public support. permission. However no numbers have been produced to support this. We understand that SCDC has sought to manage this conflict of interest by the At the time of going to press, we do not know councillors involved in the sale not being what the planning officers will recommend involved in the planning decisions. In the and when the application will be discussed planning application the developers say they by the planning committee. If, despite all the had a meeting with the SCDC cabinet in opposition, the Council nevertheless August 2016 at which the scheme was “well approves the application, there will be no received”. There are no minutes of that greater indication that community planning meeting on the SCDC website. has not worked here and that the views of many local residents and organisations can Any council will feel an obligation to be ignored. maximise sale proceeds in the interests of local tax payers. The SCDC site is a major Other developments asset, but surely maximising sale proceeds should not be the overwhelming Readers will have noticed that Bloor Homes consideration in situations such as this. Some has started construction on the Woods Lane analysis of community wishes should be site. A further application has been made for undertaken. 54 dwellings and 12 offices on the former GAH site on Melton Road. This site has had That the developer was willing to have a previous applications approved for it, community planning weekend to get the including for a nursing home, but none have community involved was presumably a factor come to fruition. We had no objection to this in their being chosen, as the Council must plan. have hoped that the community’s involvement would reduce the risk of As mentioned above, an outline planning controversy. As this is an asset owned by the application has been submitted for Adastral Council and such assets are held on behalf of Park. Your Planning Group is most the community, greater interest in how it concerned about the likely impact on traffic would be used in the future was to be not only on the A12 near the site but also in expected. With Whisstocks, Nunns Mill, and our town. Cedar House being developed this is probably the last significant site in or near the town Notcutts have just submitted an application centre remaining to be developed. to upgrade their retail space.

However, somehow between the Community Planning Weekend and submission of the application the design changed radically. We know that regular meetings took place between the developers, architects and planning officers because some of the minutes of those meetings are contained in the Design and Access Statement. In the earliest of these it was suggested that planning permission would be sought in the autumn of 2016.

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Blue Plaque for Roger the 1890’s the Notcutt name became synonymous with chrysanthemums, winning Notcutt Julie Murray him numerous prizes and medals. Roger developed one bloom, the Edith Tabor, which became a general favourite and this advanced his reputation in the horticultural world.

Roger purchased the house and nursery here in Woodbridge in 1897 and he began growing forest and fruit trees, particularly apples and pears, and supplied trees for large estates. An annual tea party was held for head gardeners of the estates in the grounds of the Old House. Roger continued to win prizes and medals including at the Royal International Horticultural Exhibition at the Temple. This was a precursor to the Royal Horticultural Society’s Chelsea Show, first held there in 1913 and where Notcutts won a Gold Medal.

Roger was a member of the Flower Committee of the Royal Horticultural Society for thirty years and was President of the and East of England Horticultural Roger Notcutt Society. He was also a Fellow of the Linnean Roger Crompton Notcutt (1869-1938) was a Society, the world's oldest extant biological major figure and a pioneer of his time in the society and which remains a leading forum horticultural industry. He started the family for debate and discussion of natural history nursery business in Woodbridge and in all its branches. As an expert on trees introduced new plants as well as winning Roger served on the Executive Council of the medals for his achievements. He was also a Suffolk Preservation Society.

key figure within the town and the wider

community, providing employment for many He was also a member of the Woodbridge local people as well as serving on a variety of Urban District Council and was for a time its boards and committees. The blue plaque that chairman. In 1912 he was appointed a recognises his achievements is displayed on Justice of the Peace for the County of Suffolk the front wall of the Old House where Roger and held the office of Sub-Divisional Officer lived, that is now the offices of Notcutts Ltd of Special Constables. During World War l, on Cumberland Street. Roger was a quartermaster of the Volunteer As a young man Roger was advised to work Training Corps. He was also Mayor of Woodbridge and died in office in 1938. outdoors due to ill health and he developed a

flair for horticulture. He first acquired Broughton Road Nurseries in Ipswich which In 1934 Roger presented the National Trust became a hive of activity of floral culture. with four acres of wooded parkland at Kyson Roger became famous for growing Hill so the people of Woodbridge could enjoy chrysanthemums, which he did with unique the views of the river. The legacy of Roger success. In 1888 Roger won the Silver Medal Crompton Notcutt lives on with Notcutts now in the Premier Bloom Competition organised in its fourth generation of family ownership by the National Chrysanthemum Society. In and this year celebrates its 120th year. 4

marshes by the river. It was not until the The Story of a Street: New 1860s that a drain was installed to carry the Street Bob Merrett Naverne under the lower part of New Street. What is now called Oak Lane was described variously as a certain little lane leading towards Naverne Brook and a certain lane next to Le Waterynge Pond.

Changes from 1560 to 1840 The buildings lining New Street would have been timber framed. The one with the earliest recorded history is now called the Bridewell. In 1587 it was referred to as being a House of Correction. By 1641 it was also being used as a hospital or workhouse for the deserving poor of the town. After the battle of Sole Bay in 1670 the great number of Dutch prisoners who had to be accommodated in the building forced the townspeople to establish a new workhouse on Theatre Street. The New The Area in 1560 Street building remained as a House of Correction until 1804 when it was converted Le New Strete was first mentioned in 1549. into a Hospital where the frail poor could live It had been laid out to provide an alternative in rent free apartments.

route from the Market to the river rather than via what is now Church Street. The rate of growth of the population of England rose rapidly after 1750 and was The map above is based on the description of greatest in towns and cities because of the town given in an Extent of the manor of migration from rural areas. The Poor Rate Woodbridge late Priory. Le New Strete records for Woodbridge show that, during the joined Le Mell Way (now Castle Street and period 1742 to 1830, the number of St John’s Hill) which was also referred to as households in the town increased by 184%. the way to the lord’s mill (the Tide Mill). It The corresponding figure for New Street was ran down to Le Thoroughfare. From there even higher at 213%. Most of this growth the route to the Tide Mill and the quays was occurred after 1783. In that year there were via Le Mell Lane (now Brook Lane). The dots 48 families on New Street and by 1830 this on the map indicate the dwellings and had risen to 97. commercial buildings listed in the Extent. The dwellings on New Street were all above The 1840 tithe apportionment lists 39 the entrance to what is now Castle Street. buildings with frontages on the street whereas in 1560 there were only 17. Thirteen The bottom of the valley between the Market of the buildings listed in 1840 were described and Le Mell Waye was referred to as the as cottages. Based on what is left on the site Great Fen. The Naverne Brook ran through of these cottages today, they would have the middle of the fen and then crossed over provided a total of 32 individual dwellings. New Street just above the junction with Le When this is taken into account the number Mell. This area was appropriately called the of dwellings on New Street in 1840 rises to The Wash in the seventeenth century. The 58, a number which is significantly lower Naverne then flowed alongside the lower than the number of families recorded in the part of New Street before running under the 1830 rate returns. There must have been, Thoroughfare and carrying on alongside therefore, many cases where several families what is now Brook Street and into the shared the same dwelling.

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A simplified version of the 1840 tithe map is During the period 1844 to 1985, the shown below. The blue dots mark buildings Thoroughfare was the only street not to which were demolished post 1840. The red experience a decrease in the number of shops dots mark the six buildings which were found and other commercial outlets along it. New to be wholly or partially timber framed when Street went from being the second most a survey was conducted in 2004. The green commercial street to the fourth in 1985. crosshatched area was the garden of Since then commercial activity on New Alexander’s Bank (now Barclays) on Church Street has continued to decline. Street. Most of the garden was called The Tanter. The building outlined in red abutting Developments during the 1840s significantly the garden was a maltings. This three storey changed the lower part of New Street. The brick building was owned by John Cobbold first step was the building of St John’s who also held seven of the public houses in Church which was consecrated in 1846. The Woodbridge. Four of these were on New entrance to Castle Street became known as Street including The Fox Inn which is first St John’s Hill and a number of roads were mentioned in 1617. It is now The Bell and laid out around the church to enable future Steelyard. It is not known when the developments. These roads included St steelyard was erected but it had a long John’s Street and Little St John’s Street history of being used to weigh loaded wagons which are shown as dotted red lines on the on their way from the market to the quays by 1840 tithe map to the left. the river. The maltings abutted Rosemary Lane which in 1560 was called the lane next to Le Waterynge Pond. The name was eventually changed to Oak Lane because the lane ran behind the Royal Oak Inn on the Thoroughfare.

The 1840 tithe map simplified.

Changes from 1840 to 2016 The Alfred Barnes Shop

White's 1844 trade directory is the earliest A line of shops, having dwellings above, were detailed record of the commercial activities built between the entrances to the new on New Street. There were 18 shops, 3 streets. Some of the existing dwellings on the merchants, 16 artisans, 4 public houses, 3 opposite side of the road were either people offering personal services improved or rebuilt at the same time. The (hairdressers) and a bank. Only the most notable of the new buildings had a Thoroughfare had more commercial activity round front. It was between the entrances to than New Street. St John’s Hill and St John’s Street. Until 6

1904 it was Alfred Barnes’ showroom for gallery, as a wholesale outlet for art books ‘superior second-hand and antique and eventually for the sale of antique and furniture’. second-hand furniture. In 2016 planning permission was granted to convert the Bull The entrance to the yard of the Bull Hotel Ride into a restaurant. from New Street has changed several times since 1840. At one stage the building on the By 1906 a Masonic Lodge had been erected other side of the entrance was part of the beside the Bull Ride. Most of a malting hotel. In 2005 this building was gutted and complex next to these buildings had been converted to flats. demolished by 1925. The remaining part, which abutted New Street, was eventually John Grout, the landlord of the Bull Hotel cleared to make way for a Co-Operative from 1861, was also a horse dealer of world Society milk depot which was later replaced renown. By about 1880 he had purchased by the Co-Operative funeral parlour. The two houses and an extensive garden opposite 1987 Town Centre Plan noted that the the rear yard of the hotel. He had the site funeral parlour 'occupies a prominent cleared and then used it for a large complex position but makes no contribution to the of stables, called the Bull Ride. It was quality of the street. Other buildings on the capable of housing up to 170 horses and site, although occupied, appear to be in a representatives of both the German Kaiser poor physical condition. It seems reasonable and the Viceroy of India came there to buy to expect some changes in this area in the horses for the imperial and vice-regal next few years.' Yet it was not until 2016 stables. After John Grout died in November that planning permission to implement such 1886 his horse dealing business and the Bull changes was sought and granted.

Hotel were taken over by William Miles. Ten

years later the King of Italy granted William Below the Bell and Steelyard there are four Miles the right to display the Royal Coat of semi-detached houses set back from the road. Arms and for many years it proudly adorned They were built between 1902 and 1926. The the front of the hotel. Miles died in 1899 and buildings that they replaced were described, the horse dealing business faded away. in the 1844 tithe apportionment, as being cottages and a butcher’s shop.

In 1908 seven almshouses were built in the yard of the Hospital. These almshouses were a bequest from John & William Andrews in memory of their father Jonathon Andrews of London, a 'former resident, well-known for his good works in his old town.' Each almshouse comprised a bed-sitting room, a scullery and an external earth closet. They were let to the deserving poor for sixpence a week. The Bull Ride with the Telephone Exchange next door. Since 1960 the Almshouses have been The Bull Ride has since been used for a managed by the Poor's Houses Charity. This variety of purposes. A telephone exchange charity was endowed with various buildings was installed in the front part in 1902. The and properties which had been given to the service was provided by the United town to help care for the poor. The proceeds Telephone Service which was taken over by from the sale of these assets were used to the Post Office in 1912. The Bull Ride has modernise the Almshouses. They now consist also been used for workshops, as a picture of two units, each with a single bedroom, and

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one unit which is fully wheelchair accessible private parking area and a small courtyard. and with two bedrooms. One of the original external earth closets has been conserved for The maltings abutting Oak Lane was sold by historical interest. John Cobbold in 1876. In the 1950s and 60s the building was used as a plumber’s store The Woodbridge County Primary School was and a coach builder’s workshop. It was then built in 1909, on what had been The Tanter, taken over by the builder Ingram Smith who to replace the British and Foreign School on moved out in 1971 and sold the property to Castle Street. The school was behind the the Urban District Council. houses on the lower part of New Street and the main entrance was about half way up the The Council demolished the maltings and street. used the site for the Oak Lane car park which opened in 1975. Some cottages just A workshop and cottage, nearly opposite the above the entrance to the new car park were entrance to the school, were demolished in removed and replaced by two dwellings with the 1930s to provide access to an orchard at another four behind in Oak Court. the rear. Before the Second World War one of the buildings left standing on the site was On the other side of New Street a library used for a Lads’ Club. By the 1960s the was built on the site previously occupied by whole space was occupied by a line of cottages and other buildings built post-1838. bungalows perpendicular to the road. During this work it was found that the drain installed in the 1860s to carry the Naverne The 1971 Town Plan envisaged a Market brook under the road was near to collapse. Hill by-pass running down the Naverne The drain had been formed by digging a deep valley to a car park on the site of the County channel, covering it with logs, and then Primary School, which was to be moved to putting the road surface on top. During the Melton. The threat of these changes, and a 1975 redevelopments it was found that the proposal to widen New Street, blighted the road was near to collapse because the logs line of 18th century cottages adjacent to the had rotted. northern edge of The Tanter and many fell into a semi-derelict condition.

In 2001 Suffolk County Council and

Greystoke and Everleigh Ltd. unveiled a When the road widening proposal was scheme to relocate Woodbridge Primary dropped in 1975 the District Council decided School and Woodbridge Library. The to restore the cottages. The only building to school would be moved to a site at the be demolished was a house, which had at one bottom of Pytches Road and a new library time been a sweet shop, at the end of the would be created in part of the old school. terrace. The vacated site was used for a

The new school and library would be funded by the developers who, in return, would have the remaining land on which to build 23 houses and a medical/health facility for the surgery in Little St John's Street. After several public consultations, a formal planning application was submitted in January 2004 and was approved six months later.

Illustrations courtesy of School children outside the sweet shop. Woodbridge Museum. 8

Archaeology and Royal Rendle sham Prof Christopher Scull

Everyone knows the barrow cemetery at between 2009 and 2014 to define and Sutton Hoo, just across the River Deben from characterise the site. Woodbridge. In 1939 Basil Brown uncovered the great ship burial and its astonishing A range of techniques was used, including funerary treasure, still the richest grave geophysical survey and the study of aerial known from Anglo-Saxon England, and photographs. These have revealed buried excavations by Prof Martin Carver between traces of boundaries and buildings, including 1983 and 1993 showed that there had been a great timber hall more than 20m long, but other burials of similar status. There is little the main effort was a comprehensive and doubt that East Anglian kings of the seventh systematic metal-detector survey which century were buried here, but where did covered every square inch of an area of 160 these rulers live, and where did their wealth ha (400 acres). This was done by four expert come from? detectorists (Rob Atfield, Roy Damant, Terry Marsh and Alan Smith) who worked in their own time and in partnership with the professional archaeologists. Unlike the illegal detectorists, who work at random and steal items for personal profit, the four official detectorists recorded the location of every archaeological find, all of which were then studied by experts. This information is held in a Geographic Information System (GIS); this allows the archaeologists to build up a picture of past activity by comparing the kind of objects people lost and where they lost them with the physical evidence of settlement revealed by geophysics and aerial photography. In his Ecclesiastical History of the English People, completed in AD 731, the Venerable Bede mentions Rendlaesham as the East Anglian royal settlement (vicus regius) where Aethelwold, King of the East Angles, stood sponsor at the baptism of Swithelm, King of the East Saxons, some time between AD 655 and 664.

In 2007 the landowners of the Naunton Hall estate at Rendlesham, Sir Michael and Lady Bunbury, reported illegal metal-detecting on their land. Initial investigation by Suffolk Excavation trench with a section cut across a large County Council Archaeological Service ditch and dark soil layer containing Anglo-Saxon quickly showed that the site being looted was pottery and much animal bone debris. (Copyright an Anglo-Saxon settlement of the highest Suffolk County Council.) status. In conditions of great secrecy, to avoid risking further damage to crops and theft of It is possible to tell a great deal from this more archaeological finds, an extensive combination of survey methods but archaeological survey was undertaken ultimately there is a need to test conclusions 9

through excavation, and so in 2013 and 2014 of foreign traders was established nearby at seven small trenches were opened. These Ipswich. This grew to become a town and confirmed the presence of Anglo-Saxon port, remaining a major urban centre to the buildings, boundaries and burials where they present day. Ipswich may have taken over were expected. some of the functions of the settlement at

Rendlesham, which dwindled in size and The archaeology shows that there was importance as Ipswich expanded in the 8th continuous human occupation and activity at century.

Rendlesham from late prehistory up to the present day, with a particularly large, rich No other settlement as large and rich as and important settlement here during the Rendlesham in its heyday is known in early–middle Anglo-Saxon period (5th to 8th England, and it can only be compared with centuries AD). The Anglo-Saxon finds cover major royal sites in Scandinavia and on the an area of 50 ha (120 acres). They include Continent. This re-writes the history books, items of the finest quality, made for and used suggesting that East Anglian royal power by the highest ranks of society, and attest a was more stable and sophisticated, and range of activities including fine established at an earlier date, than anyone metalworking. This can only be the royal assumed, and also that south-east Suffolk, settlement mentioned by Bede. far from being peripheral to the European

mainland, was fully integrated in the politics Rendlesham was a royal estate centre and and trade of the North Sea world. The residence, a place where the East Anglian partnership between detectorists and kings would have stayed, feasted their professional archaeologists, working with the followers, administered justice, and collected farmer and landowner, has resulted in the dues and tribute. Foreign merchants also discovery of an internationally-important brought luxuries from the Mediterranean archaeological site that has far-reaching world here. There are other sites in the implications for how we understand early region that would also have served as England.

temporary royal residences as the court travelled around the kingdom, but at present More than 400 people came to a day Rendlesham appears to have been the largest conference at Bury St Edmunds in and the longest-lived of these places. September 2016 to hear about the project.

Work is now underway to publish the results Early in the 7th century a small settlement fully and options for further fieldwork are being considered. Some of the finds from Rendlesham are on permanent display at (High Street, Ipswich, IP1 3HQ, admission free, open Tuesday to Saturday 10.00–17.00 and Sunday 11.00- 17.00), and further information about the project can be found on Suffolk Heritage Explorer: https://heritage.suffolk.gov.uk/ rendlesham-project.

Acknowledgements

The Rendlesham project is co-ordinated by Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service with financial support from The Sutton Hoo Society, Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and History, Historic England, 7th-century gold objects from Rendlesham: two beads, Society of Antiquaries of London, Royal one with garnets, and a pyramidal fitting with garnets from a sword scabbard. (Copyright Suffolk County Archaeological Institute and Society for Council.) Medieval Archaeology.

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The Riverside Trust The Trust had been formed with the intention of promoting the Woodbridge Bryan Knibbs waterfront area as an interesting and Prior to 2003 a campaigning group called the beautiful place for recreation and relaxation. Woodbridge and Melton Riverside Action An added benefit to the area's communities Group (WAMRAG) was initiated by Martin would be the redevelopment of the redundant Whittaker, formerly of Suffolk Coastal Whisstocks boat yard thus keeping its District Council (SCDC), to protect the river maritime heritage alive. banks from residential development. Woodbridge and the River Deben together In 2003 the group was stung into action by a represent a microcosm of the UK and its rich proposal for a residential development of a history has immense potential for learning hotel and flats on the redundant Whisstocks and visitor attraction alike. site. Woodbridge has a fabulous maritime history which has for too long lain dormant and to When the proposal was rejected by the many residents is unknown. From Anglo- Council the owners of the site (Marks) Saxon times, boats and, in later centuries, appealed against the rejection. WAMRAG large wooden ships were built in the was concerned about the effect on SCDC of waterfront yards and today several working the potential cost of the appeal. Having been boatyards operate along the river between acknowledged by SCDC as legitimate Woodbridge and Melton. representatives of the Woodbridge community, WAMRAG commissioned a The Trust is run by a Board of Directors, who survey to ascertain from the community the are also trustees, and an executive team. The top five requirements for the site. The results trustees are responsible for overseeing the showed the top two as: enabling public access executive team to ensure that the Trust to the site and retaining its maritime remains true to its formal aims: heritage.  to make the Woodbridge waterfront an attractive and interesting place to be; In 2004 the Woodbridge Riverside Trust was  to provide opportunities for people of all formed with a view to obtaining control of ages to gain understanding of the the Whisstocks site, thus having a different maritime significance of Woodbridge focus from the WAMRAG campaign. The and to acquire and use relevant original WAMRAG members were joined by practical, historical, environmental, John Gibbins as chairman. Having a archaeological and scientific skills; business background he was interested in  to build connections between the possibility of purchasing the site and Woodbridge, Sutton Hoo and other parts establishing businesses there. In order to of the UK and beyond based on our shore up the resolve of SCDC, the Trust common heritage and maritime links. raised a petition of 1500 signatures demanding respect for the five requirements The trustees meet formally each month to set out in the survey. discuss all aspects of their aims, the progress of the work on the new long-shed and any The Trust, formally registered as a issues involved with their sub projects: Sae charitable company in 2008, immediately Wylfing, the half-length replica of the Sutton commissioned a business plan and started Hoo ship, and the recently performed King's negotiations with Mr Van Treen, the then River musical. Most recently a new owner of the site. With the possibility of committee, The Ship's Company, was formed planning consent and therefore with a to organise and facilitate the construction of potentially very high commercial value, the a replica Anglo-Saxon ship, work on which is site's price was far out of reach for such a anticipated to start in late 2017 or early small community group. 2018. 11

commercial properties, a restaurant, a new community area with a 'square' available to community groups for events such as art exhibitions, dancing, choral events etc., a modern building for the Town Museum, a one hundred foot Long-shed for the construction of a full size replica of the famous Sutton Hoo Burial Ship and other marine craft, and an interactive maritime heritage area for both young and old. Artist’s impression of the new long-shed The Woodbridge Riverside Trust is, as the During May 2012 Trust members attended a name implies, an organisation concerned for planning committee meeting with developers and about the Woodbridge riverside. The FWP, who had been appointed by Investec general public are invited to email us with Bank and tasked with presenting an questions or ideas which relate to any of our acceptable solution that would enable projects. If anyone would like to get involved recovery of a loan made previously to Mr Van in any of these activities, please email Treen. On behalf of the Trust Paul [email protected]. Constantine suggested the idea of community activity on the waterfront based around the construction of a full size replica of the Sutton Hoo ship. To their credit FWP immediately saw the potential for a vibrant mixed development and so proposed a scheme to include open access and marine heritage, in particular the long boat shed.

Having stood empty and almost derelict for over twenty years the Whisstocks boatyard and buildings were demolished and construction work started in March 2016. The project includes residential and Sae Wylfing under sale Writing The King's River Dominic Shea and Sylvia Fairley talk to Tim Cornford about the creative process.

TC: When did your involvement begin? character of 'River' was born.

SF: It started with a poem of mine about TC: What sort of a piece were you being Woodbridge which contained the Anglo- asked to write? Saxon names Udebryge, Wiebryge, Wudebrige and that led to a meeting DS: We assumed it was a work that was to between three of us: the composer Jana be sung by soloists and choir. It's not exactly Rowland, Dominic and myself. an opera, although parts of it are operatic; and Part 1 is more of a pageant. DS: We first met in Woodbridge Library in 2015. Discussing the project rekindled my SF: It's really a musical drama and we interest in Anglo-Saxon poetry and the brought a range of experience to its creation

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and development. We are both active writers of the language we chose. While English - and Dominic wrote most of the script while contains a lot of Anglo-Saxon derivations, it I was involved mostly with the songs - but we is also very strongly influenced by Latin and are also both musicians: I play the flute and Romance languages. Part 1 is rooted in Anglo Dominic plays the viola. This helped Saxon, so we focussed on verbal rhythms and enormously in our discussions with Jana and alliteration and the use of riddles.

our understanding of the rhythms in the music and the words at various stages in the SF: The music provides a great deal of the drama. emotion of the piece with its combination of

DS: An important decision was which singing and dancing as well as speaking. character was going to provide continuity for There came a point, once a director was a two-part drama that spans centuries. We appointed, when words, music and staging came together and a working script had to be were portraying an Anglo-Saxon royal burial firmed up. It's at that point that various bits and a twentieth-century excavation. River of re-writing were done but it's also the point became a central voice as the narrator. Time at which as writers we had to hand over our in the form of the river links Raedwald to work to other people.

Mrs Pretty and Sutton Hoo to Woodbridge.

The river is also the voice of the land.

DS: It's important to say that Sylvia and I SF: We also had to make decisions about how rarely disagreed about the text. We worked much should be spoken and how much sung. well as a team. Ultimately the vision of the And in talking through that issue we made piece and the dramatic entity were ours. I suggestions about the staging and the use the phrase 'thinking through writing': as actions of both the individual characters and we wrote we thought through how events the various groups or choruses. that are centuries apart might be merged

DS: An important influence was the nature into an artistic unity. Well attended 2017 Summer Visits Carol Wiseman Our visits this year began at Bawdsey Our tour of BT Adastral Park was very much Manor which has played an important part about the future, with over 100 different in the history of Suffolk. We were shown firms working on site on new designs and the different architecture of the Manor projects which will influence our lives in the chosen by Lady Cuthbert Quilter who had future. We watched a competition between been influenced by her tours overseas and schools where the children had programmed also in England. We then toured the garden a vehicle to do lots of different things on and the magnificent Pulhamite cliff walk various tracks. BT Innovations are keen to before going inside to see some of the rooms. get children involved in technology as they One looked as if it was in an Italian house will be the ones that influence our future. and another as if it was part of a Tudor manor. The last room was the one where the Cressing Temple and Walled Garden took us experiments with radar were discussed. back to the past. Our guides took us round

the barns and told us the history of the During the visit to the Maharishi Peace Knights Templar who had been given the Palace we learned about transcendental manor in 1137 by King Stephen. These meditation. We were taken around the area barns are two of the best preserved barns in and were told about the architecture of the Europe. We were then taken round the houses and how the way their homes were walled garden which is all that remains of a constructed influenced health and wellbeing. Tudor manor that was built close by. The We were invited inside one of the homes garden had been set out to replicate gardens before touring the Peace Palace and the of the 1600’s and contained plants that Health Centre. would have been grown then. 13

number of items. The average spend per visit The Co-op in Woodbridge in a Co-op store is £7 or £8. One of the biggest topics of Thoroughfare conversation last year was the fate of the "Localness is vital for us," Christian Budgens store. Tim Cornford talks to continues. "Our shops and our activities help Christian Bone, Head of Community the local economy and the local community. - Engagement at the East of England Co op. Our shops provide local jobs. We deliberately took on all the former Budgens staff. It made no sense to do anything else. They knew the customers and it made complete sense for customers to see familiar faces serving in the new shop. Then we support local producers. The new store in Woodbridge stocks the biggest range of locally sourced products of any East of England Co-op shop. Finally there's the dividend. Membership - a vital aspect of our existence - means that people gain a return on their spending. It's one of our core principles."

So what does it mean in practice when Christian says, "We are here to help people do good things in their community"? "Well," he says, "first of all the green token scheme is very local. Every three or four months we set aside £1000 to be donated to local Photo courtesy of East of England Co-op organisations via that scheme. No "The Co-operative movement has been individuals and nothing political, by the way. involved in East Anglia for over 150 years," Christian tells me. "The first Society was When the new store opened, the three formed in Colchester in 1861, followed some Woodbridge shops plus the one in Wickham years later by Societies in Ipswich and Market supported three local organisations. Norwich. There are now more than 6000 Co- One of these was the Friends of Woodbridge ops in the UK." The language is interesting: Library and the money we gave them will go these are all Societies that are part of a directly to improving facilities that the library could not otherwise afford." movement; they are "for people and

communities, not just for profit." For the Co- operative movement the principles and "Then we provide direct support for local values of the nineteenth century founding events and organisations. In Woodbridge we Rochdale Pioneers remain central. support the 10k run and the regatta for example. We give products to support local The growth during the 1960s of the big fundraisers with prizes for things like supermarket chains put pressure on the Co- quizzes, raffles and events. Last year we ops. Shopping habits began to change as did supported about 100 events from the County shop locations. However the Co-ops remained Shows to the Woodbridge Christmas market. community-focussed businesses. They stayed And it's not just one-off events. We have an in the middle of villages and towns rather on-going commitment to support a dementia than moving to out-of-town locations. Hence cafe in Framlingham - it serves plenty of Co- the rationale for Woodbridge having three op cuppas! After all," Christian says proudly, stores. They are in locations where people "the Co-operative movement invented can pop in and shop easily for a small community support and engagement."

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Co-op managers promised Woodbridge a Move out Budgens; 'flagship store'. The range of stock is much move in Co-op larger as is the range of 'sourced locally' food, drawn from 82 different local suppliers. Tim Cornford The home delivery service, while not unique, After 32 years in Woodbridge Budgens closed is another aspect of Co-op customer benefits, its doors in Autumn 2016. Before this, joint with the possibility of same-day delivery manager Andrea Carretta spoke to me about (01394 583025 if you want to try it!) “The his role (along with Linda Smith, the other retention of Subway has,” says Chris, “added half of the management team) and the a different kind of eating-out option for importance of the store to the town. Woodbridge and is particularly cost-effective for younger people. Overall sales have Budgens was essentially a local store. "We doubled from Budgens' days and average can't compete with the big supermarkets so spend per person is significantly higher than we don't try. Our strengths are that we the Co-op average." combine fresh local produce with a good selection of the major brands. Then we give So how were the staff prepared for the new our customers a friendly, good quality store? Former Budgens staff spent a week at service. We know our customers and they the Co-op head office in Wherstead Park. keep coming back. Most of them are frequent There was intensive customer service buyers, shopping often and in small amounts. training; staff were sent to other Co-op stores And they appreciate Budgens' balance of to observe and learn practices and quality and price." procedures. All staff are trained as dementia

friends and the store has already won two Andrea and Linda managed over 40 very awards for its work with people with local staff, all of whom were guaranteed dementia. employment in the new store.

Chris says he doesn't like people having to And so the East of England Co-op moved wait in a queue at the checkout. Staff do from the Thoroughfare into the Turban their best to reduce waiting times. A Centre. The store was completely customer services champion is available at refurbished, with a new roof and space for the till area to help with this and other the Post Office and Subway. What shoppers queries or problems. Chris himself keeps an noticed immediately was the increased shelf eye on the store's 7,000 square feet via 56 space, better stock presentation and signage, cameras covering both inside and outside the new flooring and better lighting and fridge building.

space.

Most of the staff transferred - only a few The last word should perhaps be from chose to leave - and a new store manager was Andrea. "We have all the old customers and appointed: Chris Matthews, a veteran of the more. And our training was absolutely Co-op store. excellent."

Can you help? The Society needs a couple of members who would be willing to help set up the sound and projection systems for Society meetings. If you would like to know more about what is involved, please phone Alan Vaughan on 01394 386764.

The Society also needs someone to take over responsibility for organising its summer visits. This is a vital aspect of our work, familiarising members with properties and businesses that are important features of the area. To find out more please phone Carol Wiseman on 01394 383666.

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Traffic and Parking - you Parking space in Bredfield Street seems to be taken up during term time largely by staff or respond sixth formers. Such parking should only be In the Spring issue the Chairman wrote allowed within the precincts of Woodbridge about the traffic and parking problems that School. Parking in that street should be the town is increasingly facing. He invited exclusively allocated to appropriately badged your comments; here are some excerpts from residents or staff of retail premises. the correspondence.

"As regards parking I have been 'on the case' There is a substantial park and ride facility for some time. I approached the County at Martlesham and one would like to believe Council to see whether we could get that co-operation between Councils could see residents parking introduced into the extension of that facility to serve Woodbridge. Problems in the Market Hill Woodbridge. Much is being discussed as to area are awful as there is so little public park and ride facilities at Wickham Market parking. Local workers go round and round for the Sizewell C project. It should be within looking for a space near their business while the bounds of reason to expand that to residents return home unable to park service Woodbridge. nearby. A survey was done to see if people wanted residents parking but a majority said I am convinced that Suffolk Coastal has No, which was a surprise to me. adequate reserves to support traffic wardens, to deter the substantial illegal parking that My argument is that, if residents parking is currently a major feature of the town. were introduced and you wanted to park near your home, you would happily pay. The parking facility adjacent to the tennis These things have to be obligatory. club and Kingston Field was recently Businesses would also have to pay for a expanded to accommodate vehicles during permit to park near their business. It's not the recent work on our flood defences. Those rocket science and would bring a very useful have all long gone but the space remains income into the system. empty, ideal for an extension of the current pay & display parking area."

I have lived in the town for 14 years and I John W Perry

would say that the parking problem has Readers will be pleased to know that the doubled in that time." Ipswich Park and Ride service has been Wendy Webster extended to include Woodbridge, Melton,

Eyke and Rendlesham. On an hourly basis “As far as I am aware, the sale of the Council (not Sundays) the 800 service links Ipswich offices has taken no account of the public town centre with the Park and Ride availability of extensive parking on the terminus, the Turban Centre, Eyke and two Council site during 'high days and holidays'. stops in Rendlesham: Redwald Road and That availability has been lost to the town. Townfield Road. (Editor)

Do you know that you can report local problems such as graffiti, broken paving slabs or street lighting on www.fixmystreet.com ? Details of the problem are forwarded to the relevant council.

Would you be willing to give a lift to members who find it difficult to get to meetings or to the summer visits? If so please let Carol Wiseman know on 01394 383666.

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SCDC in numbers & pictures On November 8 Stephen Baker, chief executive of Suffolk Coastal District Council, will talk to the Society about the opportunities and challenges of managing a local authority. Here is some background to his talk.

£200,000: the estimated saving in running costs per year following the move, rising to £500,000 in the longer term. 450 staff: the capacity of the old Melton Hill site. 200 approx: the number of staff currently employed, 90% of whom are shared with Waveney District Council. 198: the number of workstations in East Suffolk House and its annex, giving flexible 42: The number of SCDC Councillors. working arrangements for Woodbridge-based 101: The number of town and parish councils and Lowestoft-based staff, partner staff and in the Suffolk Coastal district. Councillors. 4: The number of years between SCDC 13,485: the number of personal callers to beginning to assess its future accommodation SCDC customer services in Woodbridge, needs and moving into East Suffolk House Felixstowe and Melton in 2016/17. opposite Melton Station. 169,770: the number of customer service 6: The acreage of Riduna Park, the brown- telephone calls handled in 2016/17. field site owned by Wickham Market-based commercial property developer Riduna Holdings and the location of SCDC's headquarters. Riduna was the Roman name for Alderney. 27: The number of small business units planned for Riduna Park in addition to the SCDC offices at the front of the site. 22,500: The square footage of office space occupied by SCDC and its partner organisations, Anglia Revenues Partnership and Suffolk Sport. The SCDC customer service desk at Woodbridge £3.9 million: the cost of acquiring the land Library and building the new premises in Riduna 4: the number of council-owned bicycles Park. available to staff, eg to go shopping during £1.6 million: the cost of fitting out the new lunchtime. building and upgrading the facilities in 3: the number of parking spaces reserved for Woodbridge Library to accommodate car sharing. customer services. £5.5million: the total cost of the move to be 1: electric charging point in the car park. met from the sale of the Melton Hill site and 0: the number of solar panels as the roofs are Cedar House. covered with sedum.

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Woodbridge on Show

Stephen Atwell, Mayor in 2016-17, talks to Tim Cornford about a key initiative of his year in office and asks some questions about life in the town.

The Community Hall on Show Day regularly. It is also important for the town's well-being that the life of voluntary groups remains active and healthy. "One of the things I wanted to do as Mayor was to celebrate the enormous diversity of On the day 46 organisations took display community groups, charities and activities space - the Community Hall was full. A that characterise life in Woodbridge." It was month before the event only 15 groups had at a conference run by the Seckford signed up but word of mouth seems to have Foundation on rural poverty and hardship been effective in trebling that number in the that Stephen heard about Sudbury on Show: last few weeks. Stephen says how impressed a day devoted to 100 or so local groups he was by the number of organisations that promoting their activities. As a result had their own promotional pack to attract Woodbridge on Show took shape. visitors to their table.

Stephen used his Mayor's budget from the Does Stephen think he succeeded? "I'm not Town Council to arrange the event. The sure. We had a full hall. We didn't count the Community Hall Management Committee number of visitors but I guess it was in the generously offered the use of the Hall on 1 region of 800. People thanked me for setting April 2017. He quipped, "You'd be a fool not up the event and also said how useful it was to be there!" Table space was free as was to network with other organisations. One entry for the public. "I wanted to include group, the Woodbridge Bowls Club, had an local branches of national charities, sports unprecedented number of people to its clubs, special interest groups, religious subsequent Open Day and were 'under no organisations and health clubs." illusion as to the prime reason and it stems

from the Woodbridge on Show event'." Why did Stephen embark on this celebration

project? "A number of things came together in my mind," he says. "As Mayor I was In the end Stephen is left with a number of invited to a lot of events and some of them questions. "Why do some events attract so were very poorly attended. I would mention few people? How can we more effectively this to people and I often received the communicate all the good things Woodbridge response, 'If I'd known about it I'd have has to offer? Is there too much going on? Why gone.' Then again I was becoming aware that do some organisations which have several organisations were finding it difficult traditionally been led by what I call 'giants of to get people to take on roles of responsibility community service' find it so difficult to get - and this despite in many cases enjoying new people to run things? Does social activity quite strong membership numbers." Stephen now take place in the virtual sphere? And stresses that it is important for our personal what does all this mean for Woodbridge's well-being that we interact with other people identity?" Stephen would dearly like to know. 18

F amily Businesses in Woodbri dge James Lightfoot The King's River ended with a tribute to Trencher loaf is a closely guarded secret. It Woodbridge: “A town bright with sound, Rich represents bread as it used to be eaten on with skills”. I could have added "with family special occasions in Anglo Saxon times, retail businesses that have passed down the Peter’s recipe research having been aided by generations.” the .

Alexanders in the Thoroughfare and Notcutts In the Thoroughfare there are two second Garden Centre are both fourth generation. generation shops opposite each other. Alexanders are coming up for 90 years in Barretts specialises in high quality and Woodbridge although it was founded 20 beautiful home furnishings and is rightly years before that in Ipswich by Henry famous for its superb customer service. Jill Alexander. Notcutts is celebrating its 120th Barrett, whose parents established the anniversary and its founder, Roger Notcutt, company in 1969, told me she is “very proud has just been awarded a prestigious Blue of her wonderful staff” who make the store Plaque by the Woodbridge Society. such a pleasure to visit.

There are many third generation shops in John Ives set up a shoe shop here many Woodbridge, for example Webb Brothers at years ago and the business now has separate the top of Church Street. Although called shops for men's and ladies' shoes, the men's iron mongers they seem to sell everything being run by his son David and the ladies' by you need for home DIY. They also have a his daughter Faye. wonderful philosophy: “we try to be useful.” It is natural that all those in charge of family David Wright leads The Cake Shop bakery businesses that have passed down the team. They recently won Britain’s Best generations have Passion, Inspiration and Bakery. The philosophy is to give good Expertise. Notcutts even have a monthly value using the best ingredients. For award using the first three letters of those example, they only use white flour imported words, the PIE Award, for the person who from Canada and three other ingredients gave the best customer service. (whereas supermarkets usually use twice this number adding artificial substances). I don’t think any other Suffolk Town has The business is flourishing so must be doing such a high percentage of family retail things Wright. David's four siblings are all businesses that have passed down the involved as are his parents, Peter and generations. You will naturally find excellent Christine. Peter’s recipe for the Suffolk personal service in all of them.

Henry Alexander the Mark Willis of Webbs Caroline Notcutt, dignitaries clothier’s founder & blue plaque

David & Lindsay Wright with David & Faye Ives Jill Barrett Paul Brett 19

The Woodbrid ge Society The Society's chief interest is in the quality of the environment in which, as residents, we live. It brings together people who are interested in Woodbridge's well-being, the preservation of its historic character and the way it develops in the future. The Society:

 raises with the authorities matters of concern to do with the town;  promotes high standards of planning and architecture and monitors planning applications;  timulates interest in the history and traditions of the town;  publishes a twice-yearly newsletter, organises talks during the autumn and winter and arranges visits during the summer.

Our talks are, like the newsletter, free to members and are presented at the Abbey School. Our summer visits are to local places of interest, some not normally open to the public. The Society is a registered charity and is therefore able to claim gift aid on donations.

Officers and Committee President Tony Hubbard MBE 386869 [email protected] Chairman Alan Vaughan 386764 [email protected] Secretary Position vacant Treasurer Bob Merrett 385572 [email protected] Gillian Barella (Membership Secretary) 380418 [email protected] Tim Cornford (Newsletter Editor) 387586 [email protected] Carol Wiseman (Newsletter Production) 383666 [email protected] Jane Brenner 385799 [email protected] Warwick Faville 385763 [email protected] Ian Gosden 548649 [email protected] Julian Royle 384858 [email protected] Eddie Taylor 386504 [email protected]

To become a member of the Society for the first time

Please complete this form and send it to the Membership Secretary, 4 Chapel Street, Woodbridge, IP12 4NF Title & first name...... Surname ...... Second member at the same address Title & first name...... Surname...... Address...... Postcode...... Telephone ...... Email...... Second member email...... Cheques payable to The Woodbridge Society (£8 for one person; £14 for two people) Gift Aid Declaration I confirm that I have paid or will pay an amount of income tax and/or capital gains tax for each tax year that is at least equal to the amount of tax that all the charities to which I donate will reclaim on my gifts for that tax year. I am a UK tax payer and want The Woodbridge Society (reg. charity no. 1117073) to treat this donation as a Gift Aid donation.

Signed...... Date...... Published by The Woodbridge Society and printed by Bettaprint Woodbridge Limited 1 Carlow Mews, Church Street, Woodbridge, Suffolk IP12 1EA Copyright The Woodbridge Society 2017 Contributors reserve their individual copyrights

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