History of Woodton Village
Woodton is a rural village situated on the Norfolk / Suffolk border. It is 10 miles south of Norwich and 5 miles north of Bungay. This is the second largest village in the group.
Woodton Village Hall
The village hall is on the Hempnall road, at the western edge (towards Hempnall) of the village. There are a number of regular activities in the hall, including Pilates, Step Aerobics, dances. The Village Hall page on the Woodton Parish Council website has full details.
The hall is also available for hire - contact the village shop on 01508 482 742.
Woodton bells
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The bell-towerWoodton All Saints Church has a round tower in two distinct sections. The lower part of the tower is built using a mixture of uncoursed flints and a mixture of iron-stained nodules. At the top of the round section of the tower, one can see the remains of the four former sound-windows. This round part of the tower appears to be Anglo-Saxon. The octagonal belfry consists of flint with internal brick detail: knapped flint with limestone detail. This would have been added at a later date to the round part of the tower. It is thought it was added at about the same time as the nave roof was raised – otherwise the tower would have been barely taller than the church itself. There were originally two clock faces on the belfry, facing south and north: one facing the village and the other facing the former Woodton Hall. There is no evidence now of the clock mechanism. The bellsThere are six bells in the tower that are used regularly by a keen group of bell ringers: Treble; The treble had to be recast in 2003, and was engraved with the names of the rector, Conal Mahony, and the two churchwardens, Monica Churchill and Gillian Noakes. John Brend 1641; Given by Mr Robert Suckling (Svckling) and others. John Brend 1641 John Brend 1641 John Brend 1641 John Brend 1641 The diameter of the tenor is 34 inches. It weighs 7 cwt, 2 qu, 4lbs, and sounds in the key of A. The bells were re-hung in 1889 but by 1930 they were unringable. The 1978 Woodton Bells Restoration Fund was set up under the chairmanship of Mr Armstrong-James and Mrs Miriam Clover to raise the money to have them re-hung. This was completed in 1983 with Miriam Clover becoming the first tower captain. Bell-ringing practicePractice nights are on the 1st and 4th Wednesdays of each month and the 2nd and 3rd Fridays of each month, 7:30 to 9pm. See 'Dates for your diary' on the Welcome page. Visting ringers are most welcome, as is anyone who's not rung before and would like to discover what is involved. It is great fun and a well worthwhile hobby. If you are planning to visit and would like to contact someone before you come, do send us an email. |
The Sucklings
Suckling is a Saxon name which was probably written ‘Socling’ and meant 'A person holding his estate by socrage or the tenure of the plough'.
In 1575 Robert Suckling (4x great-grandfather to Horatio, Viscount Nelson) became Lord of the whole of Woodton; he represented Norwich in Parliament in 1570 and 1585. His eldest son, Edmund, became Dean of Norwich. Another son, Charles, inherited the estate and enlarged it by the purchase of the manor of Barsham in Suffolk from the poet John Suckling (the son of his younger brother Sir John Suckling, the Cavalier Poet).
The new Woodton Hall was built in 1694 by Robert Suckling and his wife Sarah Shelton (great-grandparents to Horatio Nelson). Nelson is said to have played in the grounds, especially near a cedar tree which still stands today and can be viewed in the photo album.
Ned Baldry and 'Shell'
The grave of a famous Norfolk huntsman, Ned Baldry, can be found at the back of Woodton church yard. He was born in the parish of Woodton in 1705 and worked for Robert Suckling in the stables at Woodton Hall from the age of 13. Later, he was promoted to kennel-keeper and second whipper-in, and eventually to chief huntsman. He became famous through his skewbald horse ‘Shell’.
Robert Suckling’s death left Ned with the ownership of Shell and the hounds with ample means to support him. Ned travelled with his horse and hounds to Ireland and France, but returned to Woodton to lay Shell to rest in the park of Woodton Hall. Ned's tombstone can be visited in the north-east corner of the churchyard.
Woodton Hall was pulled down in 1841/2.
Another family of Sucklings lived in Woodton at the same time as the Woodton Hall Sucklings. Confusingly, many of the boys' names were the same, Robert, Maurice and John, for example.
Joseph Suckling married Honor Read in Woodton church in 1793. Their seven children were all connected with Woodton: Mary, John (see below), Phobe, Harriet, Elizabeth, Maurice and Zacharias.
We are grateful for information for this page provided by Sylvia, great-granddaughter of John Suckling (see above), and her husband. Sylvia still has close connections to Woodton Church.
Image reproduced by kind permission of Charles Miller Ltd.
Woodton Primary School
Woodton Primary is a village school which caters for children from the age of four to eleven. We primarily serve the villages of Woodton and Bedingham, but some of our children come from villages and towns further afield such as Hales and Bungay. The Governors' report to the Parish Council (May 2013) shows that it continues to grow and flourish. The school has now embarked on another busy year under the leadership of Acting Headteacher Mrs Linda Cullum.