Thelnetham
Coordinates: 52°21′54″N 0°57′36″E / 52.365°N 0.960°E
Thelnetham is a village and civil parish in the St Edmundsbury district of Suffolk in eastern England. Located on the southern bank of the River Little Ouse (the Norfolk-Suffolk border), six miles west of Diss, in 2005 its population was 230.[1] The village of Blo' Norton lies on the Norfolk side of the river. The name of the village derives from the Old English words "thel" which means a plank bridge, "elfitu" meaning swans and "hamm" meaning a meadow or enclosure. Hence the village is the "meadow with the plank bridge and the swans". [2]
Blo'Norton and Thelnetham Fen
North of the village and along the river is the Blo' Norton and Thelnetham Fen Site of Special Scientific Interest, an important calcarous fen wetland site supporting a range of rare species such as black bog rush Schoenus nigricans and saw sedge Cladium mariscus plant species..[3] The Little Ouse Headwaters Project manages part of this area as well as surrounding wetland areas such as Hinderclay Fen and Suffolk Wildlife Trust also has a reserve on part of the site.[4][5]
Bugg's Hole Fen SSSI
The 4 hectares (9.9 acres) Bugg's Hole Fen SSSI is located west of the village.[6] This is a spring fed area of fen with a wide range of habitats and flora including uncommon plant species such as common butterwort Pinguicula vulgaris, bog pimpernel Anagallis tenella and adder’s tongue fern Ophioglossum vulgatum.[6]
Thelnetham Windmill
Thelnetham Windmill is a restored 19th century tower mill and is located to the west of the village. It is open to the public on occasional weekends throughout the summer.[7]
Thelnetham Vineyard
Thelnetham Vineyard is a 3-acre (1.2 ha) vineyard on the banks of the Little Ouse which was planted in 1985.[8]
Lodge Farm, Thelnetham
Lodge Farm (now called Thelnetham House) was built in 1699 and was the subject of a book by the British author and critic John Middleton Murry. His book, "Community Farm" was an account of his time at Lodge Farm during the Second World War when he ran the farm as a commune for conscientious objectors. [9]
See also
References
- 1 2 Estimates of Total Population of Areas in Suffolk Suffolk County Council
- ↑ A Popular Guide to Suffolk Place Names by James Rye published in 1997 by The Larks Press
- ↑ Blo' Norton and Thelnetham Fen, SSSI citation, Natural England. Retrieved 2013-01-31.
- ↑ Our sites, Little Ouse Headwaters Project. Retrieved 2013-01-31.
- ↑ Thelnetham Fen, Suffolk Wildlife Trust. Retrieved 2013-01-31.
- 1 2 Bugg's Hole Fen, Thelnetham, SSSI citation, Natural England. Retrieved 2013-01-31.
- ↑ Thelnetham Windmill, Suffolk Mills Group. Retrieved 2013-01-31.
- ↑ "East Anglia". English Wine Producers. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
- ↑ Community Farm by John Middleton Murry published in 1953 by The Country Book Club
External links
Media related to Thelnetham at Wikimedia Commons