A Brief History
The town of Hadleigh (originally Haedlaege or Hetlega meaning ‘the heath clearing’) has a long and rich history. Testament to its remarkable heritage are its 246 listed buildings (four being Grade I) complemented by a Local List of over 100 properties of special local worth.
Archaeological excavations and surveys (finds recorded on Suffolk Heritage Explorer website) provide good evidence of human activity in the Hadleigh area from the Stone, Bronze and Iron Ages, through Roman occupation and into the Anglo-Saxon and Medieval periods. Possibly the first documented reference to Hadleigh emanates from 878CE with the defeat by Alfred the Great of Danish warlord Guthrum and the latter’s enforced conversion to Christianity (baptized Aethelstan). Subsequently Guthrum became ruler of East Anglia with Hadleigh noted as one of his royal towns and reputed place of burial.
Medieval Hadleigh derived considerable prosperity from its woollen-cloth industry; this affluence is demonstrated by the prestigious Grade I listed buildings originating from the time – St Mary’s Church, the Guildhall Complex and Rector Archdeacon Pykenham’s Gateway (the Deanery Tower) – today these create a spectacular heritage area around the churchyard. Close by, were the manorial enclosures of two of Hadleigh’s five manors – the Manor of Toppesfield and the Manor of Hadleigh. The latter was the town’s chief and largest manor, bequeathed in 991 by Ealdorman Byrhtnoth to the Church of Christ of Canterbury (today’s Canterbury Cathedral). The archbishops, and later the lord priors and monks of the Cathedral Monastery, became its lords and also chief lords of the town with responsibility for jurisdiction within the parish. Hadleigh’s church (included in Bryhtnoth’s bequest) then became an archiepiscopal peculiar of Canterbury making it independent of the local diocese until 1838.
The railway arrived in 1847 with passenger services ceasing in 1932 and goods in 1965. During the century Hadleigh Local Government Board became responsible for town governance until the formation of Hadleigh Urban District Council (HUDC) in 1894.
The 1900s saw substantial development in Hadleigh including significant social improvements for residents. Early in the century roads and pavements were constructed in the town centre and a motor bus service to Ipswich commenced. By 1924 the first 24 council houses had been built; by 1950 there were 144. Sir Cedric Morris created the East Anglian School of Painting and Drawing at Benton End in 1940; the swimming pool and High School opened in 1971 and Magdalen Road in 1973. HUDC was replaced by Hadleigh Town Council in 1974, appointing the town’s first mayor after 288 years. Babergh District Council established its offices in Corks Lane in 1982, closing in 2017. In the second half of the century Hadleigh by-pass and a major refurbishment of the Guildhall were completed. The first planning application by Tesco for a superstore on land off the High Street was submitted in 1999, starting a fourteen-year battle ending in rejection for the retailer. Perhaps one of the most influential 20th century developments was the Lady Lane Industrial Estate in 1964 which steered employment opportunities away from those of the traditional agricultural-based economy towards modern industries using new technologies; associated with this were major residential developments. This expansion has continued into the 21st century with Hadleigh’s population increasing from 3,250 to around 9,000, bringing with it a growth in prosperity not seen for centuries.
This section was prepared from information supplied by Hadleigh Society. Sources used in this report may be found in a version of the same entitled ‘A Brief Summary of Hadleigh’s History’ in the Hadleigh History section of the Hadleigh Society website. A Timeline of Hadleigh History is also available on the website. http://www.hadsoc.org.uk/
For more information on the history of the town visit The Hadleigh Society‘s website, for what to see & do, and where to eat, drink, stay pop over to Visit Hadleigh‘s website.
The Hadleigh Society have worked tirelessly on creating a “Local List”. This being buildings of character and importance within the town but not necessarily grade listed. The Hadleigh Society want to hear your views on the Local List and recommendations for additions. To find out what Local Lists are all about, pop over the their website. To view the list and submit entries or comments, click here.
Hadleigh CCTV – installed June 2021
This project was a Babergh District Council initiative, supported by Hadleigh Town Council.
All the cameras are configured with “privacy windows” which essentially means they block out any residential areas within range of the camera.
Following in depth conversations with a police Inspector appointed to advise BDC, Hadleigh’s cameras have been replaced in like-for-like positions with the addition of one camera pole-mounted on the playgroup building (building owned by SCC) at Pykenham Way skatepark/Calais St Park. This provides a total of 8 cameras in Hadleigh. The locations of the cameras will enable full coverage of pretty much the entire High Street and ancillary roads Market Place and George Street as well as good range beyond the cameras in the other locations.
Camera Spec:
The cameras are such high quality they are endorsed by the police for solving crime on identification without reasonable doubt. The cameras can identify moving objects up to 3km away and can recognise people or vehicles up to 1.6km away. From 850m the cameras are able to recognise people’s faces and up to 410m can identify beyond reasonable doubt. This includes at low light levels too. Smart tracking is also used (where it follows a subject as it moves) and they can automatically rotate themselves.
Regulations:
There are large, clear signs in the town about the use of CCTV and where people can get more information (West Suffolk Control Centre). Footage is archived for one month allowing police use and helping with investigations after the incident as required.
Costs:
The equipment cost around £136k (for the joint initiative in Sudbury and Hadleigh) which was funded by Babergh District Council CIL. Hadleigh Town Council are funding £7,709 per annum for the West Suffolk Control Centre monitoring support costs associated with the 8 cameras.