The name Suffolk actually means “Land of the Southern People”, and there are more pigs than people in the county! Those of you who are looking at holiday homes in Suffolk might also be interested to know that it is the furthest east you can go in the UK, with the town of Lowestoft located near our North Denes Caravan Park being the most easterly point.
With these facts in mind, we have taken a look at some other interesting things you might not have known about the county below:
1. SUFFOLK IS THE Silk capital of the UK
Sudbury grew very wealthy towards the end of the Middle Ages, thanks to a wool trade that swept across the UK. The small market town still benefits greatly from the textile trade, and has four working mills which manufacture 110 metric tonnes of Chinese silk every year, making it the official silk capital of the UK.
Bob Jones under Creative Commons
2. SUFFOLK HAS Britain’s smallest pub
For those of you looking to enjoy a quiet pint in cosy surroundings, look no further than Bury St Edmunds and the Nutshell Pub (pictured at the top). Measuring 15ft by 7ft, it is officially the smallest pub in the UK, and has been serving pints since 1867! The record for the most amount of people squeezed through their doors currently stands at 102, meaning you would be treated to a very cosy drink!
Martin Pettitton on Flickr under Creative Commons
3. Harry Potter is from Suffolk
Well, not exactly… But the fictional birthplace of Harry Potter, Godric’s Hollow, is based on the medieval village of Lavenham, which was also used to film scenes from the films under complete secrecy at the time. Harry Potter’s nemesis Voldemort is played by Ralph Fiennes, who is a Suffolk-born actor himself!
4. Stay out of the wateR IN SUFFOLK…
Fact or fiction? You decide this one! Suffolk has its very own legendary water serpent, with many different accounts describing the creature being given. In 1750, the Kessingland Sea Serpent was described as being 5 feet in length, with a beard like a lion, the head of a dog and spotted skin like a leopard. Another sighting in 1912 described a creature in the water travelling at great speed, but was reportedly 60 feet long.
In 1923, a captain of H M Kellet recorded seeing a long, serpentine neck which was six or seven feet out of the water, but further details were scarce. 1978 saw a report being given by a tourist, who wrote to the East Anglian Magazine, describing the head of a seal on a long neck poking out of the water, and what looked to be some humps behind the head.
Andrew Hill under Creative Commons
5. George Orwell took his name from a Suffolk river
A young man named Eric Arthur Blair used to spend his summers at this parents’ house in Southwold, where he would travel around the beautiful countryside. His favourite place to visit was the River Orwell, where yachts sailed and wading birds lined the banks. When he published his first book in 1933, the author’s name on the book was “George Orwell”, a nod to his favourite place as a child.
These are just a few facts about the rich history of Suffolk, why not visit for yourself and find out more about its detailed history?
