East Anglia is peppered with villages which have more
than their fair share of stories to tell. One is Blundeston, near
Lowestoft. Mike Sherburn looks at the inside story of the hamlet
with a Dickensian heritage.
Please note that the postcard from series
ended in 2004 and that descriptions of shops and services were correct at
time of going to press
Where is it:
The village is one of a string of communities between Lowestoft
and Yarmouth. Being close to the border, many of these villages
are fierce about which side they sit – Blundeston is very
definitely in Suffolk.
What kind of place is it and how many people live there?
With two churches, two pubs, a school and a prison, the village
is far from quiet. There is a host of community groups for the 300
residents – from Blundeston and Flixton Women’s Institute
to Blundeston Magpies Football Club and even a local history society.
Sounds busy. So what else happens there?
Most of the population work in Lowestoft or Yarmouth and recently
there have been concerns district planners might give permission
for hundreds of houses to be built nearby. Residents have been heard
to say that they do not want to “end up like Carlton Colville”,
a village on the south side of Lowestoft that has grown rapidly
over the last 10 years because of intensive house building.
A major feature is the prison to the south of the village.
Tell me more about the prison.
It is a category B jail with a capacity of 424 prisoners. It was
built in 1963 but has been extended. Although the facility can accommodate
prisoners on life sentences it is not set far back from the road
and several cottages sit immediately outside the fences, overlooked
by large Home Office signs announcing the prison’s presence.
Any other points of interest?
The Rookery in the village was the fictional home of Charles Dickens’s
character David Copperfield. The book of the same name makes several
references to ‘Blunderstone’ and even the menu at the
Plough Inn carries reminders of the 1850 novel. A plaque above the
door reveals: “Barkis (the carrier) from the novel David Copperfield
by Charles Dickens started from here.”
What else is special about the village?
Blundeston has a church, St Mary’s, with a Saxon tower that
pre-dates the Norman invasion of 1066. A disused windmill sits near
the centre of the village and a small, red-brick village pound is
still standing to the east of the church. And the former fire station
has become a shop selling pianos.
Where can I get some food and drink?
The Plough is a well-respected pub and restaurant, which offers
a good selection of meals and a wide range of beers. For those who
like a choice of pub, The Red Lion is an alternative hostelry.
The Plough Inn
Are there any other local attractions?
Somerleyton Hall and estate is nearby. The hall is still a family
home and the estate includes Fritton Lake Countryworld. Also on
the doorstep are the coastal holiday villages of Corton and Hopton.
On the north edge of Lowestoft, and less than five miles away, is
Pleasurewood Hills American Theme Park and a short trip in the car
brings you to Oulton Broad with its day boats, park and hungry ducks.
