New Look Website!
It is nearly two years since we abandoned our old web site in favour of this new Blog style. We have received quite a number of comments (in fact hundreds and hundreds – but most of them were rubbish and ended up in the bin!!). Notwithstanding that, a number of people have requested information about their families who have had some association with Finningham. We have not always been able to help but we do, where we can.
We now have a group of enthusiastic amateur researchers, who meet on a monthly basis in the local pub, under the name of the Finningham Local History Circle. Many of the enquiries received through the website are routed to them.
Finningham is still a quiet backwater in the Suffolk countryside but we celebrated the Royal Wedding last year in good style on the Village Green. We hope to do the same this year to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. Why don’t you drop in and join in the fun?? We would be delighted to see you.
Welcome to Finningham
Have you ever browsed in a book shop and looked for publications featuring this jewel in the Suffolk countryside? No? Well, I can tell you that you will be hard pushed to find more than a few lines in some obscure chapter.
It is true that maybe, Finningham does not possess any major buildings or edifices of architectural or historical significance; however, hidden beneath its unpropitious exterior lies what could be considered as an example of the archetypal East Anglian Village.
Let us start at the centre. What does every English Village need? Or course, a church. Finningham has St. Bartholomews. The Church was in existence when William l caused the Doomsday Survey to be carried out in 1086. The current building does not date from quite as early as that (although there are sections of the Nave wall which could be over 900 years old). A considerable part of the existing building dates from the late 13th or early 14th centuries. For more details, please visit the History page.
St Bartholomew's
Even if history is not your “bag”, you cannot fail to appreciate the simplistic beauty of St Bartholomews in its churchyard setting. Situated, as it does in the corner of the Village Green, it is surrounded by some the oldest and most attractive dwellings in the village. Many of which have been carefully and lovingly restored. Visit the Photo Gallery to catch a glimpse of what is in store when you visit.
As there are now only just over 400 people living in Finningham, there are no longer any shops or amenities left. With the notable exception of the White Horse Public House, which has had a bit of a chequered career over the last few years but is now back in its rightful role as the village watering hole. The residents have to travel to neigbouring villages of Gislingham or Bacton for the nearest Post Office and other necessities of life.
The White Horse
So, the next time you are travelling from Ipswich to Norwich or Bury St Edmunds or Bury to Diss, why not just take a turn off the A140 or A143 and spend a few moments in what we consider to be an unpolished “jewel in the Suffolk Countryside”?