History
Haughley railway station also served two other lines, the line to Bury St Edmunds, Cambridge and Ely Originally the Mid-Suffolk Light Railway's operation was confined to an adjacent but separate terminus but it was closed in 1925 when all services were diverted to the main line station .
Haughley closed with effect from 2 January 1967 as part of the Beeching Axe and most of the station building was demolished as well as the three platforms and the two signal-boxes, the turntable filled in and the sidings removed. Today only the stationmaster's house remains.
Haughley Castle
Haughley Castle was a medieval castle situated in the village of Haughley, some 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) north-west of the town of Stowmarket, Suffolk Prominent historians such as J. Wall consider it "the most perfect earthwork of this type in the county," whilst R. Allen Brown has described it as "one of the most important" castle sites in East Anglia.
Haughley Castle was built in the late 11th century by Hugh de Montfort. It had a very large motte, 210 feet (64 m) wide at the base and 80 feet (24 m) tall. The bailey is rectangular, 390 feet (120 m) by 300 feet (91 m) across, with the entrance on the west side. Both the motte and the bailey were protected by a deep ditch, fed from a diverted stream from the west to produce a wet moat Earlier investigations suggested that a stone shell keep had been built on the motte, but the foundations of this, if correct, can no longer be seen. A further bailey may have originally surrounded the surviving earthworks, enclosing the local church as well. The dimensions and scale of the castle has led J. Wall to describe Haughley as "the most perfect earthwork of this type in the county," whilst historian R. Allen Brown considers it "one of the most important" castle sites in East Anglia.
By the late 12th century the Bigod family had come to dominate Suffolk, Henry ll had taken the throne after the death of Stephen and Henry d'Essex lost favour after being accused and convicted of cowardice during the 1157 Welsh campaign - Haughley Castle was seized by Henry II in 1163, and by the mid-1170s, the castle was controlled on his behalf by Ralph de Broe and a garrison of 30 soldiers, The castle was built of motte and bailie design by Hugh de Montfort in around 1100. Most early castles were made of Motte and bailie design, consisting of a man-made mound, the ‘motte’ which had the fort on top and an enclosed surrounding area, the ‘bailie’ where the community would live. The castle at Haughley was previously known as Hageneth or Hagenorth Castle. It was destroyed in 1173 by the army of the Lord of Leicester and today the only inhabitants are the ducks in the moat. It was one of the 3 ‘Honours‘ in Suffolk (a royal gift distinct and superior to the general granting of manorial rights and lordships).
About Haughley.
Haughley, an ancient village and a parish in Suffolk. The village stands about 3 miles from Stowmarket The parish is cut into the divisions of Haughley Green, Old Street, New Street, and Tothill, population 859.
The history of Haughley
At one time Haughley was more important than Stowmarket, but a great fire towards the end of the 16th Century destroyed much of the village and brought about the end of the market in the village. The market was then moved to Stowmarket.
Church
St Mary’s Church dates from the 12th century but there has been a church in Haughley since Anglo-Saxon times. The tower and nave are quite separate, as if they had been built without regard to each other. A south aisle has been built between and beyond them, joining the two together; but the nave is tall, and the aisle low, so the effect is rather unusual. The tower in the south west corner of the church is common with many medieval churches in this area - but the tower was clearly once a separate structure.
The war memorial situated in front of the church was first erected in 1920 following the WWI but was replaced by a plain cross in 1947 when it was blown down in a gale. However, in 1995, the original work was found and restored, names re-inscribed and names of the fallen from WWII were also added.
Today Haughley is a thriving community, with many local businesses including a public house, a Indian restaurant, a bakery (established over a hundred years ago), a Post Office (the oldest in Suffolk, and possibly the oldest in the country), a general food store, a vet, several farms and many other businesses. Bed & Breakfast and holiday accommodation is also available.
There are also many community activities available in the village including a successful football team, who were close to folded 2012/2013 season but Ayman Al-Aride and other members saved the club. and the start of the season went really well sitting top of the table at the start of October for a club that nearly wasn't a club not a bad achievement
Outstanding ofsted rated preschool ran by very dedicated members of staff and volunteers. We are passionate about guiding children through the transition of starting education via play based learning, role play, arts and crafts, cookery, stories, our sensory garden, music and much much more! We aim to develop and improve the children's self awareness, self confidence, independence along side build their academic skills. Everyday is open day where our staff are more than willing to show you around the setting and answer any questions you may have. Places available for 2-5 years Monday to Friday. For any further info contact Kerry or Julie on 07880738781. Haughley Pre-School is open on Monday and Tuesdays 8.30-3 weds-Friday 8.30-1.
