Day Meeting at Onehouse
| Saturday 21 September
2002 Report by Mrs Margaret Hancock, Photographs Copyright © 2002 Dr Philip Pantelis |
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| Welcome to the Wonderful World of Onehouse! Pauline Llewellyn and her team of twenty-seven local helpers entertained and educated sixty Local History Council members from across the County in real style. We learned about and enjoyed walking through Northfield Wood with John Michell. Northfield Wood has been owned and managed by the Woodland Trust for the last twelve years. |
 Bill Marland working with his Suffolk Horse "Humbug" |
| Perhaps less well known than other woods in Suffolk, Northfield boasts no less than forty-six of the fifty species listed as indicators of ancient woodland. Our walk was greatly enhanced by the presence of Bill Marland and his Suffolk Punch "Humbug" working together to haul recently felled timber out of the wood. |
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 1781 Workhouse or House of Industry. A Grade 1 listed building, now converted into flats. |
Sandra de Graft-Johnson gave us the historical background to the Workhouse or House of Industry completed in 1781 to serve the fourteen parishes in the Stow Hundred. This was the perfect introduction to our site visit later in the day when we admired the imposing restored frontage of the Grade 1 listed building now converted into forty flats, pictured left. The Paupers Graveyard, with its simple wooden crosses made a sobering contrast. |
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Excellent displays in the Church Rooms added interest to the lunch break, providing further details on the School, Workhouse, local industries of osiery and hosiery , as well as detailed maps and plans of the local area. Our visit to the Church was enhanced by Stuart Boulter, site archaeologist during the 1990s rebuilding of the 14th century tower by English Heritage - the leaning tower of Onehouse once rivalled its Italian counterpart. The Church has no water or electricity so the electric organ used for services is powered by a car battery! |
 Cross in the paupers' graveyard |
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It was a joy to walk from the Church around the grounds of nearby Onehouse Hall and the adjacent complex of original farm buildings; the chance to peep inside the magnificent barn now converted into 2 dwellings was another added bonus. The day was rounded off with a magnificent tea of homemade cakes and scones. The perfect end to a lovely September day. |
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