Suffolk Local History Council -Milenhall report

Website Update Log

Suffolk Local History Council (SLHC) banner

Day Meeting - Mildenhall

Spring 2006
Report and photo by Jonathan Abson

We saw the church, once St Andrew’s, now St Mary’s, the workhouse, the museum, the manor house, the cottage hospital and its cemetery in an old chalkpit, now a wildlife sanctuary. In a funny sort of way it was a typical Day meeting in that we saw the things that the local society know so well and the visitor can so easily pass by, so it was much like any other Day Meeting. It was also so very different, mainly because of Colin Dring.

The back of the Workhouse and St Mary’s church from a private garden

The museum started as two old cottages and a loan from the parish council. The council were so impressed with the work that they turned the loan into a grant and the museum stands as a monument to Colin Dring who did so much to inspire it. It contains a full size replica of the Mildenhall Treasure, found locally by a tractor driver during the second world war. If you have never seen a great solid silver dish, two feet in diameter with the most beautiful figures embossed on it, go to Mildenhall. Those of our group who remembered the original from when it came to Ipswich or in the British Museum were surprised again at its sheer size and the clarity of the figures. That the museum is very well thought of is again underlined by the proposal to house the Lakenheath Saxon Horse and Warrior in an extension.

Yes, we had a good day, and at tea at the end of the afternoon the Mildenhall Society thanked us for coming before we could thank them for the really well organised and interesting day.