Eye

Introduction

Eye is a quiet market town with a village atmosphere, which is built around the remains of a Norman castle built by William Malet (who was later killed by English rebel, Hereward the Wake). The town was recorded in Domesday as "Eiam" and John Speed's 1610 map shows the town as "Ays".

The Town Constitutions from 1566 imposed a fine on publicans who didn't buy beer from the two breweries in the town. The bailiffs called buying beer elsewhere:

Unneighbourly and to the manifest prejudice of pore people [...] who are sett awork [...] in buting the small wort and small beer. [1]

Several examples of "crinkle crankle" walls can be found around the town. A market has been held since medieval times and the guildhall dates from 1470. Unfortunately despite over 20 pubs once existing locally (one source says 28 early in the 20th century), today only one survives despite over 2000 inhabitants.

A hoard of 600 Roman gold coins in a lead box was found in a sandpit to the south of Eye in roughly 1781. It's said that human bones were also found nearby.

Mary Magdalene's Hospital was founded in the 12th century as a leper hospital, near the present-day Magdalen Street. It closed about 1547.…

Gallery

Acknowledgements

Some details from "Suffolk Airfields in WW2" by Graham Smith.

[1] Clive Paine, The History of Eye.