Great Barton

Introduction

Increasingly today Great Barton is becoming a modern suburb of Bury St Edmunds, though it still retains some fine examples of flint-faced buildings amongst the more recent housing. The village was recorded in Domesday as "Bertuna", and it appears on John Speed's 1610 map as "Berton".

The Bunbury family are closely linked to the village history with Sir Charles noted as being the "father" of the Jockey club and owner of the first two Derby winners - Diomed and Eleanor. The horses may be buried in the grounds of the hall. Sir Henry (the 7th baronet) was charged with informing Napoleon of his life sentence on St Helena in 1815. He is also commemorated in the name of the pub, which has a location deliberately chosen so that "his men could imbibe alcohol" but "he was not obliged to see them doing so".

Catteshill is a tumulus which was supposedly used as a judicial court for Bury in Mediaeval times. A possible early Anglo-Saxon and Romano-British settlement has been unearthed near Brand Road.

The Flying Fortress is often listed as being in Great Barton, but is actually in Rougham.

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History

The 1851 Census lists Robert Parish (Beer Seller, pub not named, Head/Married/29/born Bury St Edmunds), north of Turnpike Rd. Possibly The Cox Brewery or Crown.

The 1891-92 White's Directory lists Greene King & Son Ltd as brewers (at Bury St Eds) and farmers at Vicarage & Charity Farms.

Acknowledgements

Some historical information from English Heritage's National Monuments Record.

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