Brandeston

Introduction

An attractive village (recorded in Domesday as "Brantestona") whose sign shows a body on the gallows. This represents John Lowes, vicar of the parish for nearly 50 years who was accused of witchcraft by Matthew Hopkins, the notorious "witchfinder general" and subsequently hanged at Bury St Edmunds in 1646. Vicarage Cottage was formerly a brewery.

A pop-up pub, the Churchill Arms, runs on the third Friday of the month at the village hall. See the village website for more information. It's hoped this will only be a temporary arrangement and the Queen can be rescued.

Brandeston blacksmith Hector Moore forged fifty village signs during his career, to designs by his wife Mary. They include signs for Easton, Mendham and Brandeston itself. Mary's grandfather, Samuel Ryder, was the founder of the Ryder Cup golf tournament.

Barley specially grown in Brandeston by Victor Scott is used to brew Earl Soham's delicious Brandeston Gold.

Brandeston Hall is now the main preparatory school for Framlingham College.

Richard Cobbold, in his 1845 novel, "The History of Margaret Catchpole", loosely based on Catchpole's life, consistently spells the village's name, "Brandiston"…

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