West Stow

Introduction

Now a dry parish, recorded in Domesday as "Stowa". West Stow is best known for the Anglo-Saxon village reconstructed on the site of a village excavated during the 1960s and 1970s.

For some time it was thought that this had always been a dry parish, but recently we've found evidence of an old pub here - probably closed by the 20th century.

West Stow Hall (see the gallery) is a magnificent 16th century building. Its gatehouse dates from approximately 1520 and was built for Sir John Crofts, Master of the Horse to the sister of Henry VIII, Mary Tudor, who was briefly Queen of France, and subsequently the wife of Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk. Her arms, quartered with those of Charles

Brandon, have been placed over the gateway.

The former Reading Room now operates as the local club, providing refreshment and a meeting place for the village. Ironically, it was originally set up by the local landowner to get people out of pubs, which he wanted closed.

A pub called the Swan has been erroneously attributed to this village on some websites, but they are actually referring to the pub of that name in Stuston.

Gallery