Woolverstone

Introduction

Woolverstone was recorded in Domesday as "Uluerestuna" and appears on John Speed's 1610 map as "Wuluerſton". The name is believed to derive from "Wulf's Stone", apparently named after a stone on which King Wulf (a Viking raider) sacrificed one of the inhabitants.

Woolverstone Hall, a Grade I listed country house dating from 1776, is used as a girls' school.

The Cat House (now in the grounds of the marina, see gallery) was where smuggling was directed from. When no revenue men were in the area, a stuffed cat was put in a window so smugglers on the river knew it was safe to land their booty.

In 1910, dredging work in the Orwell unearthed a 2.2m oak longboat, age unknown.

Woolverstone Marina is on the site of a WWII embarkation hard, built between 1942 and 1943 in preparation for D-Day.

Gallery

Acknowledgements

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