Whitton

Introduction

Historically a separate parish, but now mainly subsumed into north Ipswich, though a small, separate and predominantly rural Whitton parish still exists as shown. It was recorded in Domesday as "Widituna". That Whitton formerly had a greater population than 2021's 175 is evinced by the fact that the war memorial lists no fewer than 12 men killed in the Great War.

The parish's boundaries have changed several times in the past; even the church and war memorial are now within Ipswich's boundaries. The Crown and Maypole were formerly within Whitton Parish; both were moved into Ipswich (though the Crown also spent some time in Bramford).

The church's single bell dates from 1441 and is believed to be one of the oldest in the county.

A hoard of 45 silver Roman coins was once ploughed up near the old Norwich Road, along with part of a gold ingot. In 1931 (& again in 1949) Basil Brown (from Ipswich Museum) excavated the remains of a roman villa and found a mosaic floor and coins before residential building started (now modern housing in Tranmere Grove and Chesterfield Drive area).

Gallery

Acknowledgements

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