Several footpaths skirt the village. The Casey can be joined from Flax Lane and followed nearly to the church allowing a circular walk through the village. A second path begins near St Anthony's on Skates Hill. This can be followed to Grove Farm, at the top of Angel Lane. Bearing left by the first house on Angel Lane, a further path leads on to the recreation ground, and so back to the Village Hall.
Churchgate is dominated by the Church of St Mary the Virgin and was once the centre of the village, which over the centuries has developed southwards. The present Church was by no means the first building on the site. It is of late perpendicular style, 1350-1539.
Park Farm was once the Manor House of Glemsford Manor and at one time had a deer park. Monks Hall was the home of the Kerrington family in the 17th century. Church hill was formerly Wood Street.
Bells Lane factory complex was built by the Parish Officers in 1821 for silk weaving, afterwards horsehair drawing, which still continues. It also houses various industrial units.
Fair Green, formerly 'Tilneys Green', part of
the Manor of Tilneys.
The Post Office was
established here in 1887.
E. W. Downs, which
began as a blacksmiths, now manufacture the
latest machinery for potato handling and
grading on an international scale.
They are
presently involved in rehanginq the church
bells at St Mary's which they last hung in
1864.
The Primary School, a grade II listed building, was built as a result of the 1870 Education Act, for 520 pupils. The iron railings have recently been replaced so retaining its original character.
The 'Black Lion' is a medieval building which had an infamous fire in 1937.
The local authority houses were built in 1922, 1948. 1960 and 1988
Tye Green. The word 'tye' means small green.
During the 18th and 19th centuries the cage and animal pound was there.
The large house `Peverells', which is a grade II listed building, was built c. 1495, the home of a clothier,
reflecting the wealth of the 15th century wool
trade.
The 'Angel' was the home of a John Golding who died there in 1588.
Note the fine carving of St Michael the Archangel.
The Ebenezer Chapel is a listed building built in 1829.
Flax Lane was formerly Workhouse Lane. The parish workhouse* was on the site of the mirror factory.
The Croft was the site of the largest 19th century mat factory.
*I disagree with Richard here, feeling that a "workhouse" simply meant a factory. I have
never seen any evidence that Glemsford had a workhouse before the Sudbury Union was created after 1834.
Debate, however, is what History is about.
Kirby, writing in his 'Suffolk Traveller' in 1764, had
this to say about Glemsford:
"It is a very large parish in bounds; and if the houses stood contiguous it is supposed there
would not be four larger towns in the county".
And in the 1522 muster, Lavenham had the largest number of clothiers involved
in the wool industry, with Glemsford its nearest rival.
This involvement in industry through the ages continued into the 19th century, when the parish supported a number of
textile establishments, all operating alongside agriculture. Today there has been a decline in manufacture although some remain.
With its recent increase in population it is heading towards a residential village but hopefully still retains its character.
Richard Deeks
Chairman, Glemsford Local History Society