Friston | |
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St Mary Magdalene Church, Friston |
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Friston shown within Suffolk | |
Population | 344 2011 Census |
Civil parish |
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Shire county | |
Region | |
Country | England |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | SAXMUNDHAM |
Postcode district | IP17 |
EU Parliament | East of England |
Website | http://www.friston.org.uk/ |
Friston is a village in Suffolk, England. It is 3 miles (5 km) southeast of Saxmundham, its post town, and 4 miles (6 km) northwest of Aldeburgh. The River Alde bounds the village on the south. The surrounding land is chiefly arable. The soil becomes partly marshy in the lower grounds. The village is noted for its early nineteenth century post mill. It is located next to the village of Knodishall.
Its name is recorded in the Domesday Book as Frisetuna and seems to come from Anglo-Saxon Frīsa tūn = "the farmstead of the Frisians"; some of them may have come with the Angles and Saxons.
In 1887, John Bartholomew described Friston as:
Friston, par. and vil., E. Suffolk, 3 miles SE. of Saxmundham, 1846 ac., pop. 385; P.O.; in NW. vicinity of vil. is Friston Hall.
According to the most recent census in 2011, the parishes male population was 164 and the female population was 180. The historical reports show that Friston's total population in 1841 was 455 with 210 people being under 20 and 245 people being 20 years and upwards indicating the parishes young population. The population graph from 1801 to 2011 shows an increase in population from 1801 to 1850 where it declined to just under 400 people. After this point the population of Friston fluctuated but continued increasing before the huge decline in the villages population around the 1970's which was common in most rural areas due to people migrating to metropolitan areas with higher accessibility for social and economic activities.
The 1881 occupational graph demonstrates that the most common occupations for men were in agriculture and commodities with approximately 30 men working in each of these occupations. The second most popular occupation was house construction with 9 men working in that occupation. Females occupations differ in comparison with 17 females employed in domestic services such as transporters of messages and 56 females without specified occupations suggesting they worked around their homes.
Friston is located in a rural area close to the sea, rivers and woodland area. Friston is close to a famous bird sanctuary in Minsmere and is also home to its own wind mill dating back to the 19th century called 'Frison Post Mill'. The village has its own church, called St Mary's Church. The village which once had nine shops has now seen closure to its school and its post office, it is however close to surrounding towns with shops and supermarkets. There are two cinemas and a theatre within four miles of the village. Friston has a village Parish Council which hosts an annual general meeting with its seven members and the clerk. The village has a thriving pub called 'Old Chequers Pub' with a traditional log burner and was referred to as a 'community asset' after fears of it being sold for residential development in2014.