Hadleigh | |
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Signpost in Hadleigh |
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Hadleigh shown within Suffolk | |
Population | 8,253 (2011) |
OS grid reference | TM0342 |
Civil parish |
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District | |
Shire county | |
Region | |
Country | England |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | IPSWICH |
Postcode district | IP7 |
Dialling code | 01473 |
Police | Suffolk |
Fire | Suffolk |
Ambulance | East of England |
EU Parliament | East of England |
UK Parliament | |
Hadleigh is an ancient market town and civil parish in South Suffolk, East Anglia, situated, next to the River Brett, between the larger towns of Sudbury and Ipswich. The headquarters of Babergh District Council are located in the town, which at the 2011 census had a population of 8,253.
Skeat, in his 1913 The Place-Names of Suffolk, says this:
Spelt Hadlega, R.B.; Hadleigh, Ipm.; Hædleage, in a late chapter, Thorpe, Diplomat, 527; Headlega, Annals of St Neot, quoted in Plummer's ed. of the A.S.Chronicle, ii. 102; Hetlega, D.B., p.184. In D.B. the t stands for th; and the true A.S. form appears in a Worcs. charter, dated 849, as hæðleage(gen.) with reference to Headley Heath (a tautological name) in Birch, C.S. ii. 40; see Duignan, Placenames of Worcs. The sense is 'heath-lea.' In a similar way the A.S. ð has become t in Hatfield (Herts.) which means 'heath-field'.
Guthrum, King of the Danes, is said to be buried in the grounds of St Mary's Church in the town. He was defeated by King Alfred at the battle of Edington in 878.
Hadleigh received its market charter in 1252. In 1438 administration was passed from manorial control to trustees. The market was eventually sold to Babergh District Council in the late 20th century.
Hadleigh was one of the East Anglian towns that derived its prosperity from its wool and cloth industries. It has a 15th-century timber-framed Guildhall and many fine examples of timber and brick listed buildings, some with highly detailed 17th century plasterwork or "pargeting". Most of these buildings can be found in the High Street, Angel Street, Benton Street and the immediately surrounding area.