Ousden
| Ousden | |
|---|---|
 Ousden
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| Ousden shown within Suffolk | |
| Population | 266 |
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Police | Suffolk |
| Fire | Suffolk |
| Ambulance | East of England |
| EU Parliament | East of England |
Ousden is a village and civil parish in the St Edmundsbury district of Suffolk in eastern England. Located around six miles west of Bury St Edmunds and 72 miles north of London, as of 2011 its population is at 266. The village has an Anglican church of St Peter's and a chapel in the cemetery dedicated to St Barnabas.
In the 1870s, Ousden was described as:
Ousden dates back to the Anglo-Saxon era. The name is derived from old English and literally translates to 'owl valley'. In the Domesday Book Ousden is referred to as 'Uuesdana' and shows that in 1066 it consisted of 27 households, considered to be a 'quite large' village, and part of the Hundred of Risbridge. There was a population of fifteen villagers, nine smallholders and two slaves. There was six acres of land and four cobs, 15 cattle, 22 pigs and 158 sheep. The Lord of Ousden in 1066 was Leofric, but by 1086 the Lord and tenant-in-chief was Eustace, Count of Boulogne.
The parish church, St Peter's, also dates from around this time. It is a place of interest due to it being a Norman tripartite, with the nave, central tower and chancel remaining intact. Throughout the 20th century the building has been added to according to architectural trends of the time and the needs of the parish. For example, in the 18th century a new chancel was erected along with a new brick chapel. In 1912, a burial ground was created for the Ousden residents extending for a mile next to the church. Within this a red brick chapel was built as a daughter church and is dedicated to St Barnabas.
The village also had a manor, lived in by the Moseley family from 1567 until it was sold in 1800. The manor was bought in 1835 by the Ireland family and lived in until 1885, when it was acquired by the Mackworth-Praed family. The family remained in the Manor until 1955 when it was demolished.
In 1851, Ousden was part of the Diocese of Ely, a large Diocese covering West Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire. Today, Ousden is part of the Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich, a smaller diocese covering much of West Suffolk.
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