Woolpit
| Woolpit | |
|---|---|
 Church of St Mary |
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 Woolpit
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| Woolpit shown within Suffolk | |
| OS grid reference | TL973624 |
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Bury St Edmunds |
| Postcode district | IP30 |
| EU Parliament | East of England |
Woolpit is a village in the English county of Suffolk, midway between the towns of Bury St. Edmunds and Stowmarket. In 2007 it had a population of 2,030. It is notable for the 12th-century legend of the green children of Woolpit and for its parish church, which has especially fine medieval woodwork. Administratively Woolpit is a civil parish, part of the district of Mid Suffolk.
The village's name, first recorded in the 10th century as Wlpit and later as Wlfpeta, derives from the Old English wulf-pytt, meaning "pit for trapping wolves".
Before the Norman conquest of England, the village belonged to Ulfcytel Snillingr. Between 1174 and 1180, Walter de Coutances, a confidant of King Henry II, was appointed to Woolpit. After his "death or retirement" it was to be granted to the monks of Bury St Edmunds Abbey. A bull of Pope Alexander III likewise confirms that revenues from Woolpit are to be given to the abbey.
In the 15th century and for some time afterward, two fairs were held annually. The Horse Fair was held on two closes, or fields, on 16 September. The Cow Fair was held on its own field on 19 September; here toys as well as cattle were sold.
From the 17th century, the area became an important manufacturing centre for "Suffolk White" bricks, but today only the pits remain.
Woolpit is in the hundred of Thedwestry, 8 miles (13 km) southeast of Bury. The area of the parish is 2,010 acres (8.1 km2); the population in 1831 was 880, less than half agricultural.
Mill Lane marks the site of a post mill which was demolished in about 1924. Another mill, which fell down in 1963, stood in Windmill Avenue.
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Wikipedia