HISTORY
Walberswick History
The landscape to the south of Walberswick is central to the history of the village and contains evidence of occupation for thousands of years. The area each side of Seven Acre Lane and Stocks Lane, together with Manor Field (the G2 site) is described by Suffolk County Council as possibly the original location of Walberswick church and settlement. The church was at the bottom of Stocks Lane, the precise location has been debated but it is probably on the western side. There was a track from the church towards Hoist Covert and Lodge Road.
A glance at www.heritage.suffolk.gov.uk shows the large number of finds in this area; as would be expected, it was the old village of Walberswick. Medieval pottery, bronze pieces and painted glass have all been found here. In his book, The Walberswick Frigate, David Shirref visualised a scatter of cottages down the west side of Stocks Lane. Perhaps there is also evidence of the old village on Manor Field and beside Seven Acre Lane.
The Walberswick Frigate describes a warship being launched in 1654 into the Dunwich River at Walberswick. She was a large ship; eighty feet long with a draught of twelve feet; the river was deep and wide at that time. She had been built on the riverbank just to the south of the end of Stocks Lane and this is where she was launched. Timber quays and jetties here would have served seagoing vessels when this was Walberswick’s harbour. Trade was international; a 16th century Nuremburg reckoning counter, used as an aid in calculations, was found at the bottom of Seven Acre Lane.
Everywhere National Grid will be working could contain evidence of the history of the village and the changes that occurred over thousands of years. What is unique about this proposal is the vast area of historically important land it will affect. National Grid will have to wait for the archaeologists to investigate, and how long that will take depends on what is found; a significant discovery such as the old village could involve substantial delays.