Twinstead

Interior design of The Church of St John the Evangelist

On this site it is the fourth church to be built, the first being ruined in 1790, the second being pulled down, the third having been deemed as having "no ecclesiastical character": finally a fourth rebuild was necessary.[7] The church was built in 1859-60, it reflects the influence of William Butterfield and was designed by Henry Woodyer.[8] It is comparable to the model church of All Saints’, Margaret Street. The exterior is made from red bricks with stone dressings, however the interior is far more richly decorated. Black and red brickwork runs along each wall with orange-brown lattice above it.[9] The church's Victorian design distinguishes it from those in the surrounding area. However, the bell is the oldest part of the church dating back to the early 16th century, which was then rehung in 1976. What makes it even more special is that:

“Twinstead Church is thought to be one of only three churches in England featuring three equal arches of stone in the entrance to the chancel from the nave and certainly the only one if its kind in a rural setting.” [10]

In the past the parish occupied a healthy area of the county which was very pleasant, with good soil, on a clay bottom on which crops could be cultivated hence agriculture thrived.[13]

Twinstead is 49.2 miles NE of London[14] and is near the town of Sudbury, 3 miles south. It is elevated at 81 meters in height which is equal to 226 feet.[15] The A131 road is the only large road that passes through Twinstead; the two closest railway stations are Bures and Sudbury. The average climate in Twinstead is a maritime climate with highs of 22 °C and lows of 2 °C.

Before the 1800s the total population had 25 households according to the Domesday Book, which was quite large in comparison to other settlements. However nearby settlements shared the pattern of a large settlement, with Pebmarsh having 25 households and Lamarsh having 31. However, Twinstead in comparison paid o.6 geld units of tax per property which was very small in comparison to other areas.[16]

Population post 1800s

Over the years the population has fluctuated, starting off at 181 people in 1801 when first recorded in the census, this dropped significantly in 1811 to 139 people. However, by 1821 this had risen back to a high of 202 people. This stayed stable until 1901 when we see another dip to a 145 people.[17]

In the years after we see a steady incline then decline, so the population of the civil parish including Pebmarsh at the 2011 Census was 155.[18]

Population of Twinstead 1801-2011

According to the 2011 Census there were 79 males and 76 females living in the parish,[19] whereas in 1801 there were 96 males and 85 females. Not only has the population reduced but the gap between the number of females and males has reduced too.[20]

Occupational Structure of Twinstead (1881)

In the early 1800s the social structure was based on three categories: The Employers and Professionals, The Middling Sorts and The Labourers and Servants.[24]

By the late 1800s the population was more precisely divided due to their jobs in different industries. The chart showing the occupational structures of Twinstead illustrates that males dominated in agriculture with 34 people, especially as labourers, whereas woman dominated in domestic services with only 6 people. However, the difference between the beginning and end of this century is that a more diverse range of jobs became available.

By the 21st century, the occupational structure had changed in Twinstead, like many places in the UK by 2011 many primary sector jobs were gone. Many jobs consisted of managers and directors with 19 people, 12 and 14 people in professional and technical occupations, 5 in the administrative sector and 14 in skilled trades occupations. Other jobs included people in caring leisure and other services, sales and customer service, process plant and machine operatives and finally elementary occupations.[25]

The 2 main sports in this area are riding and cricket. Since 1956, Twinstead Riding School has offered riding tuition for everyone and having 40 horses and 135 acres of land helps them accommodate all ages and abilities.[26] Twinstead Cricket Club, also known as Twinstead CC, are a group of cricket enthusiasts who have an active social calendar with year-round events.[27]

• Bures
• Sudbury

Media related to Twinstead at Wikimedia Commons