Parham
A picturesque village in East Suffolk
A picturesque village in East Suffolk
A picturesque village in East Suffolk
Nestled in the heart of East Suffolk, Parham is a picturesque rural village situated approximately 10 miles from the east coast, equidistant between the historic market towns of Framlingham and Wickham Market. Covering an area of 8.96 km², Parham offers a tranquil setting rich in history and community spirit.
According to the 2021 Census, Parham has a population of 302 residents. The community is diverse in age, with 71 individuals under 18 years, 152 between 18 and 64, and 78 aged 65 and over.
The village comprises a mix of housing styles, from traditional timber-framed cottages to modern executive homes, primarily located along the B1116 and The Street, as well as around the three village greens: North Green, Silverlace Green and Mill Green.
While Parham does not have its own shop, post office, school, or public house, the community has adapted by maximising the use of the Village Hall, which hosts regular bar nights on a Friday evening normally once a month. This facility boasts a licensed bar, stage, disabled access, a meeting room and a snooker annex with two full sized tables as well as other games and amusements such as air hockey.
Parham's residents are known for their proactive approach to community development:
Village Review (1994): Led to the re-roofing of the Village Hall and the establishment of the play area.
House Group Meetings (1998): Focused on social, economic, and environmental issues, culminating in the Millennium Parham Parish Scan.
Parham Parish Plan (2003): An inclusive consultation process resulted in an Action Plan adopted by the Parish Council in 2005. By 2012, all action points had been addressed.
Parham's commitment to community excellence has been recognised with the district 'Village of the Year' award three times within six years, leading to representation at the national level in 1997 and 2001.
For those interested in Parham's rich history, the Parham Suffolk Facebook page offers a treasure trove of photographs, newspaper articles, and personal stories. Curated by local historian Simon Last, the page welcomes contributions from residents and visitors alike.
To celebrate the Millennium, Parham produced a publication called Parham Parish Scan. The first section of the book looks at Parham's history. A copy of the book can be obtained from Framlingham Library.
The history of the church can be found in a booklet in St Mary the Virgin Church, Parham.
IN 1870-72, John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales described Parham like this:-
PARHAM, a village and a parish in Plomesgate district, Suffolk. The village stands on the river Ore, adjacent to the Framlingham branch of the East Suffolk railway, 2 ¼ miles S S E of Framlingham; and has a station on the railway, and a post-office under Wickham-Market. The parish comprises 2, 212 acres. Real property, £3, 741. Pop. in 1851, 532; in 1861, 470. Houses, 101. The property is divided among a few. Old Parham Hall was the seat of the first Earl of Ufford; and passed to the Willoughbys and the Corrances. The living is a vicarage, united with the vicarage of Hackeston, in the diocese of Norwich. Value, £282.* Patron, F. Corrance, Esq. The church is tolerable; and there are a parochial school, and charities £9.
GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth, History of Parham in Suffolk Coastal | Map and description, A Vision of Britain through Time. URL: http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/7593
(Date accessed: 06th March 2017)
"PARHAM, a parish in the hundred of Plomesgate, county Suffolk, 2 ½ miles S.E. of Framlingham, and 7 N. by E. of Woodbridge. It is a station on the East Suffolk section of the Great Eastern railway. Wickham Market is its post town. The village, which is of small extent, and chiefly agricultural, is situated on the river Alde. Parham formerly belonged to the Uffords, Earls of Suffolk, from whom it came to the Lords Willoughby, of Parham, who had an Elizabethan mansion here, called Parham Hall, now converted into a farmhouse. The impropriate tithes have been commuted for a rent-charge of £168, and the vicarial for £176 13s. The living is a vicarage* annexed to that of Hacheston, in the diocese of Norwich, value £299. The church, dedicated to St. Mary, has a square tower, built by William de Ufford, Earl of Suffolk, in the 14th century. It contains a carved screen and painted E. window. The register dates from 1538. The parochial charities produce about £9 per annum. There is a parochial school for both sexes. The poet Crabbe resided for many years at Parham Lodge."
Description from The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland (1868)
