| Ashfield cum Thorpe | |
|---|---|
 St. Mary's church, Ashfield-cum-Thorpe | |
  Ashfield cum Thorpe Location withinSuffolk | |
| Area | 6.39 km2 (2.47 sq mi) |
| Population | 219 (2011 Census)[1] |
| • Density | 34/km2 (88/sq mi) |
| OS grid reference | TM210627 |
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Stowmarket |
| Postcode district | IP14 |
| Dialling code | 01728 |
| Police | Suffolk |
| Fire | Suffolk |
| Ambulance | East of England |
| UK Parliament | |
| 52°13′N1°14′E / 52.22°N 1.23°E /52.22; 1.23 | |
Ashfield cum Thorpe is acivil parish in theMid Suffolk district ofSuffolk, England, between the town ofFramlingham to the East and the village ofDebenham to the West.
It is ofAnglo-Saxon origin and is mentioned in theDomesday Book, when it had a population of around 45 adult men (and total population probably similar to the current figure). It has a church and a village hall, and used to have a school, a pub and two shops. Some of the houses in the village date back to the 15th century.
The name "Ashfield cum Thorpe" (Ashfield with Thorpe) refers to thecivil parish, which consists of the village ofAshfield and the nearby hamlet ofThorpe.
The church of St Mary existed in Ashfield at the time of theDomesday Book, and at some time after, St Peter's church was built at Thorpe. This latter fell into ruins by around 1600, and the church at Ashfield was used by both sets of villagers. The patron of St Mary's wasBaron Henniker ofThornham Magna.[2] By the late 18th Century, Ashfield church was in disrepair, and it was the turn of Ashfield villages to use Thorpe church. This went on until 1853, whenLord Henniker paid for a new St Mary church in Ashfield. Thorpe church was rebuilt in 1739 by George Pitt, retaining its late Saxon tower.[2] Thorpe church is now in ruins, only part of the tower remaining.
The village was briefly featured in an episode of the BBC televisionmockumentary sitcomPeople Just Do Nothing.[3]Nearby villages includeEarl Soham,Monk Soham,Kenton.Debenham andFramsden.
Media related toAshfield cum Thorpe at Wikimedia Commons