Thorpeness

Thorpeness is a village in the county of Suffolk, England. It is part of the parish of Aldringham cum Thorpe and is within the Suffolk Coast and Heaths AONB.

The village was originally a small fishing hamlet in the late 19th century, with folklore stories of it being a route for smugglers into East Anglia. However in 1910, Glencairn Stuart Ogilvie, a Scottish barrister, who had made his money investing on the Russia Railways, bought the entire area from north of Aldeburgh to past Sizewell, up the coast and inland to Aldringham and Leiston.

Development of the community

Most of this land was used for farming but Thorpeness, he developed into a private fantasy holiday village, to which he invited his friends and colleagues families, during the summer months. A country club with tennis courts and a swimming pool, a golf course and clubhouse and many holiday homes were built in Jacobean and Tudor styles. A notable feature of the village is a set of almshouses built in the 1920s to the design of W.G. Wilson. To hide the eyesore of having a water tower in the village, the tank was clad in wood to make it look like a small house on top of a 5 storey house beneath, with a separate water pumping windmill next to it. It is known as 'The House in the Clouds', and after mains water pipes were installed to the village, the old tank was transformed into a huge games room with views over the land from Aldeburgh to Sizewell.

Thorpeness remained as a mostly privately-owned village by the Ogilvie family for 3 generations, with houses only being sold from the estate to friends as holiday homes. In 1972, Alexander Stuart Ogilvie, GS's grandson, died on the Thorpeness Golf Course, and many of the houses and the golf course and country club were sold to pay the government's Death Duties.

The Meare

An artificial lake, 'meare' or boating lake, was created, with many of its inspirations coming from a personal family friend, J. M. Barrie's work, 'Peter Pan'. Besides a large main pond, there are several channels with landings marked with names of the Peter Pan theme. Tiny islands on the meare contain locations found in J. M. Barrie's novel such as the pirates lair, Wendy's home, and many others which children are encouraged to play on. A variety of boats may be rented to enjoy the facility. In August the meare serves as the location for the Thorpeness Regata which many tourists flock to. During the day boat races are held and at night boats that have been decorated are paraded around the meare followed by a grand fireworks display.

Thorpeness today

Nowadays, Thorpeness is a quiet village of about 400 people in the winter, yet swelling to over 1600 people in the summer, as it is still mainly a holiday village, with the highlight being a regatta on the Meare at the end of August and a huge fireworks display. It is a popular day trippers' destination with its beach and meare, many amenities and sights such as 'The House in the Clouds'. The Ogilvies still have a strong presence in the village and many of the families coming there for their holidays, have been doing so for generations. Also many of the families of the craftsmen, who helped build the village, are still there such as the Staff family. However, due to its seasonal population and its bizarre history, it has also been voted into the book 'The Hundred Worst places to live in Britain' and voted as the 'Weirdest Village in England' by 'Bizarre' magazine in 2003, though those who actually do live in Thorpeness would tend to disagree.

External links

* [http://www.thorpenessdolphin.com The Dolphin Inn (information, history and pictures of Thorpeness)]
* [http://www.suffolkcam.co.uk/thorpeness11082001.htm Thorpeness village]
* [http://www.norfolkcoast.co.uk/location_suffolk/vp_thorpeness.htm Photographs and more details about Thorpeness]
* [http://www.seasidesuffolk.co.uk Accommodation in Thorpeness]