Felixstowe
| Felixstowe | |
 Felixstowe Pier & seafront |
|
  Felixstowe Felixstowe shown within Suffolk | |
| Population | 29,349 (2001 Census) |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | TM306345 |
| District | Suffolk Coastal |
| Shire county | Suffolk |
| Region | East |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | FELIXSTOWE |
| Postcode district | IP11 |
| Dialling code | 01394 |
| Police | Suffolk |
| Fire | Suffolk |
| Ambulance | East of England |
| EU Parliament | East of England |
| UK Parliament | Suffolk Coastal |
Felixstowe is an Edwardian seaside town on the North Sea coast of Suffolk, England. The town gives its name to the nearby Port of Felixstowe, which is the largest container port in the United Kingdom.[1] Nestled between the River Orwell and River Deben, visitors to Felixstowe often come to see the Historic Vehicle Run, traditional Carnival, Book Festival, Art on the Prom and Christmas Craft Market.
History
The ‘old’ Felixstowe hamlet (one of many in the local area) was centred round the pub and the church, having stood on the site since long before the Norman conquest. A Roman fort was built by the Romans in the third century. The early history of Felixstowe, including its Roman, Anglo-Saxon, Norman and medieval defences, is told under the name of Walton, because the name Felixstowe was given retrospectively, during the 13th century, to a place which had already been important for well over a thousand years.
The Felixstowe area has continued as a linchpin in England's defence, as proved when in 1667 Dutch soldiers landed near the Fludyers area and failed to capture Landguard Fort. The town only became a major port in 1886. In addition to shipping, tourism increased, and a pier was constructed in 1905 which is still running to this day. Indeed, during the late Victorian period (after circa 1880) it became a fashionable resort, a trend initiated by the opening of Felixstowe railway station, the pier, (see above) and a visit by the German imperial family. It remained so until the late 1930s. In 1953, at least 48 people died in the town in the North Sea flood.
Landguard Fort
Landguard Fort originally known as Langer Fort [2] stands on the site of the last opposed invasion of England in 1667 and the first land battle of the Duke of York and Albany's Marines. The current fort was built in the 18th century, and modified in the 19th century with substantial additional 19th/20th century outside batteries. The Fort hosts regular military re-enactments, including Darell's Day, which is a celebration of the last invasion, children's events and open air theatre. Landguard Fort is in the care of English Heritage and managed by the Landguard Fort Trust.[citation needed]
Felixstowe Museum
A museum telling the story of Felixstowe, with a reference library, historic maps, photo archive and 14 rooms of artefacts from Roman finds, the Martello towers, military social and domestic history through two world wars and into the new millennium is managed by volunteers from the Felixstowe History and Museum Society. It is located in the old submarine mining establishment building at the Landguard Peninsula, between the Fort and Port.
Pier
During the Second World War the majority of the pier, at the time one of the longest in the country and complete with its own train, was purposely demolished by Royal Engineers to prevent it being used as an easy landing point for enemy troops. Unfortunately after the war the damage was never repaired and the pier never regained its original length. Felixstowe was also one of the few places bombed by the Italians during the Blitz. Benito Mussolini's airforce proved to be no match for the Royal Air Force, who shot down a fair number of Italian biplanes over the English Channel and around Felixstowe itself. Felixstowe was bombed by a Zeppelin during the First World War.
Railway stations
The sole remaining railway station, known as Felixstowe Town, opened in 1898 in the well-preserved building which now houses a supermarket, shops and Felixstowe Radio, the local community radio station.
In its prime the railway station saw more than 20 services a day and is now served by an hourly service to Ipswich. The station now has only one platform, which has been created from the far end of one of the original platforms. Felixstowe Beach railway station was demolished in 2004 despite a storm of protest from many local people keen on saving the 137 year-old historical building which the council had branded as 'unsafe'. The station was originally opened in 1877 and was used continuously until 1959, after which it was the site of a small printers for many years until its demolition.[3]
From 1877 until 1951 there was also Felixstowe Pier railway station sited inside the area of the modern day docks at a small pier popular with pleasure boats, and paddle steamer link to London.[4] A dock next to the pier was approved in 1879.[5]
Transport
Bus
The main bus operators are Ipswich Buses and First Eastern Counties.[6]
Train
Felixstowe railway station is the terminus of the Felixstowe Branch Line passenger service to Ipswich the line itself branches before the station going on to the Port of Felixstowe.
Ferries
The Harwich Harbour Ferry operates between the View Point (near Landguard Fort) in Felixstowe and Ha'penny Pier, Harwich throughout the summer.[7] The Bawdsey Ferry crosses the River Deben from Felixstowe Ferry.
Politics
Felixstowe is administered by Suffolk County Council, Suffolk Coastal District Council, and Felixstowe Town Council. Suffolk Coastal District Council, the local authority, is based in Woodbridge, although it has a part-time office in Felixstowe, which is open Mondays and Wednesdays. The local parish council, Felixstowe Town Council, is based in the town hall, on the seafront at Undercliff Road West.
Felixstowe is twinned with the German towns Wesel and Salzwedel.
Felixstowe lies within the Suffolk Coastal parliamentary constituency. The Member of Parliament for Suffolk Coastal since the General Election on 6 May 2010 has been Dr Therese Coffey.
Landmarks
Landguard Fort is a scheduled ancient monument and visitor attraction with a nearby nature reserve. At the opposite end of the town is Felixstowe Ferry Golf Club, which is amongst the oldest in the UK, having been established in 1881. The Rt. Hon. Arthur Balfour, Captain of the Golf Club in 1889, became Captain of the R&A in 1894 and British Prime Minister from 1902 to 1908.[citation needed]
Felixstowe has a recently refurbished sandy beach south from the pier, and a stoney beach north of the pier. A Victorian promenade runs along part of the beach, from the nature reserve in the southwest to Cobbolds Point (Maybush Lane in east), with traditional beach huts along most of that length. An amusement arcade with snooker halls and food outlets occupies the southern end. The pier, incorporating a cafe and amusement arcade, stands before a leisure centre, with swimming pool, owned by the local council, now managed by a contractor.
From Brackenberry Fort to Felixstowe Ferry there is a walkway and is the start of the 50-mile Suffolk Coast Path. At low tide from Jacob's Ladder, it is possible to glimpse the seaweed-covered remains of a Roman fort, which could possibly be the place of Dommoc, in the water about 50 yards from the coast.
In the very centre of the town is South Beach Mansion, now in private ownership. Originally built by the Eley family (famous for the Eley cartridges), town wits called it Eley Cathedral.[citation needed] It then passed to the Tollemache family and was at one time owned by the King of Portugal.[citation needed] It was also there that Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany and his family came to stay in 1893, putting Felixstowe on the international social map.[citation needed]
Perhaps the most striking building on the front is Harvest House. Originally built as the Felix Hotel, it then became Fisons's headquarters. Now it is a home for the elderly.
Sport
Felixstowe Rugby Union Football Club was founded in 1930 and plays in the Eastern Counties Leagues.
Felixstowe Hockey Club has four men's teams and three ladies' team. The men's 1st team play in Eastern League Division 1.
The town's only senior football team, Felixstowe & Walton United, compete in the Eastern Counties League Premier Division.
The town has a sports centre, the Brackenbury in High Road East, and football, hockey and rugby pitches, together with four bowling greens and other sporting facilities. The sports centre, owned by the council, is managed by a contractor.
Felixstowe Golf Club is a links course to the northeast of the town centre.
Leisure facilities
The town has two main leisure facilities: the Brackenbury Sports Centre in Old Felixstowe and the Felixstowe Leisure Centre adjacent to the pier. There is a bowls club and a tennis club has hosted a large post-Wimbledon tournament. There is also a community centre, run by the Old Felixstowe Community Association (OFCA) in Ferry Road which is the home to around thirty user groups from the surrounding area including sports sections and clubs for the very young to adults and senior citizens. The centre also houses several halls which are available for hire to the public.
The library was refurbished in 2006 at a cost of £1,500,000 and has since won national awards.[8]
Felixstowe Radio is the community radio station that has broadcasts on 107.5 FM to the local area and via the internet.
The Port of Felixstowe
Felixstowe is Britain's largest container port.
The main navigation channel is dredged to 47½ feet below chart datum, and a depth of up to 49 feet alongside the quay, Felixstowe boasts deep-water able to accommodate the world’s latest generation of deep-draughted ultra post-Panamax vessels. There is a continuous quay of 1½ miles, equipped with 25 ship-to shore gantry cranes.
It has congested road links to the Midlands via the A14 and to London via the A12 road. The single-track railway line to Ipswich has recently been upgraded to allow larger containers, and many containers are now transported by rail.
The port is owned by Hutchison Whampoa Ltd[9] with additional land on the peninsula owned by Trinity College, Cambridge.[10]
The port has its own Police Authority, which also currently has jurisdiction over the area local to the port (with permission from Suffolk Constabulary's Chief Inspector). Alongside the Port Police, they also have their own joint ambulance & fire service. One of the port ambulances, call sign 'Alpha 1', can also come off port to attend 999 emergencies in Felixstowe.
Parishes
St. Felix is the Catholic Parish in Felixstowe.[11]
St. John the Baptist is an ecclesiastical parish in Felixstowe.[12]
Notable residents
People originating from or associated with Felixstowe include:
- Sir John Mills CBE (22 February 1908 – 23 April 2005), born Lewis Ernest Watts Mills, was an English actor who appeared in more than 120 films in a career spanning seven decades.
- Jack Ainsley, footballer
- Field Marshal Edmund Henry Hynman Allenby, 1st Viscount Allenby, soldier, Allenby Park in St. Andrews Road is named after him
- Iain Hook, UNRWA officer, killed in the line of duty
- Megs Jenkins, actor
- Jeremy Kemp, actor, Z-Cars
- T. E. Lawrence, 'Lawrence of Arabia', based at RAF Landguard under the name John Hume Ross
- Nicholas Pandolfi, broadcaster and actor
- John Cyril Porte, Station Commander, RNAS Felixstowe
- Wallis, The Duchess of Windsor, Mrs Simpson, spent time at Felixstowe waiting for Edward VIII's abdication
- Barbara Ward, economist and writer, pupil at Jesus & Mary Convent in Felixstowe
- Simon Clements (born 1956), cricketer
- Dawn Addams (21 September 1930 – 7 May 1985) was an English actress, particularly in Hollywood motion pictures of the 1950s and on British television in the 1960s and 1970s.
References
- ↑ The Ports Industry in England and Wales (2006-07)
- ↑ http://www.archive.org/stream/suffolktraveller00kirb/suffolktraveller00kirb_djvu.txt
- ↑ Felixstowe Beach Station Destroyed
- ↑ "Felixstowe Station Walk". National Express East Anglia. Retrieved 2010-01-25.
- ↑ "FELIXSTOWE RAILWAY AND DOCK BILL". Hansard. Retrieved 2010-01-25.
- ↑ Bus Operators
- ↑ Harwich, Felixstowe and Shotley harbour foot ferry
- ↑ The Chartered Institute of Librarians and Information Professionals (CILIP)
- ↑ Port of Felixstowe. "Brief History".
- ↑ "Cambridge University's Trinity College in £20million bid to buy the O2 arena". Daily Mail. August 3, 2009.
- ↑ "Suffolk Churches". suffolkchurches.co.uk. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
- ↑ "Suffolk Churches". suffolkchurches.co.uk. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
External links
- Visit Felixstowe - official tourism website
- Visit Felixstowe Facebook page
- Visit Felixstowe Twitter page
- Visit Felixstowe Pinterest page
- Felixstowe Town Council
- The Seafront Gardens
- Discover Landguard
- Felixstowe Radio
| |||||||||||
