Whitton, Suffolk
Whitton is an ancient parish and once a separate village it is now an area of Ipswich, in Suffolk. The site of a Roman villa, the village is thought to have been a Saxon colony, possibly dating from the Saxon invasion of around 430 AD. It appears in the Domesday Book as Widituna, possibly meaning Hwita's farm or White's farm.
The parish church is dedicated to St. Mary and St. Botolph. The latter is a reminder of all that remains of the now demolished church at the tiny hamlet of Thurleston. St. Botolph was still in use in 1500 but after being amalgamated with Whitton it fell into disrepair. It remained in use as a barn until 1862 when it was demolished and much of the building material used to construct a south aisle and tower for St. Mary's at Whitton.
The old village of Whitton was centred on what was the main Ipswich to Norwich road. Some old buildings remain including the Whitton Maypole - a popular local pub. A map of 1889 shows a "corn" windmill at the top of what is now Shakespeare Rd. There was a post office which was in use until the 1980s and a police station built in 1905. This is now a private house next to the entrance of Thomas Wolsey School. The village boasted a second pub almost opposite the police station, The Crown. This was demolished in 1994, replaced by a Landrover sales garage.
An 1891 map shows a "school" in the grounds of St.Mary and St.Botolph Church and another "school" is marked adjacent to the police station. A smithy is also marked just to the north of the police station on the Norwich Road. The footpath from the Norwich Road to the cornmill remains today as a public right of way south of Ballater Close and north of the recreation ground; the area doubling as playing fields for the Primary School. Whitton Farm was a working farm on the corner of Norwich Road and Whitton Church Lane until the early 1980s. An Ordnance Survey bench mark of 132.8 ft is marked on the road opposite the Whitton Farm buildings. A building labelled White House is shown where Arnold Close and Coleridge Road now stand. This is not to be confused with another building just to the west of Norwich Road which bears the same name and after which the modern White House council estate was named.
Under what is now housing in Tranmere Grove and Chesterfield Drive lies the remains of a Roman villa. It was excavated in 1931 and again in 1949 before residential building started. Coins were found along with a mosaic floor which is on display in Ipswich Museum. It featured on C4's "Time Team" programme in 2004. The Team's dig help provide more evidence gathered in the 1949 dig by archaeologist Basil Brown. This area has for centuries been called Castle Hill but there never was a castle. Castlehill Farm stood just yards away prior to the housing scheme.
Whitton estate was built around the village of Whitton in the mid 20th century, thereby joining it to the nearby town of Ipswich. Most of the street names are called after poets and playwrights.
The parish of Whitton is bordered by Ipswich to the south, the parish of Westerfield to the east, the parishes of Akenham (now part of the enlarged parish of Whitton with Thurleston and Akenham) and Claydon to the north and Bramford to the west.
Sport and leisure
Whitton has a Non-League football club Whitton United F.C. who play at The King George V Playing Fields.
Coordinates: 52°05′06″N 1°07′30″E / 52.085°N 1.125°E