Relatives at Timworth in Suffolk

Looking at the weather forecast and knowing I was in for a busy day I decided to switch my long run to Saturday from Sunday this week.  We have had a lot of rain, heavy rain and there a number of flood warnings in the region.

For this morning there was a slight drizzle as I set out on a 12 miler. I decided to visit Timworth in Suffolk. I ran out to Fornham St Martin and for me this run really begins here at the place known as The Drift which is opposite St Martins Church.

After running between some houses you have a good view of the Sugar Beet factory before crossing over the A14. It is here at this point that the former railway line used to run taking passengers from Bury up to Ingham and on to Thetford.

Crossing over the A14 you are then onto open farmland and there are several paths named as drifts . I decided on the Livermere Drift offering as it does a more direct path to Timworth.

The drift way finishes at Barton Bottom and I immediately crossed over the road taking the Livermere road. On reaching a crossroads I took the left turn towards Timworth.

Once in Timworth I headed to St Andrews Church, which is reached down a long pathway. Timworth really is just a few houses that you can count almost seemingly on two hands.

In tracing our ancestory one branch of our family tree links to Timworth. My great great grandfather was from Timworth and his father was also born here. Throughout the 19th century relatives lived in this tiny hamlet as labourers working on the land.  I haven't as yet got any further back than 1800 but we are following the surname of Parish.

Most of the row of cottages are in Suffolk Pink with this one selling free range eggs.

There is a tranquility and peace to to this place, it feels remote and lost in time though it is just 3 miles from Bury. The village was never highly populated with the doomsday book recording a total of 45 in 1086 and 50 in 1327 . Following the Black death in the 14th century it would seem the village was almost unoccupied with just 16 people being recorded in 1524. At its height in 1851 a total of 241 people lived there and today I suspect it is back to its doomsday level.

I ran ok today though slowly.