Kirkley
| Kirkley | |
 Kirkley
Kirkley shown within Suffolk |
|
| Population | 7,439 (2011)[1] |
|---|---|
| District | Waveney |
| Shire county | Suffolk |
| Region | East |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | LOWESTOFT |
| Postcode district | NR33 0 |
| Dialling code | 01502 |
| Police | Suffolk |
| Fire | Suffolk |
| Ambulance | East of England |
| EU Parliament | East of England |
| UK Parliament | Waveney |
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Kirkley is a district within the town of Lowestoft in the Waveney District of the English county of Suffolk. It is located south of the centre of Lowestoft and the town's Bascule Bridge and north of the Beccles area using the NR33 postcode prefix. Kirkley was originally an independent village but now, after centuries of urban sprawl and development of the harbour area, it is part of the urban conurbation of Lowestoft. In council ward terms, it sits between the wards of 'Harbour' and Pakefield.
Kirkley was briefly mentioned in the Domesday Book at which time it formed part of King William's estates and was held by Roger Bigot.[2] The area is described as a village with a population of around 433 by Suckling in 1846, with its main industry being fishing.[2]
The former parish church is dedicated to St Peter and St John Church.[3] The church had fallen into disrepair by 1640, with restoration taking place at some point in the 18th Century.[2][4]
In 1847, from his base at Somerleyton Hall, entrepreneur Samuel Morton Peto brought the railway to Lowestoft and, by 1850, his new harbour was completed. Fresh fish, caught by the Lowestoft fleet, could then be transported daily to cities as far away as London and Manchester. Trains also brought holiday visitors to Peto's new town resort, built in the rural parish of Kirkley, south of the harbour and along the south beach. Peto sponsored construction of St John's church on the corner of Belvedere Road, for the inhabitants of the new town, but it was eventually damaged by climate and great floods and finally demolished in 1977. The legacy of Peto can still be enjoyed and includes Wellington Terrace and Gardens (where there is a commemorative plaque to the great man), period seafront houses and Kensington Gardens. The beautifully manicured gardens, including the impressive Royal Green, South and Claremont Piers and the remaining architecture make Kirkley a hidden east coast gem. Kirkley also boasts other historical jewels such as Britten House, a large Victorian house in Kirkley Cliff Road where Benjamin Britten (English composer, conductor and pianist) was born in 1913. Once the Britten family home for 21 years now a sea facing bijou guest house. The establishment currently known as The Coconut Loft was once the site of the South Lowestoft Hot & Cold Seawater Slipper Baths. Originally opened on the site of a natural sea water well it had 15 private bathrooms from the 1880s until the early 1920s and, from 1897 also encorporated the South Lowestoft Seawater Swimming Baths (now The Kirkley Centre). The site still retains a central viewing feature stairway which was used to access the sea water for the bath house.
Kirkley was ranked as the most socially deprived area in Suffolk and in 2007 was the 173rd most deprived area in England (out of 32,486).[5] It has the lowest life expectancy in Suffolk, at 73.96 years[5] and had higher crime rates than almost all other areas within Waveney.[5] Kirkley was part of the Waveney Sunrise Scheme and has received regeneration finance from the EU.[6]
By 2015 the effects of the regeneration are there for all to see. There is a plethora of good quality hotel and guest house accommodation spread right along Kirkley's impressive seafront. From the much maligned Bascule Bridge at the north end to the beautiful beaches neighboring Pakefield at the south end. A stroll along the seafront from north to south commences with the aforementioned Bascule Bridge, a raising structure, fascinating for visitors but not always fully appreciated by locals trying to go about their daily business. Associated with this side of the harbour is the Royal Norfolk & Suffolk Yacht Club and the South Pier with a selection of usual seaside vendors, tourist information, pavement fountains and the aptly named Iconic (a real Lowestoft beacon after dark). Continuing south along the promenade with the sea to your left and the Royal Green to your right, past typical seaside refreshment outlets towards the Claremont Pier, Wellington Gardens and the golden sands of Kirkley beach, currently the only blue flag beach in the whole of Suffolk. Behind the impressive seafront houses of Wellington Esplanade is Kirkley's main village centre with a wide range of quirky shops and restaurants. Some of the best fish and chips in the area can be found at The Trawlerman in London Road South (known locally as Kirkley High Street) and for ultimate quirkiness and character Desmond's pizza & pasta establishment opposite epitomizes the spirit of a reinvigorated Kirkley. The new Kirkley Mill Health Centre, new Lowestoft Town Hall and many new businesses rising like symbols of hope through the floral regeneration of this former area of deprivation.
The local high school is East Point Academy (formed by combining Kirkley Community High School and Year 7 & 8 from Kirkley Middle School) which teaches students from ages 11–16.
The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS), a large fisheries research centre, which is a part of Defra, is located in the Kirkley area.[7][8]
Sport and leisure
Kirkley has a Non-League football club Kirkley and Pakefield Football Club who play at Walmer Road.[9]
References
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Suckling. A. (1846) 'Kirkley', The history and antiquities of the County of Suffolk: volume 1 pp.260-269 (available online). Retrieved 2011-04-18.
- ↑ The Suffolk Churches Site. Retrieved 2009-11-13
- ↑ Page.A (1844) 'Kirkley Parish', Topographical and genealogical, The County of Suffolk (available online). Retrieved 2011-04-18.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 A profile of Waveney, Waveney District Council, February 2011. Retrieved 2011-04-18.
- ↑ Funding Streams to Support 1st East’s Regeneration, 2008-11. Retrieved 2009-11-13.
- ↑ Inter-Agency Committee on Marine Science and Technology Contact Information: CEFAS. Retrieved 2009-11-19.
- ↑ Godfrey Maps (2001) NE Suffolk 1907 (reprint of 1907 Ordnance Survey map)
- ↑ Suffolk FA List of football clubs in Suffolk. Retrieved 2009-11-14.
External links
Media related to Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. at Wikimedia Commons
