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A visitors guide to the Suffolk Village of Polstead, located in
South Suffolk. Despite its small size the pretty little village of
Polstead is famous for three things its cherries, its large ponds and
its Victorian murder. One can almost tag on a fourth as the thriller
writer Ruth Rendell used to live on the edge of the village.
Polstead lies in wooded hilly countryside between Sudbury and Ipswich in
the heart of "Constable Country". Neat thatched colour washed
cottages overlook the river Box and Polstead pond, Polstead actually
means 'the place of pools'. The area is good for cycling and
rambling and visiting Constable Attractions like those at East
Bergholt with Flatford Mill.
For Holiday Accommodation in Polstead Suffolk - Self Catering - Holiday
Cottages and Bed and Breakfast check out our Polstead Holiday
Accommodation Pages.
Sudbury, Hadleigh
and the city of Ipswich are all within easy reach.
The famous Red Barn Muder took place in the 19th century, the murder
victim was Maria Marten she was the 26 year old daughter of the local
mole catcher and the murderer was William Corder. This murder was
to become one of the most famous murders of its time and more
information can be found on the Yesterday Pages. William Corder
was of course eventually arrested for the murder and brought to trial
and sentenced to be executed.
He was hanged at Bury St Edmunds in August 1828 in
front of an audience of 10,00 people. The skin of William Corder was
used to bind a copy of the trial proceedings and this together with his
scalp is on display at Moyses Hall in Bury St. Edmunds. The hangmans
rope was sold for a guinea an inch.
The famous "Polstead Blacks" were a variety of small sweet
black cherries cultivated in orchards around the village, originally
brought over by the Romans.
In the 1940s ten lorries would line up in the village
to collect these cherries for sale in the surrounding towns.
Nowadays the occasional cherry tree can still be found in private
gardens. The village has a local 17th century pub The Cock Inn,
with a good reputation for its food and also a community shop/post
office.
An old saying states - that the face of a Polstead
man is an index of a good or bad cherry season; if productive, he may be
seen with his chin in the air, his hands in his pockets, and a saucy
answer on the tip of his tongue; if, on the contrary, the crop of
cherries has failed, he hangs his head, folds his hands behind him, and
if asked whence he comes from, replies, in a subdued tone, "From
poor Poustead." |
