Population 7,439 (2011) Country England Post town LOWESTOFT Local time Tuesday 6:26 PM District Waveney UK parliament constituency Waveney | Region East Sovereign state United Kingdom Postcode district NR33 0 Shire county Suffolk Dialling code 01502 | |
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Weather 13°C, Wind W at 14 km/h, 80% Humidity | ||
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 Pakefield and Kessingland. Kirkley was originally an independent village but after centuries of urban sprawl and development of the harbour area, is now part of the urban conurbation of Lowestoft. In council ward terms, it sits between the wards of Harbour and Pakefield.
Contents
Map of Kirkley, Lowestoft, UK
History
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. The area is described as a village with a population of around 433 by Suckling in 1846, with its main industry being fishing.
The former parish church is dedicated to St Peter and St John Church. The church had fallen into disrepair by 1640, with restoration taking place at some point in the 18th Century.
In 1847, from his base at Somerleyton Hall, entrepreneur Samuel Morton Peto brought the railway to Lowestoft. A new resort was built by Peto in the then rural parish of Kirkley 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. This was damaged by flooding and finally demolished in 1977.
Peto's legacy can be seen throughout Kirkley, including Wellington Terrace and Gardens (where there is a commemorative plaque to him), period seafront houses and Kensington Gardens. Kirkley is also the site of Britten House, a large Victorian house in Kirkley Cliff Road where the composer Benjamin Britten was born in 1913.
Redevelopment
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). It has the lowest life expectancy in Suffolk, at 73.96 years and had higher crime rates than almost all other areas within Waveney. Kirkley was part of the Waveney Sunrise Scheme and has received regeneration finance from the EU.
Culture and community
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.
Kirkley has a Non-League football club Kirkley and Pakefield Football Club who play at Walmer Road.