Population 291 (2011 Census) Region East Sovereign state United Kingdom Shire county Suffolk | Civil parish St Andrew, Ilketshall Country England Post town Beccles District Waveney | |
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St Andrew, Ilketshall is a civil parish in the Waveney district of Suffolk, England. In 2010 its population was 280, increasing to 291 according to the 2011 Census, of which 146 are males, and 145 are females. St Andrew's church is one of 38 existing round-tower churches in Suffolk.
Contents
- Map of Ilketshall St Andrew Beccles UK
- Etymology
- History
- Population
- Employment
- Ethnicity
- Housing
- Churches
- St Andrew Church
- Wesleyan Chapel
- References
Map of Ilketshall St Andrew, Beccles, UK
St Andrew, Ilketshall is one of several parishes in the 'Saints' area of Bungay in the district of Waveney. St Andrew is one of The Saints, a group of twelve remote, scattered and traditionally lawless parishes not far from the Suffolk-Norfolk border. The district comprises the parishes of St Andrew, St John, St Laurence, St Margaret, and All Saints Mettingham which includes the parishes of St Mary and Holy Trinity in Bungay. These parishes make up what is known as 'the Seven Parishes'.
Etymology
Ilketshall is named after the 'hall of Alfkethill'. Ilketshall signifies the chief residence of Ulketil, who was Earl of East Anglia in the 11th Century holding estates in 'Uchetel'. The King and Earl Hugh took possession of the greater part of Ilketshall, but their estates were divided up into smaller parcels. The principal of these was one which assumed its surname from the name of the township.
History
In the 1870s John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales described Ilketshall St Andrews as:
"Ilketshall St. Andrews, a parish in Wangford district, Suffolk; 4 miles SE of Bungay r. station. It has a postal letter box under Bungay. The property is much subdivided. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Norwich. The church has an octangular tower, and is in good condition. There is a Wesleyan chapel."
Ownership of Ilketshall dated back as far as the reign of William Rufus under the ownership of Sir Gilbert de Ilketshall. The grandson of Sir Gilbert de Ilketshall was Gilbert de Ilketshall Esq., was thirty-second of Henry III, who during his reign had a charter of free warren in Ilketshall
Population
The average age of a St Andrew, Ilketshall resident is 43.9. The population of St Andrew, Ilketshall has fallen slightly over the last two centuries (1801-2011). There was a sudden drop in the total population between 1891 and 1901. This is because there was a significant drop of 5% in the production of wheat and barley being produced in Suffolk between 1891 and 1901. This is because agriculture was the largest sector of employment at the time.
Employment
As of 2011 there were 142 residents of St Andrew, Ilketshall aged 16 to 74 in employment. The largest sector for employment as of 2011 in St Andrew, Ilketshall is 'wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles'. The rate of unemployment in St Andrew, Ilketshall is 3.6% which is both higher than the average for Suffolk and the national average (4.7%). In 1881 the largest employment sector for males in 1881 was agriculture with 88 men. The total farming area for St Andrew, Ilketshall was 1,718 acres of land, the soil being generally heavy; subsoil, and sandy clay. The predominant crop grown at the time was wheat, barley, and bean. The main industry of the time was agriculture. Today agriculture accounts for only 9.2% of the total economically active people in St Andrew, Ilketshall.
Ethnicity
According to the 2011 census 96.9% of the residence are 'White British'.
Housing
There are a total of 114 households in St Andrew, Ilketshall. Over the last 20 years, average house prices have gone from £205,489 to the current price of £341,886 which is a change of 273.25%. The majority of housing in St Andrew, Ilketshall is either owned or mortgaged which is 69.4%.
Churches
There are two churches in St Andrew, Ilketshall. Both being built in flushwork style of architecture, with the split (spaultered) dark sides of the flint facing outwards.
St Andrew Church
The St Andrew round-tower church dates from the 12th century. The church sits at a bend in the road with the former rectory for the company still running services. In 1810 there was a screen between the body of the church and the chancel, which has now been destroyed. As is common in parts of East Anglia the church has an octagonal shaped bell tower built in the Saxon, Norman Gothic style, consisting of chancel, nave, and an embattled western tower. A modern statue of St Andrew watches out from the niche on the porch, which was built at the start of the Anglican Reformation. The graveyard St Andrew looks out over has had no clearance of older gravestones. In December 2001, a series of wall paintings were discovered. These paintings are similar to that found in the nearby St Botolph, North Cove. The image depicts the theme of the 'Wheel of Fortune' and the unpredictable nature of human affairs. A crowned figure is found sitting on top of the wheel rotating it, to which humankind must follow the rotation. The rotation is circular, so a downturn in human affairs must be inevitable followed by an upturn.
Wesleyan Chapel
The second church within St Andrew, Ilketshall is an old chapel, St Andrew Methodist Chapel built in 1840 and a Grade II listed building. It is well-maintained with a small garden at the front of the chapel. Worship at the Chapel has now ceased.