Groton, Suffolk

Groton
240px St Bartholomew's Church, Groton
Groton  Groton shown within Suffolk
Population	288 (2011)
District	Babergh
Shire county	Suffolk
Region	East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	Sudbury
Postcode district	CO10 5
EU Parliament	East of England
List of places UK England Suffolk

Groton is a village and civil parish in Suffolk, England. Located around a mile north of the A1071 between Hadleigh and Sudbury, it is part of Babergh district.

The parish church, dedicated to Saint Bartholomew, is flint faced and has some 15th-century features but was heavily restored in the 19th century. The village has no shops but does have a pub, the Fox and Hounds. In addition to Groton village, the parish contains the hamlets of Broad Street, Castling's Heath, Gosling Green, Horner's Green and Parliament Heath. It is home to several Ancient Woodlands; the Groton Wood SSSI, the Mill Wood and Winding Wood nature reserves, and a section of Bull's Cross Wood (part of the Milden Thicks SSSI). A tributary to the River Box and Pitches Mount, the remaining earthworks of a wooden castle, are also found in the parish.

History

In 1086, Groton was listed in the Domesday Book as "Grotena". The lord of the manor was originally the Abbot of Bury St Edmunds, but at the Dissolution, was granted to the Winthrops. Groton, Massachusetts, is named after the village, as it was founded by a member of the Winthrop family; John Winthrop was born at Groton Manor in 1587. He became the leader of the Winthrop Fleet, a founder of the city of Boston and one of the first Governors of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The parish church has a Victorian stained glass window in his memory. Groton, Connecticut, was also named after the village to honour of his son John Winthrop the Younger who settled in that area in 1646. On a common called "The Croft" in the village is an old Mulberry tree said to have been planted by Adam Winthrop, the grandfather of John the elder.

Broad Street

Broad Street is a street in the village which is sometimes referred to as a hamlet in its own right, it is located near Mill Green. It is also the location of Pytches Mount.

Pytches Mount

In Groton Park, Pytches or Pitches Mount is an example of a Norman motte and bailey castle. It may have been built in the 12th Century by Adam de Cockfield. Only the motte or mound survives, which is 200 feet in diameter and covered in bushes and undergrowth. The name is thought by some to come from the Pecche family, who held Groton for the Abbot of Bury St Edmunds in 1200. It is more likely to be named after John Pytches who bought Groton Great House in 1805.

Castling's Heath

Castling’s Heath is a hamlet in the Babergh district of the county of Suffolk, England. It has a barn called Castling’s Hall, which is also called Dove Barn, where weddings take place. It is in the civil parish of Groton, which is a village. The nearest large village is Boxford.

Gosling Green

Gosling Green is a hamlet in England, located in the parish of Groton in the Babergh district of the county of Suffolk. It is just by Groton Wood SSSI. The nearest large village is Boxford.

Notable residents

• John Winthrop, founder of Boston and second governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony
• John Winthrop the Younger, governor of the Connecticut Colony.

External links

• Pitches Mount Geograph