Descriptive Gazetteer Entry for BECCLES

BECCLES, a town, a parish, and a subdistrict, in Wangford district, Suffolk. The town stands on the river Waveney, and on the Eastern Counties railway, amid pleasant environs, 8½ miles W of Lowestoft. It belonged anciently to Bury Abbey; and suffered severely, in 1586, from fire. It is now well-built; and comprises several streets, which diverge from a spacious market-place. The town hall was built in 1839, and is used as a courthouse. The corn exchange was formerly the theatre. The assembly-room is a handsome building, with a public library attached. The house of correction is a substantial and commodious structure; but is now used only as a police station. The parish church is later English; consists of nave, chancel, and aisles, altogether 148 feet long and 61½ feet wide; was renovated in 1859; and has a tower, 92 feet high, built about 1515, detached a short distance from the SE corner, and commanding a fine view of the surrounding country. Another church, or a chapel, connected with an hospital for lepers founded in the time of Edward III., stood at Endgate. A new cemetery has been formed, comprising 5 acres, beautifully laid out, and containing two chapels. The town has chapels for Independents, baptists, and Methodists, a free grammar school with income of £184, another free school with £197, further charities with £290, a head post office,‡ a railway station, two banking offices, and two chief inns. A weekly market is held on Friday; and a fair also is held on Whit-Monday. The Waveney is navigable hence to the sea, making Beccles a sub-port to Yarmouth; a good coal, corn, and malt trade is carried on; and a weekly newspaper is published. The town was incorporated by Queen Elizabeth; is governed by a mayor, four aldermen, and twelve councilors; possesses a common of about 900 acres; and has a corporate income of about £2,200; and is a polling-place for East Suffolk. The parish is co-terminate with the borough. Acres, 1,892. Real property, £16,381. Pop., 4,266. Houses, 984. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Norwich. Value, £370. Patron, the Rev. E. Holland. The subdistrict comprises thirteen parishes. Acres, 18,181. Pop., 7,221. Houses, 1,558.


(John Marius Wilson, Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales (1870-72))

Linked entities:
Feature Description: "a town, a parish, and a subdistrict"   (ADL Feature Type: "cities")
Administrative units: Beccles CP/AP       Beccles SubD       Wangford RegD/PLU       Suffolk AncC
Place: Beccles

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