St Peter South Elmham is a village and civil parish in the north of the English county of Suffolk. It is around 3 miles (4.8 km) south of the market town of Bungay in the East Suffolk district. It is one of the villages surrounding Bungay which make up the area known as The Saints.[3]
By the late 16th century the Tasburgh family from the Flixton area had become dominant in the parish. The parish has always been sparsely populated, reaching a population of 129 in the 1801 census, but falling to below 100 by 1851 and below 50 by 1951.[1]
Culture and community
There are no local services other than the parish church, which is dedicated to St Peter. This dates from the 12th century and is a Grade II* listed building.[1][7][8] Two former public houses are known to have operated in the village; both are believed to have closed by 1927.[9][10]
St Peter's Hall, a moated Grade II* listed manor house with elements from the 13th century, is the location of St. Peter's Brewery, founded in 1996 on the site.[3][11][12][13] It was the home of the Tasburgh family, a prominent local family.[14] The brewery operates a public bar and restaurant on the site during the summer months.[15] Businessman and former Formula One Group chief executive Bernie Ecclestone was born in the parish at a property close to the church, now called Hawk House and formerly one of the pubs in the village.[16]
Notes
^2011 United Kingdom census population data does not report population figures for parishes where the population is small enough to potential identify individuals. As a result no population figure is available for St Peter South Elmham at the census,[4] although it is likely to have fallen from this figure.
^Suckling AI (1846) 'South Elmham, St Peter', in The History and Antiquities of the County of Suffolk: Volume 1, pp.229–232. Ipswich: WS Crowell. (Available online at British History Online. Retrieved 2021-02-23.)