At the Domesday Survey in 1086 Minsmere was known as Menesmara or Milsemere.[1] It is recorded as having six households headed by freemen with one plough team.[2] The manor, which was in the Hundred of Blythling, was held by Roger Bigot.[2]
Peat cutting took place at Minsmere from at least the 12th century[7] and a 1237 description of the coastline describes Minsmere as a port.[7] Minsmere is recorded in the 14th century as being a small village with around 10 homesteads, but these had all been lost to the sea by the 16th century.[citation needed] A survey of 1587 records that the early Tudor period 'entrenchments' at Minsmere were in ruins and recommended that they be rebuilt.[8] During the 18th century Minsmere, Eastbridge and the Sizewell gap were renowned as a hotbed for smugglers.[9][10] A coastguard station operated at Minsmere in the 1840s in an attempt to control smuggling along this stretch of the coast.[11]
The marshes along the Minsmere River were drained for agricultural use in the 1840s[4][12] but reflooded during the Second World War to defend against invasion along the East Anglian coast. A number of military defences were built in the area, including pill boxes, anti-tank blocks and barbed wire defence lines.[3] Cottages and a beach cafe on the coast at Minsmere sluice were evacuated, used as target practice and later demolished.[13][14] The Minsmere RSPB reserve was established in 1947, making use of the wetland habitats reintroduced by wartime flooding.[4][15]
Geographyedit
Minsmere is in a low-lying area of the Suffolk coast approximately 24 miles (39 km) north-east of Ipswich. It is in the civil parishes of Westleton and Leiston with the parish border running along the Minsmere Old River. It borders the parish of Theberton at Eastbridge to the south-west and the parish of Dunwich to the north along the coast.
The landscape is largely flat along the line of the river. This is known as the Minsmere Level, an area of drained and re-flooded marshland with underlying alluvial geology.[4] The area to the south of the Minsmere New Cut drainage ditch, built in 1812, is used as grazing marsh.[4][16] To the north the wetland areas are flooded and managed as part of the RSPB's habitat management strategy for its Minsmere reserve. This area includes drier areas of sandlings, including areas of mixed woodland rising up to 20 metres above sea level on sandy ridges.[17]
The area provides a number of important habitats, including for species such as bitterns, marsh harriers, hen harriers, avocets and Dartford warblers. The wetland areas include flooded lagoons and much of the area is designated as a Ramsar site.[16] The grazing marshes to the south of the Minsmere Levels provide over-wintering grounds for a variety of different waterfowl species.[16]
The coastline at Minsmere consists of a narrow shingle beach and some areas of sand dune with a shingle bank protecting the low-lying coastal areas.[16][18] This area is at risk of flooding from coastal surges although, unlike areas to the north and south, it does not suffer significantly from coastal erosion.[18] To the north Minsmere Cliffs are found within Dunwich Heath, a National Trust property. The cliffs consist of loose, unconsolidated sand and shingle glacial deposits and suffer from coastal erosion.[16][18]
Minsmere Sluice Chapeledit
The remains of the chapel of St Mary
The remains of a chapel built on the original site of Leiston Abbey are located on the Minsmere Level to the south of the Minsmere New Cut.[3][6][19][20] These are the only visible remains at the site of the original Premonstratensian Abbey. The chapel was probably built when the abbey was relocated and stands on the site of the original monastic church, the stone from which was probably used to build the new abbey at Leiston.[19] It is thought to have been used as a chapel dedicated to St Mary until the dissolution of the monasteries in 1537.[19][21] The abbey was originally built on an island in the marshland but is believed to have suffered from frequent coastal flooding which led to its relocation to Leiston in 1363.[4][19] Geophysical surveys have shown that a number of archaeological features lie buried in the immediate area, including remains of the abbey church, cloisters and fish ponds.[3][19]
The chapel remains include a pillbox built in the early stages of the Second World War.[6] The site and its surrounding area is a scheduled ancient monument.[19] The chapel remains were restored in 2011 to preserve them and to allow some public access.[3][22]
Referencesedit
^Minsmere, Domesday book online. Retrieved 2012-10-31.
^ abMinsmere 2014-05-13 at the Wayback Machine, Open Domesday. Retrieved 2012-10-31.
^ abcdeArchaeology and history, RSPB, 2011-02-14. Retrieved 2012-10-31.
^ abcdefCoastal levels, Suffolk Landscape Character Typology, Suffolk County Council. Retrieved 2012-10-31.
^A stranger in Leiston, Suffolk Magazine, 2010-06-25. Retrieved 2014-03-04.
^White W (1855) History, Gazetteer, and Directory of Suffolk, and the Towns Near Its Borders (second edition), Sheffield: R. Leader, p.505, (available online)
^Page.W (1975) 'Houses of Premonstratensian canons: The abbey of Leiston', A History of the County of Suffolk: Volume 2, pp. 117-199 (available online). Retrieved 2012-10-31.
^New life for old chapel, Ipswich Star, 2008-07-04. Retrieved 2012-10-31.
minsmere, this, article, about, hamlet, river, river, bird, reserve, rspb, place, english, county, suffolk, located, north, coast, around, miles, north, leiston, miles, south, east, westleton, within, suffolk, coast, heaths, aonb, site, rspb, reserve, original. This article is about the hamlet For the river see Minsmere River For the bird reserve see RSPB Minsmere Minsmere is a place in the English county of Suffolk It is located on the North Sea coast around 3 5 miles 5 6 km north of Leiston and 1 5 miles 2 4 km south east of Westleton within the Suffolk Coast and Heaths AONB It is the site of the Minsmere RSPB reserve and the original site of Leiston Abbey Minsmere levels Contents 1 History 2 Geography 3 Minsmere Sluice Chapel 4 References 5 External linksHistory edit nbsp Minsmere beach with WW2 tank trapsAt the Domesday Survey in 1086 Minsmere was known as Menesmara or Milsemere 1 It is recorded as having six households headed by freemen with one plough team 2 The manor which was in the Hundred of Blythling was held by Roger Bigot 2 Ranulf de Glanvill King Henry II s Lord Chief Justice founded an abbey on the marshes at Minsmere in 1182 3 but probably due to an increased risk of flooding this was abandoned in favour of Leiston Abbey in 1363 4 5 6 Peat cutting took place at Minsmere from at least the 12th century 7 and a 1237 description of the coastline describes Minsmere as a port 7 Minsmere is recorded in the 14th century as being a small village with around 10 homesteads but these had all been lost to the sea by the 16th century citation needed A survey of 1587 records that the early Tudor period entrenchments at Minsmere were in ruins and recommended that they be rebuilt 8 During the 18th century Minsmere Eastbridge and the Sizewell gap were renowned as a hotbed for smugglers 9 10 A coastguard station operated at Minsmere in the 1840s in an attempt to control smuggling along this stretch of the coast 11 The marshes along the Minsmere River were drained for agricultural use in the 1840s 4 12 but reflooded during the Second World War to defend against invasion along the East Anglian coast A number of military defences were built in the area including pill boxes anti tank blocks and barbed wire defence lines 3 Cottages and a beach cafe on the coast at Minsmere sluice were evacuated used as target practice and later demolished 13 14 The Minsmere RSPB reserve was established in 1947 making use of the wetland habitats reintroduced by wartime flooding 4 15 Geography editMinsmere is in a low lying area of the Suffolk coast approximately 24 miles 39 km north east of Ipswich It is in the civil parishes of Westleton and Leiston with the parish border running along the Minsmere Old River It borders the parish of Theberton at Eastbridge to the south west and the parish of Dunwich to the north along the coast The landscape is largely flat along the line of the river This is known as the Minsmere Level an area of drained and re flooded marshland with underlying alluvial geology 4 The area to the south of the Minsmere New Cut drainage ditch built in 1812 is used as grazing marsh 4 16 To the north the wetland areas are flooded and managed as part of the RSPB s habitat management strategy for its Minsmere reserve This area includes drier areas of sandlings including areas of mixed woodland rising up to 20 metres above sea level on sandy ridges 17 The area provides a number of important habitats including for species such as bitterns marsh harriers hen harriers avocets and Dartford warblers The wetland areas include flooded lagoons and much of the area is designated as a Ramsar site 16 The grazing marshes to the south of the Minsmere Levels provide over wintering grounds for a variety of different waterfowl species 16 The coastline at Minsmere consists of a narrow shingle beach and some areas of sand dune with a shingle bank protecting the low lying coastal areas 16 18 This area is at risk of flooding from coastal surges although unlike areas to the north and south it does not suffer significantly from coastal erosion 18 To the north Minsmere Cliffs are found within Dunwich Heath a National Trust property The cliffs consist of loose unconsolidated sand and shingle glacial deposits and suffer from coastal erosion 16 18 Minsmere Sluice Chapel edit nbsp The remains of the chapel of St MaryThe remains of a chapel built on the original site of Leiston Abbey are located on the Minsmere Level to the south of the Minsmere New Cut 3 6 19 20 These are the only visible remains at the site of the original Premonstratensian Abbey The chapel was probably built when the abbey was relocated and stands on the site of the original monastic church the stone from which was probably used to build the new abbey at Leiston 19 It is thought to have been used as a chapel dedicated to St Mary until the dissolution of the monasteries in 1537 19 21 The abbey was originally built on an island in the marshland but is believed to have suffered from frequent coastal flooding which led to its relocation to Leiston in 1363 4 19 Geophysical surveys have shown that a number of archaeological features lie buried in the immediate area including remains of the abbey church cloisters and fish ponds 3 19 The chapel remains include a pillbox built in the early stages of the Second World War 6 The site and its surrounding area is a scheduled ancient monument 19 The chapel remains were restored in 2011 to preserve them and to allow some public access 3 22 References edit Minsmere Domesday book online Retrieved 2012 10 31 a b Minsmere Archived 2014 05 13 at the Wayback Machine Open Domesday Retrieved 2012 10 31 a b c d e Archaeology and history RSPB 2011 02 14 Retrieved 2012 10 31 a b c d e f Coastal levels Suffolk Landscape Character Typology Suffolk County Council Retrieved 2012 10 31 A stranger in Leiston Suffolk Magazine 2010 06 25 Retrieved 2014 03 04 a b c Minsmere Sluice chapel Eastbridge Suffolk Churches Retrieved 2012 10 31 a b Minsmere peat cuttings of at least 12th century date Heritage Gateway Retrieved 2012 11 01 Medieval battery 1485 1540 Heritage Gateway Retrieved 2012 11 01 History The Eel s Foot Inn Retrieved 2012 10 31 Suffolk Smugglers Britain Retrieved 2014 03 10 White W 1855 History Gazetteer and Directory of Suffolk and the Towns Near Its Borders second edition Sheffield R Leader p 505 available online White W op cit p 318 A Walk around Suffolk s Minsmere Bird Reserve Griffmonsters Great Walks Retrieved 2014 03 10 Sluice Cottages Minsmere Leiston cum Sizewell newsletter Autumn 2013 Retrieved 2014 03 10 Milestones RSPB Retrieved 2012 10 31 a b c d e Suffolk Coast and Estuaries Coastal Habitat Management Plan Posford Haskoning Ltd October 2002 Retrieved 2012 11 01 Estate sandlings Suffolk landscape character typology Suffolk County Council Retrieved 2012 10 31 a b c Suffolk SMP2 Sub cell 3c Policy Development Zone 4 Dunwich Cliffs to Thorpeness Shoreline Management Plan January 2010 Retrieved 2012 10 31 a b c d e f Historic England Leiston Abbey first site with later chapel and pill box 1015687 National Heritage List for England Retrieved 31 October 2012 38 Leiston Abbey Archived 2014 02 26 at the Wayback Machine Eastern Daily Press 2010 04 15 Retrieved 2014 02 19 Page W 1975 Houses of Premonstratensian canons The abbey of Leiston A History of the County of Suffolk Volume 2 pp 117 199 available online Retrieved 2012 10 31 New life for old chapel Ipswich Star 2008 07 04 Retrieved 2012 10 31 External links edit nbsp Media related to Minsmere at Wikimedia Commons 3D model of the chapel on Sketchfab52 14 53 N 1 36 29 E 52 248 N 1 608 E 52 248 1 608 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Minsmere amp oldid 1144833743, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
