Description

Blythburgh, an ancient but decayed town and a parish in Suffolk. The town stands on the river Blythe, 4 1/2 miles ESE of Halesworth, and it has a station on the Halesworth and Southwold railway. It has a post office under Halesworth, which is the money order and telegraph office. It was formerly a market-town of some note, but it suffered severely from a fire and other events in the 17th century, and went into decay. A priory of Black Canons stood here ; was given by Henry I. to St Osyth's Abbey in Essex; and passed at the dissolution to Sir Arthur Hopton ; and some trifling remains of its buildings still exist. The parish includes also the hamlets of Hinton and Bulcamp. Acreage, 4325 ; population, 746. A battle between Anna, King of East Anglia, and Penda, King of Mercia, in which the former was slain, was fought at Bulcamp in 654. The living is a vicarage, united with Walberswick, in the diocese of Norwich; joint net yearly value, £140 with residence. The church is a fine building of stone in the Perpendicular style, and has painted windows, a font, and remains of ancient monuments. There are a Primitive Methodist chapel and the Blything workhouse.