Canisfamiliaris

Lothingland is a tract of land in north Suffolk sandwiched between the coastal ports of Lowestoft in the south and Great Yarmouth in the north.

Lothingland is an island, bounded by the North Sea to the east and the River Waveney to the west. Breydon Water lies to the north and the southern boundary is formed by Oulton Broad and Lake Lothing.

Evidence of a long occupation of the island by humans has been proved by the finds left by Stone Age man. At the time of the Roman invasion, the whole area was occupied by the Iceni tribe. During the late third century, the Romans sought to defend the coast from attack by Saxon invaders with the construction of Burgh Castle (Gariannonum) c. AD280 - a fort which occupied an elevated site overlooking the great estuary of the Waveney. Three flint and brick walls, up to fifteen feet high, together with six circular bastions designed to carry ballistae, survive in remarkable condition. It was garrisoned by cavalry, who could react quickly to any invasions along this stretch of the coast. The northern shore was protected by a fort at Caister. Burgh Castle is owned and managed by The Norfolk Archaeological Trust. In the seventh century, the Irish missionary, St. Fursey lived at Burgh Castle and in c. AD631 set up a monastery there. The Norman invaders built a castle in the south-west corner, which was levelled in the eighteenth century.

The waves of Saxon invaders who settled in the area after the departure of the Romans left their mark in their place names that can be found on the map - the Saxon tun (ton) meaning a fence or enclosure around a home or farmstead e.g. Gunton - Gunna's farm.

In the ninth century, the fierce Viking warriors left further evidence of their impact upon the local population. In December 868 it is said that Raguar Lothbrok (leather breeches), a Viking warrior, was forced to take shelter in the estuary of the Waveney (Wafenia meaning 'troubled waters') during a storm. His boat was wrecked at Reedham and he was killed in battle. His two sons, Ingua and Ubba deciding to avenge his death, landed on the east coast and eventually settled in Lothingland the area named after Lothbrok - the land of the sons of Lothbrok (Loth + ing + land).

By the eleventh century, the Domesday Book records that the half hundred of Lothingland was held for the King by Roger Bigod, one of William's knights who fought at the Battle of Hastings. He was an important feudal lord, being Sheriff of Norfolk and Suffolk in 1086. He died in 1107. The places named in Domesday are: Gorleston, Belton, Fritton, Blundeston, Hopton, Corton, Somerleyton, Herringfleet, Lowestoft, Lound, Gapton, Flixton and Browston. The settlements were small in size and the total population could have been around one thousand.

In the thirteenth century a small priory dedicated to St Olaf, King of Norway was established near to the ancient ferry across the River Waveney. In 1493 there was a Prior and five brothers. All was not well when the Bishop's deputy visited as he reported that the prior, Thomas did not give the brothers enough to live on and one of the brothers was described as being rather bad-tempered - not surprising really! At the Dissolution, in 1547, the priory was made over to Henry Jernegan of Somerleyton who set about building a new mansion on the site.

Henry Jernegan was a Recusant who gave support to Mary Queen of Scots, and in 1584 his house was described as a 'nest of Papists'. This was a particularly dangerous time for the country with a threatened invasion from Spain, which materialised four years later with the ill-fated Spanish Armada. Catholics were under great suspicion and Henry's house, built next to a strategic river crossing would have been a particular concern.

Perhaps the most remarkable resident of Lothingland in the nineteenth century was Sir Morton Peto M.P., the Victorian entrepreneur and philanthropist who transformed Lowestoft from a small, unimportant fishing village into a major port and tourist centre with links to the country's major cities via the new railway line. He purchased Somerleyton Hall in 1843 and completely remodelled it as well as constructing a new 'model village' for his estate workers in the 'Picturesque style'.

The village of Blundeston has links to the writer, Charles Dickens, who used the old Rectory, The Rookery in the book, as the childhood home of David Copperfield.

Until 1974, the greater part of Lothingland lay within the county of East Suffolk. Only Gorleston, in the Borough of Great Yarmouth, was part of Norfolk. Following Local Government reorganisation of many county boundaries in 1974, the northern parishes of Fritton and St Olaves, Burgh Castle, Bradwell, Belton with Browston and Hopton-on-Sea, were subsumed into the county of Norfolk.

To read about the Lothingland landscape click here.

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LOCAL ARTICLES
Lothingland landscape
Lothingland history