The pretty village of Tattingstone, Suffolk, sits some 6 miles south of Ipswich. It was split into two halves in the 1970s when the valley was flooded to make a 400-acre reservoir. There are three settlement areas. The main settlement includes St Mary's church, Tattingstone Park and a former workhouse which was used as a church hospital, this has now been redeveloped and is called Chedworth Place. Tattingstone Heath is a ribbon development, and the rest of the parish is linked by Lemons Hill bridge over the western end of Alton reservoir.

Historical buildings

There are twenty listed buildings in the parish, and the church of St Mary and the Tattingstone Wonder are grade II* listed.

The Tattingstone Wonder was built around 1790 for a local Squire called Edward White.  It was originally built as a pair of cottages, and a third cottage was added at a later date, including a mock church tower and facade. Apparently, built to give his neighbours "something to wonder at".

The village has two public houses, the Wheatsheaf and the White Horse.  There was a third, called the Orange Box which was located opposite the village school. This was closed and demolished in 2000, along with a village shop and post office which were all part of the same building.

Tattingstone has a wealth of history and it is well worth discovering, or indeed rediscovering, what has lain forgotten for years, decades and in some cases centuries. The internet and in particular, the Tattingstone Parish Council website, provides the perfect opportunity to share and keep the heritage of the village alive. As our village changes in our own lifetimes, it is fascinating to look back and reflect on its past; to understand more about those who lived here before us and what the village used to look like. Do take a visit into our fascinating village history pages.

If you would like to post village information on the website please email: tatt.pc@gmail.com