Belton History
TO MOVE THROUGH THE HISTORY OF BELTON FROM BEGINNING TO END, CLICK HERE
AND MOVE FORWARD BY FOLLOWING THE ARROWS -
Although we cannot say exactly when the villages of Belton and Browston were founded, there is evidence of human activity in this area going back thousands of years. Finds recorded by Norfolk Landscape Archaeology include a hand axe found near the Round Hills, read more...
Belton, Browston and Gapton all belonged to the King. Then in 1170 Henry II gave Gapton Hall to one of his supporters, Baluri de Bosco. Bosco could lease or rent the land in return for money, produce and labour. He could also sell the manor on to someone else., read more....
We have no maps of Belton from its earliest times but we can look for clues as to how it grew. The Enclosure Map of Belton of 1814 shows a scattered village with the greatest concentration of buildings clustered around the Green, read more...
In medieval Belton the most important building was All Saints parish church. The priest was probably the only educated person in the village and baptisms, weddings, funerals and festival days were all held there, read more...
REFORMATION TO THE 18TH CENTURY
In the 1530's Henry VIII broke with the Church of Rome and established the Church of England. The Reformation had begun. Some changes may have taken time to work through, read more....
At the beginning of the 19th century Belton was described as a 'small scattered village, in a picturesque dell, opening to the vale of the Waveney.' Farming still involved strips and furlongs on the open fields as it had done so for hundreds of years, read more...
When Queen Victoria came to the throne in 1837 industry was growing, towns were expanding and life in Britain generally was changing. The was most obvious in the towns and cities but life in Belton was changing too, read more...
In 1839 'The Gardeners Chronicle' had predicted that the London vegetable markets would one day be supplied by market gardens much further away from than those on the outskirts of London, due to the spread of the railways, read more...
Of growing concern to the Parish Council in the early 20th century was the state of the roads and road safety. The existing roads were not designed for the new motor vehicles and overhanging trees, high fences and sharp bends were a problem., read more...
Belton Common had been used for military manoeuvres at the end of the 19th century by the Suffolk Regiment. This continued during the First World War when trenches were dug on the Common, read more....
In 1964 East Suffolk County Council published an outline development plan for Belton. Development was necessary due to the demand for housing in the area. Also it would benefit Belton as its market gardens were in decline and an increasing number of its inhabitants, read more...
- For more history of Belton, visit www.beltonhistory.co.uk
We would like to say thank you to Brian Callan for supplying us with such detailed picture of our past.
© Brian Callan
© Copyright Belton Church 2010
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