Orford, Suffolk

Orford

St Bartholomew's Church
Orford
Orford shown within Suffolk
Population 713 (2011 Census)[1]
OS grid reference TM422499
District
Shire county
Region
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town WOODBRIDGE
Postcode district IP12 2
Dialling code 01394
Police Suffolk
Fire Suffolk
Ambulance East of England
EU Parliament East of England
UK Parliament
Orford is the centre-left settlement depicted in this 1588 map
Orford is the centre-left settlement depicted in this 1588 map

Orford is a small town in Suffolk, England, within the Suffolk Coast and Heaths AONB.

Like many Suffolk coastal towns it was of some importance as a port and fishing village in the Middle Ages. It still has a fine mediaeval castle, built to dominate the River Ore and a Grade I listed parish church, St Bartholomew's.

The main geographical feature of the area is Orford Ness, a long, wide shingle spit at the mouth of the Ore. Orford Ness has in the past been used as an airstrip testing facility and in the early 1970s it was the site of a powerful radar station as part of the Cold War defences against low-flying attacking aircraft; today it is a nature reserve run by the National Trust.

Orford quay viewed from the Orford Ness ferry dock.

Orford provides the only point of access to the nature reserves of Orford Ness and Havergate Island. Both sites can only be accessed via ferry boat from Orford quay. The Orford Ness ferry runs on selected days between April and October[2] and the Havergate Island ferry on selected Saturdays.[3]

The population of Orford greatly increases during the summer months due to its flourishing sailing club. As well as the Castle, Orford's attractions include river cruises, three pubs, a renowned traditional bakery, a smokehouse and a restaurant; the Butley-Orford Oysterage.

Governance

Orford forms part of the electoral ward called Orford and Tunstall. The population of this ward at the 2011 census was 1,830.[4]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Town population 2011". Retrieved 16 September 2015.
  2. ↑ "Orford Ness National Nature Reserve". National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty. Archived from the original on 2010-04-30. Retrieved 2010-04-26.
  3. ↑ "Havergate Island - How to get here". The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. Retrieved 2010-04-26.
  4. ↑ "Orford and Tunstall Ward population 2011". Retrieved 16 September 2015.


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