Welcome to the website of Farnham with Stratford St Andrew Parish Council

Farnham

Farnham is a village and civil parish about three miles (4.8km) south-west of the market town of Saxmundham. Its population is 118 (2011).

The village of Farnham gets its name from Old English where it means Fern hemmed-in land or Fern homestead/village. The earliest known recording of the village of Farnham is in the Domesday Book (1086) where it appears three times - it was located in the Hundred of Plomesgate and had a population of 18 households, 8 smallholdings, and 13 free men. Farnham had one Lord's plough team and two men's plough teams and the Domesday Book also records two mills and 21 acres of meadow.

St Mary's Church (Grade II listed) is Norman and built mostly of flint and stone. Its two bells were cast in 1590 and 1631. Before the original  church was constructed (c800AD) there was a Roman encampment on the site due to its position at the top of a hill looking across the Alde valley.

In addition to its listed church, Farnham has another nine listed buildings,

Stratford St Andrew

Stratford St Andrew is a small village and civil parish also located thrfee miles south west of Saxmundham. Its population is 185 (2011). 

The origins of the village's names can be traced to a combination of Anglican and Old English which translates as Ford on a Roman road the dedication of the Church's name was later affixed. In the Domesday Book (1086) was located in Plomesgate under the ownership of Walter Gifford, tenant in chief. The value of the land to the Lord, Ralph of Languetot, was just over £2. Twenty-five households, five small holdings and 13 free men are recorded as is a four acre meadow, a mill, two cows,15 pigs, 30 sheep and 27 goats. The village sign shows a mill and a black swan, a reference to an old coaching inn of that name, and reads Confide recte agens or Be confident in doing right.

St Andrew's church was founded in 1692 but was declared redundant in 1992 and is now a private residence.