Clopton is a village and civil parish in Suffolk. It is located between Ipswich and Debenham two kilometres north of Grundisburgh on the River Lark. The village is no larger than a series of houses either side of the B1078, surrounded by farm land. The village itself has no clear centre; houses and other buildings are concentrated around the four manors of Kingshall, Brendhall, Rousehall and Wascolies, all of which are mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086.
As of 2011, the population of the parish numbered 375 people. The village previously had a school, which was built in 1875 and had capacity for 100 pupils with an average attendance of 56, however it closed in the late 1930s. Pupils instead attend schools in Grundisburgh or Woodbridge, with a bus service provided by Suffolk County Council.
History
Historical Writings
The earliest known mention of Clopton is a record in the Domesday Book as "Clopetuna".
In the early 1870s, it was described in John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales as:
"...a parish in Woodbridge district, Suffolk; 3½ miles N by W of Bealings r. station, and 4 NW of Woodbridge. Post town, Grundisburgh, under Wood-bridge. Acres, 2, 074. Real property, £4, 012. Pop., 407. Houses, 84. The property is divided among a few. Part of the land is common. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Norwich. Value, £720.* Patron, Mrs. E. Taylor. The church is old but good; and there are charities £34."
In 1887, John Bartholomew also wrote an entry on Clopton in the Gazetteer of the British Isles with a much shorter description:
"Clopton, par., E. Suffolk, 4 miles NW. of Woodbridge, 2074 ac., pop. 382; P.O.; contains C. Hall."
The BBC Domesday Project described Clopton in a similar yet more detailed fashion to the Gazetteer entries in 1986:
"Clopton is a small village situated approximately 7 miles from Ipswich and 4 miles from Woodbridge in the county of Suffolk. The area consists mainly of arable farms together with a small amount of housing. To the east side of Clopton is an area of disused airfield which now has a small amount of light industry. To the west side is the East Suffolk College of Agriculture and Horticulture at Otley; again consisting mainly of farmland. The village is served by a Post Office, bus service, mobile tradesmen and has 3 churches. There are no schools or shops in Clopton."
World War II
Between Clopton and the nearby village of Debach, the site of RAF Debach can be found, which was home to the USAAF 493d Bombardment Group over the course of World War II. A service memorial and the flag flown over the base can be found inside St. Mary's church at Clopton.
Industry
In 1831, the decennial census found that over three-quarters of Clopton's population worked in agriculture, with most of these being labourers employed by farmers. Other than this, the parish had a small number describing themselves as being employed in "retail and handicrafts," and an even smaller number being "professionals" or "other."
In 1844, White's Directories for Suffolk listed 13 farmers, a shoemaker, blacksmith and wheelwright. The 1912 edition listed 19 farmers, a farm bailiff, postmaster, schoolmaster, builder, shoemaker, wheelwright, storekeeper, grocer, hardware merchant, furniture remover/carrier, publican and insurance agent.
By 1881, the Parish as a whole, while still mostly reliant on agriculture to provide work, had diversified into other industries. Around this time, the presence of women in the workplace had increased somewhat as well: though these industries were small in comparison to the almost entirely male-dominated agricultural sector, in the 1881 census women outnumbered men in the 'Domestic Services and Offices' and 'Dress' occupation orders. Nonetheless, while 75 men reported working in agriculture, only 9 women reported having an occupation at all.
Population
Since the passing of the Census Act 1800, Clopton's overall population has remained relatively unchanged. In 1801, the first decennial census recorded a population of 389 people, while an all-time high of 468 was recorded in 1831.
The Modern Parish
The modern village of Clopton has been described as:
"...a widely spaced village which consists mainly of farming, around 140 residential homes and a few small businesses. There is a very good village hall at the centre of the village, which gets plenty of bookings... but, unfortunately, no village pub, nor shop. However, there are several of each in the nearby surrounding villages."