Great Thurlow is a village and civil parish in the West Suffolk district of Suffolk in eastern England. It is situated in the far south-west of Suffolk, with the River Stour passing through the centre of the village.
A few rural villages are relatively close by, with a sister village of Little Thurlow immediately to the north, and Haverhill, the closest urban location, just over 3 miles to the south. The nearest train station is in Dullingham, almost 6 miles to the north, and HMP Highpoint prison is past the parish boundaries to the east.
History
In the 1870s, Great Thurlow was described as:
"THURLOW (Great), a parish, with a village, in Risbridge district, Suffolk; 3¼ miles N by E of Haverhill r. station. It has a post-office under Newmarket, and a fair on 11 Oct.; and it gives name and title to the descendants of Lord Chancellor Thurlow."Great Thurlow can be seen recorded as far back as the Domesday Book in 1086, where it is combined with the adjacent village of Little Thurlow under the names "Tridlauua", "Tritlawa" or "Thrillauura". The name of Great Thurlow and its sister village have evolved over time, having previous names such as Thurlow Magna and Thurlow Parva, respectively.
The similar name and close proximity of Great and Little Thurlow gives an indication of their close relationship as each has developed. Both villages have been part of large estates throughout their lengthy existence, where prosperity often shifted from one to the other and depended on the fortunes and preferences of the estates which owned them. The villages did, however, develop subtle differences which contributed to their separate identities. Today they are different parishes, with their own church in each.
Roman and Saxon
Great Thurlow is thought to have been inhabited in Roman times. A network of Roman roads are known to have existed nearby and numerous artifacts dating back to the Roman period have been found. Professor Hughes, of the Cambridge Antiquarian Society, suggested the Romans followed the valley from Haverhill to the Thurlows and on towards Newmarket, with more sites of Neolithic and Roman remains also found on route within the valley.
Evidence of moated sites, used as Saxon defence systems, are visible in the area in the Glebe, the Island, Wadgells and Sowley Green. These defences provide evidence of Great Thurlow having continuous occupation since Roman times.
Norman and Medieval
The Domesday Book includes the first record of Great Thurlow, where the village is shown to be in the possession of a "freewoman called Edred". The first reference to the manor of Temple End, in the west of Great Thurlow, is also included. This site has long been associated with the Knights Templar, to which the owner was later awarded. This record of the name predates their foundation by over 30 years however, which leads some to believe a temple of a previous age once stood there. Further support is given to this theory as remnants of building have been uncovered at Temple End, although no further excavations have taken place.
The Soame Family
The wealthy Soame family became a major influence in the late 16th century. Great and Little Thurlow became one under the Soame family, and would remain so during their ownership which lasted three centuries. Great Thurlow prospered for much of this era, with the Soame family having keen interests in agriculture, while also contributing to new properties and building renovations. The Parish Book holds a record of meetings held for the care of villagers and, under Sir Stephen Soame, almshouses were built and a school for the male children of Thurlow was founded. Many of Great Thurlows now historical buildings were built or repaired during this time, such as the introduction of Collis Mill to Great Thurlow and an extension to the Cock Inn.
The nineteenth century saw much less prosperity for the Soame family, and subsequently for the Thurlow villages, with the later generations of the Soame family being less successful in maintaining family wealth. In 1809, the mansion house of the Soames in Little Thurlow burned down, and when the last of the Soame family in the village died, the family's connection to the villages ceased. Great Thurlow received considerably more attention towards the end of the Soame's dynasty, and this trend of investment continued through the nineteenth century.