Beccles   page loading

Built on a river cliff overlooking Waveney valley, this market town dates from Saxon times and unusually, is still known by the same name by which it was recorded in Domesday. Then a fishing port thrived at the river mouth. Today the town is better known for printing and tourism. Lord Horatio Nelson's father, Edmund, was once the curate at St Michael's church and was married here to Catherine Sucking (a local woman) in 1754. Unusually St Michaels has a detached tower (92 feet high) which contains 10 bells and was built in 1515.

Beccles Museum can be found at Leman House in Ballygate.

Also see www.beccles.info

Beccles appears on John Speed's 1610 map as "Beckles". Interestingly, that map shows Ingate as a distinct settlement, rather than just a part of the town as it is now.

RAF Beccles - just SE of the town, was not just the most easterly but also one of the last WW2 airfields to be completed. Sometimes called Ellough - a neighbouring village - and often used as an emergency landing strip. After construction it was mainly used by Air Sea Rescue (ASR) and Costal Command from Aug 1944. In total the various ASR units were responsible for saving the lives of about 13,269 persons from the North Sea (8,604 being Allied crewmen).