A Brief History of Sturmer

Sturmer is a little village in north Essex, which indents into the Suffolk borders near Haverhill. Surprisingly, there is a long history here. On the Haverhill side, there is a mound believed to be a burial ground of ancient Britons. The building of the nearby St Mary's Church was started by the Saxons and later fashioned by the Normans. The Church has undergone many alterations down the ages and it now represents a collection of varying architectural styles. The graveyard records many generations of Sturmer families.
Next to the Church is Sturmer Hall, a well proportioned building, built by 15th century workers and now replaced by modern brick.

The Red Lion, the only pub in the village, is a 15th century thatched property, which was originally three cottages. Turned into an inn during the 19th century, it is situated next to the site of Dillistones Nurseries, where the  famous "Sturmer Pippin" was propagated.

The apple grew better in New Zealand, where it was taken by a member of the Dillistone family. Steps are being taken to resurrect the "Sturmer Pippin" in the village.
Before easier methods of transport opened up the area, Sturmer was self sufficient. It boasted its own fish merchant, greengrocer, sausage maker, carpenter/coffin maker and gravedigger.

Over the ages, the village has developed into a range of thatched or slate roofed cottages and timber framed farmhouses to modern houses built for commuters to Cambridge and London.

Modernisation caught up with Sturmer when in 1937 electricity replaced oil and in the mid 1970's a sewerage system was put through to replace the sceptic tanks.
This small village is linked to one of our greatest naval victories. William Hicks, who was a midshipman on HMS Conqueror when she sailed to the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, was the Rector here for 44 years, with many a tale to tell. Click here to find out about the Commemoration Service of the Battle of Trafalgar to be held on the 23rd October 2005