Thrandiston, Thrandestones, Threadstone or Thradstone's (tm 301, 304, 305 and 312)
The land where Trinity Meadows now stands was once arable farmland and meadows. From at least the 15th century they were part of Earl Stonham Feoffees (a charity trust).
This sketch from 1833 shows that the fields extended from Gipping Road (Back Lane) to what is now the A1120 and between land of Mr. Faulkner and Mr Freeman. Over the centuries the land has been farmed by several families and had different spellings.
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The earliest mention of Thrandeston that Neil Langridge has found is for a Willmo (William) de Thrandiston in the 1327 Subsidy Returns for Thorney. What is unsure at the moment is whether this William or his family came from Thrandeston near Eye (local pronunciation would be “Thranston” or “Thradston”) or it is possible that he held this land in Stowupland and it became known by his name.
A century later in the Earl Stonham parish records for 1427 he found – Edmund Cuttyng of Stowmarket gave a tenement called Thrandeston in Thorney and Saxton hamlet of Stow with its associated messuage lands, pastures, woods, tenements, rents, services and appurtenances to Thomas Forbescher, John Austen and John Sewale and their heirs. It was witnessed by john Hotet esq, Robert Byll, John Ady, William Hammond, John Brysete,, John Baldry, John Dego, and others.
Subsequent deeds from 1476/7 record that the whole area of 4 fields was called Thrandestones ‘and a barn, and 20a. of land called Thradstone’s, in Thorney and Saxton, and the hamlet of Stowmarket, settled in the 15th of King Edward IV., in trust for use and behoof of the inhabitants of this town’… (Earl Stonham?) – {A Settlement of the Suffolk Traveller by Augustine Page (p207)}
By the 19th century Thrandiston Farm or the area around Thradstone barn consisted of 23 acres which were leased out by Earl Stonham Trust to local cottagers who could hire an acre to grow their own crops, keep a pig or two and /or hens so they could provide their own food and/or fodder for their livestock. In the 1840 Tithe apportionaments the occupier of the lands was William Beard.
310
Barn Field, Pasture and passage, arable land of 9a 2r 1p, bordering onto Gipping Road (Back Lane).
304
Little Town Field was a combination of arable and pasture land of 3a 1r 36p, between barn Field and Grassy meadow.
305
Grassy Meadow or Town land pasture land of 4a 1r 15p. Following the building of Trinity meadows estate in 2024 this area has been left as a green open space for the use of the village.
312
Causeway Field was arable land of 5a 2r 28p bordering onto the Main Road
There was a rent-charge of £1 5s 11d payable to the vicar of Stowmarket, (Holy Trinity Church had yet to be built) and £5 8s 8d to Charles Rayner Freeman.
This section of a 1886 map shows the location of Thrandeston Barn and Grassy Meadow. From at least 1897 an area of 23 acres of Thrandestones was leased to the parish council .
In 1924 local farmer George Carter had bought the land for £500.00. He continued to rent out 1 acre allotments but increasingly farmers wanted more than a 1 acre unit. By 1975 with increasing rents and lack of demand the Allotment Committee recommended the area be handed back to the Carter family (George had died in 1962) and all tenancies ceased at Michaelmas 1976.
In the 1970s the Parich Souncil had to decide whether to keep the allotments of Thradstones farm or terminate the leases and return the land to the Carter family. The council did their sums and decided to terminate Thrandstones but to keep leasing the smaller allotment plots at Spoonmans Farm
My thanks to Neil Langridge and Marion Harris for their notes
