Sibton

Sibton is a parish in Suffolk consisting of the hamlets of:-

                                Hemp Green

                                Pouy Street

                                Rotten End

                                Sibton Green

The church is dedicated to St Peter; there is also an abbey, Sibton Abbey. There is a large stately house set in the grounds of Sibton Park which dates back 1827 in the Georgian period,which is now used as a hotel. The estate consists of 4500 acres, being part of the Wilderness Reserve where there are holiday cottages and a lake. The Parish is also in close proximity to the River Yox which runs past the White Horse Inn and down through Pouy Street, it then goes on past both the A1120 and a small wooded area called Abbey Woods to pass through the grounds of Sibton Park and then on to Yoxford.

History

The name Sibton derives from Old English, where the word "Sibba" is a personal name and the word "tun" means an enclosure, a farm, village or an estate, essentially meaning "Sibba's farm or settlement".  Sibton was recorded in the Domesday book of 1086 with a population of just 51 people.

In the 1870s, Sibton was described as

a parish in Blything district, Suffolk; 2½ miles WNW of Yoxford r. station, and 4½ N by W of Saxmundham. Post town, Yoxford, under Saxmundham. Acres, 2,861. Real property, £4,824. Pop., 489. Houses, 101. S. Park is the seat of J. W. Brooke, Esq

Population

According to the 2011 census Sibton had a population of 182- 96 of these people being male and 86 being female. In 2011, 159 people living in Sibton were over the age of 16 and 23 people were under the age of 16

St Peter's Church

The Church at Sibton lies above the A1120 and was founded in the reign of William II (c.1100) by Robert de Camodo. The oldest part of the building is the South door which was made in the Norman era and was originally part of Sibton Abbey. The church once had a spire which was added, along with a tower, in the 15th century. However, this spire came down about 200 years ago, although the tower still remains. After being out of use for many of years the church has recently been restored and £50000 was raised to repair part of the roof, a further £45000 was given by the English Heritage which has helped the church regain its parish status and regular services now take place.

War Memorial

The parish's war memorial is located within the church in the form of a lychgate. 11 men from Sibton lost their lives in world war I and these names are carved into the memorial and 2 of the men are also buried in the graveyard of St Peter's Church. During World War II a further 2 men lost their lives with their names also being on the memorial.