Felixstowe

Coordinates: 51°57′50″N 1°21′05″E / 51.9639°N 1.3515°E / 51.9639; 1.3515

Felixstowe (/ˈfiːlᵻkstoʊ/) is an Edwardian seaside town and civil parish between the River Orwell and River Deben on the North Sea coast of Suffolk, England. The 2011 Census recorded the parish population as 23,689. It includes the Port of Felixstowe, which is the largest container port in the United Kingdom.

The nearby small town of Walton is often viewed as an extension of Felixstowe as the two towns are virtually side by side, though Walton was the original village. The quieter area nearer to the Deben River is often referred to as Old Felixstowe, there is though no formal classification of Old Felixstowe.

History

The 'old' Felixstowe hamlet was centred on a pub and church, having stood on the site since long before the Norman conquest of England. The early history of Felixstowe, including its Roman, Anglo-Saxon, Norman and medieval defences, is told under the name of Walton, because the name Felixstowe was given retrospectively, during the 13th century, to a place which had expanded to a form beyond the boundaries of Walton alone. In the Doomsday book, for instance, only Walton is shown, and not Felixstowe, which at the time held little more than a few houses scattered over the cliff tops. Walton was a settlement on the River Orwell and in 1844 had a population of 907 compared to the relatively small Felixstowe Parish holding only 502 people. Walton had always preceded Felixstowe as a settlement as seen by the presence of Walton Castle, built by the Romans in the 3rd century, but today Walton is generally considered part of Felixstowe due to modern expansion.

Felixstowe (disambiguation)

Felixstowe may refer to:

Places

Aircraft

Royal Navy

See also