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Felixstowe
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, although there is no formal classification of Old Felixstowe.
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 construction of the dock basin in 1882
The Felixstowe area as a whole provided a linchpin in England’s defence, as proved in 1667 when Dutch soldiers landed near the Fludyers area and tried (unsuccessfully) to capture Landguard Fort due to strategic location. The town only became related to a major port in 1886 when the port opened to trade, following the initial construction of the dock basin in 1882.
On 11 August 1919, the Felixstowe Fury sideslipped and crashed into the sea 500 yards offshore soon after takeoff while on a test flight. It was preparing for an 8,000-mile flight to Cape Town, South Africa. The wireless operator, Lt. MacLeod, was killed, and the 6 passengers were rescued. The wreckage was towed ashore.
At the turn of the century, tourism increased, and a pier was constructed in 1905 of which is partially functional to this day as an amusement arcade. Indeed, during the late Victorian period (after circa 1880) it became a fashionable resort, a trend initiated by the opening of Felixstowe railway station, the pier, (see above) and a visit by the German imperial family. It remained so until the late 1930s.
In 1953, at least 48 people died in the town in the North Sea flood.
