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The Parish of Winston is located in rural Mid Suffolk and comprises three parts, Winston, Winston Green and Fenn Street.
The Parish is recorded in the Domesday Book as comprising 43 households corresponding to a population of perhaps 250 individuals who would have been almost exclusivly engaged in agriculture.
During the Middle Ages the Parish would have prospered as a sheep rearing area as was common for much of East Anglia.
It is also be;ieved that the vinyard for the Bishop of Ely was located on the slopes facing South towards Pettaugh.
The Parish and its populations employment remained largely agriculture based until well in to the 20th century. The census of 1831 recorded a population of about 400 of whom 87% worked in agriculture. Thereafter the population gradually declined reducing to 300 by 1881 as the UK industrialised and many residents moved to rapidly expanding city based industries.
The 2011 census recorded 159 residents in the Parish of whom the proportion working in agriculture has reduced to 5%.
Nevertheless the Parish retains its rural atmosphere and indeed it its neccessary to leave the Parish to travel by road from Winston to Winston Green as the two are only linked by bridleways and footpaths.
Winston
The original settlement of Winston is based round Church Lane. This contains the Parish Church of St Andrew's, the village Hall, known as 'The School Room' and several farm houses and cottages dating from the 16th century.
The Church is a grade 11 listed building and originates from the 14th century with subsequnent alterations and additions in the 15th and 16th centuries and a major restoration in the 19th century.
The School Room was the village school up until the early part of the 20th century and contains a photograph of the children taken at that time. It is now used as the Village Hall for meetings and as the base for the annual Village fete. It was recently used as part of the set for the First World War film 'Private Peaceful'.
Winston Green
The houses in this part of the Parish are generally more recent and located around 'The Green'. This is an area of land managed by the Parish Council and the policy has been to leave this as a natural area to encourage wildlife. In 2008 the Parish arranged for the clearing of two'scrapes' to further promote
the diversity of species on the Green. In addition the Parish instaled an owl box on the Green in 2014 and a nesting pair were established that winter giving birth to two owlets thee following Spring.
Fenn Street
The Village sign shown below depicts the hisoric accociations opf the village, namely sheep rearing and the vinyard referred to above but also a local industry of brick making. One such brick Kiln is known to have been located in Fenn Street.