Red Lodge, Suffolk

Red Lodge is a growing community administered by West Suffolk Council. It has new homes from a variety of building companies centred on the Kings Warren development at the northern end of the village.{{cite web|url=http://redlodge.onesuffolk.net/ |title=Page Title |location=GB |publisher=Redlodge.onesuffolk.net |date=8 January 2013 |access-date=23 February 2013}} Currently, community facilities include an Ecumenical church, village hall and venue (known as the Millennium Centre), a sports pavilion with tennis courts, a five-a-side football pitch and allotments.{{cite web|url=http://redlodge.onesuffolk.net/about-us/ |title=About us |location=GB |publisher=Redlodge.onesuffolk.net |access-date=23 February 2013}} A new school opened in September 2012 and the new village centre which opened in 2014 has a convenience store, fish and chip shop, kebab shop, pharmacy, hair dressers and estate agents.

The village dates back to 1926 when the first houses were built, although the pub, Red Lodge Inn, is far older, having been recorded on a map of the site in 1885. It is thought to be a former hunting lodge dating back to the 17th century.{{cite web|url=http://www.suffolkcamra.co.uk/pubs/pub/821 |title=Red Lodge Red Lodge summary from |publisher=Suffolk Camra |access-date=23 February 2013}} The area where most of the new housing is situated was formerly a rabbit warren attached to Freckenham Manor lands, with a history dating back to the 13th century. Red Lodge became a civil parish in 1987, having previously been part of Freckenham parish.{{cite web|title=The Forest Heath (Parishes) Order 1986|url=https://www.lgbce.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/12297/forest-heath-parishes-order-1986.pdf|publisher=LGBCE|access-date=3 July 2017|date=24 July 1986}}

The 2010 Doctor Who audio drama The Demons of Red Lodge is set in Red Lodge in 1665.

File:Evening Primrose in the Afternoon - geograph.org.uk - 62863.jpg

Red Lodge Heath is an area of acid grassland and lowland and is an SSSI, with a number of nationally rare plants and animals.{{cite web|url=http://www.sssi.naturalengland.org.uk/Special/sssi/unitlist.cfm?sssi_id=2000481 |title=Natural England – SSSIs : Units for Red Lodge Heath |publisher=Sssi.naturalengland.org.uk |access-date=23 February 2013}} It includes a population of the five-banded tailed digger wasp, Cerceris quinquefasciata, which nests in bare sand along a path to the north of the site, and on sparsely vegetated slopes to the west.{{cite web|url=http://www.wildlifetrusts.org/who-we-are/history/rothschild-reserves/redlodge-warren-suffolk |title=Redlodge Warren, Suffolk |publisher=The Wildlife Trusts |access-date=23 February 2013}} Discovery of the wasp population in 2005 by English Nature meant that Forest Heath District Council had to adapt proposed housing and school development plans in this area of the village.{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/suffolk/4371591.stm |title=UK | England | Suffolk | Rare wasp cancels village plans |publisher=BBC News |date=22 March 2005 |access-date=23 February 2013}}

The Heath is maintained by volunteers from a conservation group established in 2007 and awarded a Lottery grant in 2012.{{cite web|url=http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/environment/conservation_group_gets_10_000_cash_boost_1_1220616 |title=Conservation group gets £10,000 cash boost – Environment – Eastern Daily Press |publisher=Edp24.co.uk |date=27 February 2012 |access-date=23 February 2013}}

The nearest railway station to Red Lodge is in {{Stnlnk|Kennett}}, {{Convert|2|mi|0}} away.

Buses also serve the village, offering transportation to Mildenhall, Newmarket, Bury St Edmunds and other nearby towns and villages. Stansted Airport is {{Convert|41|mi|0}} away and Luton Airport is {{Convert|55|mi|0}}. National Express coaches operate services from nearby Mildenhall to Central London; Cambridge; Brighton via Stansted, Heathrow and Gatwick Airports.

St Christopher's CEVCP School in Bellflower Crescent opened in September 2012 and replaced Tuddenham Primary School, which was too small for the number of students.{{cite web|url=http://www.buryfreepress.co.uk/news/latest-news/state-of-the-art-school-opens-its-doors-1-4260052 |title=State-of-the-art school opens its doors – Latest News |publisher=Bury Free Press |date=18 September 2012 |access-date=23 February 2013}} It is a Church of England voluntary faith school, meaning that Christian values are promoted within the curriculum and all faiths are welcomed. It has capacity for 315 pupils, with further development planned to increase capacity to 420.{{cite web|url=http://redlodge.onesuffolk.net/about-us/st-christopher-s-primary-school/ |title=School |location=GB |publisher=Redlodge.onesuffolk.net |access-date=23 February 2013}} It delivers education for 5- to 11-year-olds and follows the National Curriculum.

The two-storey school is accessible by people with different physical abilities. Teaching facilities include interactive multi-media systems in classrooms, art, design technology and food technology areas, playing field, hard court, hall and drama studio.{{cite web |url=http://www.stcprimary.suffolk.sch.uk/index.php/about/our-school |title=Our School |publisher=Stcprimary.suffolk.sch.uk |date=30 September 2012 |access-date=23 February 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130424010133/http://www.stcprimary.suffolk.sch.uk/index.php/about/our-school |archive-date=24 April 2013 |df=dmy-all }}

In the last Ofsted inspection in 2009 (which took place at the Tuddenham premises), the school was rated 2 (good).{{cite web|url=http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/inspection-reports/find-inspection-report/provider/ELS/124716 |title=St Christopher's CEVCP School |publisher=Ofsted |access-date=23 February 2013}}

{{reflist}}

{{Commons category|Red Lodge, Suffolk|Red Lodge}}

• [http://redlodge.onesuffolk.net/ Red Lodge Parish Council]
• [http://redlodgeconservationgroup.org/ Red Lodge Conservation Group]
• [http://www.stcprimary.suffolk.sch.uk/ St Christopher's CEVCP School]

{{West Suffolk|state=expanded}}

{{Suffolk |state=expanded}}

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Category:Villages in Suffolk

Category:Civil parishes in Suffolk

Category:Forest Heath