Capel St Andew

Capel St Andrew

Driving through Capel St Andrew on the road from Butley to Hollesley it appears to be just a small hamlet surrounded by fertile arable farmland. In fact, it covers a large area including Tangham Wood, which is part of Rendlesham Forest, and a stretch of the Woodbridge airfield and runway. It also includes the area where the famous UFO sighting is said to have taken place December 1980. Still controversial to this day! To the south the parish extends to the River Tang and the boundary of Boyton but there are only approximately forty homes in the entire village.

The name of Capel St Andrew is derived from the church (chapel) built near the crossroads.

It was demolished around 1539 in the reign of Henry VIII during the reformation but evidence of the graveyard has been found in the field opposite. This is referred to locally as ‘Brickles' as bricks were made from clay dug from a local vein of London clay ruing through the area.

To celebrate the millennium villagers of Capel raised money to have the unusual village sign erected near the crossroads. The pictures shows our statue of St Andrew, the patron saint of fisherman, seen holding an eel alongside the church.

Tangham Forest, which is Forestry Commission land, is a wonderful area to visit with rows of tall pine trees growing as a renewable source of timber, together with many deciduous trees and large open play areas, a specially built mountain bike course and many miles of cycling tracks between the trees. There is also an excellent camping and caravan site during Spring and Summer so a perfect place for all the family - plus the dog!

Our Victorian post box is quite famous for having a warning: ‘A flap is fitted to the aperture of this post box to prevent entry of snails and subsequent damage to mail'.