The village of Metfield is situated in the Waveney valley on the Norfolk/Suffolk border and dates back to Saxon times. The name ‘Metfield’ is derived from ‘meadow field’ (medfield), a mowed area created when forests were cleared to provide areas of settlement.

Throughout its history, this small rural village community has been closely involved in agricultural work, with wheat, barley, oil seed rape and sugar beet being the main crops grown in the area.

Centuries ago, the rural way of life was harsh and life expectancy short – with mothers and babies often dying during childbirth. It is also certain that Metfield would have suffered great loss of life at the time of the Black Death in the mid-1300s.

In January 2018, there were around 400 inhabitants of Metfield, though according to the 1841 census its population had at one time peaked at 700.

Lord of the Manor
Employment
The church
USAAF ‘invasion’
Post-war Metfield
2000 and beyond
Village shop
Publication of METFIELD Tales From a Suffolk Village 1928–2017