Leiston ( ) is a town and civil parish in the East Suffolk district of Suffolk, England. It is close to Saxmundham and Aldeburgh, north-east of Ipswich and north-east of London. The town had a population of 5,508 at the 2011 Census.
The 14th-century remains of Leiston Abbey lie north-west of the town. Leiston Abbey, English Heritage. Retrieved 30 March 2011.
Leiston thrived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as a manufacturing town, dominated by Richard Garrett & Sons, owners of Leiston Works, which boasted the world's first flow assembly line, for the manufacture of portable steam engines. The firm also made steam and a huge variety of cast and machined metal products, including munitions during both . The works closed in 1981 and the site was reused as a mixture of housing, flats and industrial sites. The Long Shop Museum, showing the history, vehicles and products of the works, remains as a heritage tourist attraction.
In 1927, A. S. Neill relocated Summerhill School from Lyme Regis to Leiston. This was the first major "free school" – referring to freedom in education. Children are not required to attend classes and discipline is meted by pupil self-government meetings. Summerhill has inspired a large "free school" movement and more recently, democratic schools in several countries. The school occupies the former mansion of Richard Garrett, owner of Leiston Works.
In the Second World War, RAF Leiston, north-west of the town in the neighbouring village of Theberton, sent fighter squadrons of the American 357th Fighter Group to fight the Luftwaffe. Famous American test pilot and fighter ace General Chuck Yeager (later, first to break the sound barrier) flew out of RAF Leiston. The Friends of Leiston Airfield hold a memorial service and flying display at the end of May each year, with veterans and their families attending.
One of their first actions took place in February 1934 when they organised for the Norwich to London Hunger March. They also took part in the Burston Strike School.
From 1935 the Leiston Communist Party organised a Popular front where they managed to defeat the well entrenched Conservative majority on the local council. This unity continued for many years, and together they produced their own radical publication the ‘Leiston Leader’ with a circulation of 300-500 copies, and raising aid together for a variety of causes, but most importantly for the Spanish Civil War. Due to its popularity in the area Leiston was nicknamed "Little Moscow".
In 1895 Leiston became an urban district under the name Leiston cum Sizewell which became part of the administrative county of East Suffolk in 1889, the district contained the parish of Leiston. On 1 April 1974 the district was abolished and became part of Suffolk Coastal in the non-metropolitan county of Suffolk. A successor parish was formed named "Leiston" covering the same area as the former district and its parish. In 2019 Leiston became part of East Suffolk district.
A number of smaller companies operate from industrial areas within the town.
Leiston's High Street serves as the business and market hub of the surrounding agricultural district. The town's facilities include a post office, library, banks, pubs and a range of shops and other services.
Leiston has direct bus services to Ipswich, Saxmundham, Aldeburgh, Thorpeness and Halesworth.
The town has a traditional Anglican church, St Margaret's, with an ancient tower and an unusual 19th-century nave. There are Roman Catholic and Baptist churches on the edge of the town.
Leiston also has a leisure centre, a skate park and several parks.
Leiston and Thorpeness Rugby Club was in existence in the late 1980s and early 1990s. It closed in 1995, but was revived in March 2010 as Aldeburgh and Thorpeness Rugby Club, with many of the previous club's members.
Local radio stations are BBC Radio Suffolk, Heart East, Greatest Hits Radio Ipswich & Suffolk, and Alde and Blyth Community Radio (ABC), a community based station.
The town's local newspaper is the East Anglian Daily Times.
Leiston Primary School caters for pupils aged 5–11 and runs a nursery with 52 places. Leiston Primary School profile, Suffolk County Council. Retrieved 30 March 2011.
Alde Valley Academy is a secondary school with academy status, formerly known as Leiston Community High School, then as Alde Valley School from September 2012, after reorganisation involving the closure of Leiston Middle School and conversion from a 13–18 school to one taking pupils from the age of 11.T. Potter (2012) Leiston: Pupils take first lessons in new-look high school, East Anglian Daily Times, 6 September 2012. Retrieved 22 September 2012. The school received academy status in January 2015 and was renamed Alde Valley Academy.
In 2001 the school had become a Specialist Technology College, and in following years was named as one of the most improved schools in England. It was the lead school in the Schools Energy Network based at the Orbis Centre in Lowestoft Waveney students become energy ambassadors, Eastern Daily Press, 19 September 2012. Retrieved 22 September 2012. and had strong links with the Sizewell nuclear power stations.Green.D (2007) School benefits from station link-up, East Anglian Daily Times, 20 January 2007. Retrieved 17 December 2011.
Leiston Communist Party
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