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{{EngvarB|date=June 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2016}}
{{Infobox UK place
|official_name= Lakenheath
|country = England
|region= East of England
|static_image_name= St Mary the Virgin Lakenheath.JPG
|static_image_caption= Church of St Mary the Virgin
|static_image_2_name= Lakenheath Hotel 2.JPG
|static_image_2_caption= Goward house
|population = 4,691
|population_ref = (2011 Census)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=7&b=11125363&c=Lackford&d=16&e=62&g=6466821&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&o=362&m=0&r=1&s=1472033193573&enc=1|title=Civil Parish population 2011|access-date=24 August 2016|publisher=Office for National Statistics|work=Neighbourhood Statistics}}</ref>
|post_town= Brandon
|postcode_area= IP
|postcode_district = IP27
|dial_code= 01842
|constituency_westminster= [[West Suffolk (UK Parliament constituency)|West Suffolk]]
|london_distance= 80.72 from High Street to Parliament Square
|civil_parish = Lakenheath
|shire_district= [[West Suffolk (district)|West Suffolk]]
|shire_county= [[Suffolk]]
|os_grid_reference= TL715825
|coordinates = {{coord|52.4136|0.5226|display=inline,title}}
}}

'''Lakenheath''' is a village and [[civil parish]] in the [[West Suffolk (district)|West Suffolk]] district of [[Suffolk]] in eastern England. It has a population of 4,691 according to the 2011 Census, and is situated close to the county boundaries of both [[Norfolk]] and [[Cambridgeshire]], and at the meeting point of [[The Fens]] and the [[Breckland]] natural environments.

Lakenheath is host to the largest [[United States Air Force]] base in the United Kingdom, [[RAF Lakenheath]].

[[RSPB Lakenheath Fen|Lakenheath Fen Nature Reserve]], created in 1996, restored wetlands from agricultural fields that were growing carrots. In May 2007, it was reported that [[Crane (bird)|cranes]] were nesting in the site for the first time since the fen lands were drained in the 16th century.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/6659827.stm BBC News 17 May 2007]</ref>

The village has a single Victorian primary school, constructed in 1878, which was extended in 1969, again in 2004 and most recently in 2010/2011.<ref>[http://www.lakenheath.suffolk.sch.uk/Our%20School.htm Our School] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929061045/http://www.lakenheath.suffolk.sch.uk/Our%20School.htm |date=29 September 2007 }}</ref> There is a small shopping street on which a variety of multi-cultural shops, restaurants, and services are available.<ref>http://visitlakenheath.co.uk/#/shops-business/4568757815> {{bare URL inline|date=April 2023}}</ref> Horse-riding services are also present. The village has a modern library with various amenities.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://suffolklibraries.co.uk/branches/lakenheath-library |title=Lakenheath Library {{!}} Suffolk Libraries |website=suffolklibraries.co.uk |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140329060725/http://suffolklibraries.co.uk/branches/lakenheath-library/ |archive-date=2014-03-29}} </ref> Along this main road there is a small hotel, skate park, and a children's play park.

Lakenheath has two pubs though historically it had at least sixteen more. The Plough Inn (also known as the Wok n Rock) is a spacious flint-faced 19th-century bar, Far Eastern restaurant and takeaway. It reopened at the end of 2013 after being closed for two years.<ref>[http://www.suffolkcamra.co.uk/pubs/place/184 Suffolk Camra]</ref> The other pub is the Brewer's Tap. The Royal British Legion was a members-only club, but closed in April 2012.<ref>[http://www.buryfreepress.co.uk/news/community/community-news/lakenheath-club-closes-its-doors-1-4146778 Lakenheath club closes its doors]</ref>

Lakenheath is remarkable for its medieval church, built about 900 years ago in wood, eventually being rebuilt in the local [[flint]] construction style. The church on the exterior has an embattled parapet that has an array of gargoyles and other carved faces at the string course at the base. The interior includes medieval paintings and carvings on the pews.<ref>[http://www.suffolkchurches.co.uk/lakenheath.htm Lakenheath]</ref> The faces of the church's wooden angels bear the scars of the [[English Civil War]], as none of the angels retained their original facial detail, due to religiously motivated vandalism by [[puritan]] soldiers. In early 2009, the church received a large grant from the [[Heritage Lottery Fund]] and local organisations to restore its rare [[medieval]] wall paintings. The wall paintings, depicting local saint [[Edmund the Martyr|St Edmund]], angels, and birds amongst other subjects, are believed to date from the 13th century.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/suffolk/7813010.stm BBC News 6 January 2009]</ref>

As well as the [[Anglican]] parish church, Lakenheath has churches representing the [[Methodist]], [[Strict Baptist]] and [[Pentecostal]] ([[Assemblies of God|AOG]]) denominations. All three of the non-Anglican church buildings are also primarily constructed of local [[flint]], albeit with later modifications in brick.

The village was struck by [[1981 United Kingdom tornado outbreak|an F0/T1 tornado]] on 23 November 1981, as part of the record-breaking nationwide tornado outbreak on that day.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.eswd.eu/cgi-bin/eswd.cgi|title = European Severe Weather Database}}</ref>

The recently built pavilion now houses the local cricket club and hosts various events.

Lakenheath also boasts a football club playing at ‘The PIt’ stadium in the village. The club, in 2021 won promotion to the Thurlow Nunn League Premier Division, the highest they have ever been and, won the Suffolk Senior Cup for the second time in their history.

==Transportation==

[[Lakenheath railway station]], {{convert|3|mi|km}} north of the village, sees very little passenger service.

There are regular bus services to the neighbouring towns of Brandon, Mildenhall and Thetford plus buses to Bury St. Edmunds operated on school/college days which are available to the general public.

==RAF Lakenheath==
{{Main|RAF Lakenheath}}
[[File:f-15c.eagle.86-0175.taxi.arp.jpg|thumb|right|An [[F-15C Eagle]] of the United States Air Force taxis for takeoff. The LN on the tail means this aircraft is based at RAF Lakenheath.]]
Lakenheath is host to the largest deployment of United States Air Force personnel in the United Kingdom: [[RAF Lakenheath]]. The [[Social Impact of Friendly American Forces on Rural England|social impact]] of the [[United States Air Force]] fighter [[airbase]] and its nearby sister, [[RAF Mildenhall]], on the economy of Lakenheath and on the nearby towns and villages is important. The United States has maintained a presence in the community since bombers were stationed there during WWII conducting raids on Europe. The base has a population of around 6000 service personnel.

==Prehistory and archaeology==
During the [[Last Glacial Period|Ice Age]], the [[River Bytham]] flowed through the area that is now Lakenheath, depositing much of the modern geology found in the area.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.arch-ant.bham.ac.uk/shottonproject/ice2.htm |title=The Shotton Project |access-date=2009-10-18 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080924180614/http://www.arch-ant.bham.ac.uk/shottonproject/ice2.htm |archive-date=24 September 2008 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

Excavation of three early Anglo-Saxon cemeteries at RAF Lakenheath between 1997 and 2002 uncovered a total of 394 inhumation and 17 cremation burials,{{citation needed|date=June 2012}} including one 6th-century grave with a [[horse burial]]: a man was buried next to a fully armoured horse.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Jupp|first1=Peter C.|last2=Gittings|first2=Clare|title=Death in England: An Illustrated History|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tWhOh31-yUwC&pg=PA72|access-date=26 June 2012|year=1999|publisher=Manchester UP|isbn=9780719058110|page=72}}</ref>

==Climate==
Lakenheath has an [[oceanic climate]] similar to the rest of the region of [[East of England]]. It is therefore warmer and drier than the average climate of the [[British Isles]] due to its relative distance to the low-pressure dominated coastal weather systems of the Atlantic.

{{Weather box|location = Lakenheath, 1981-2010
|collapsed =
|metric first = y
|single line = y
|Jan record high C = 16
|Feb record high C = 18
|Mar record high C = 22.8
|Apr record high C = 27
|May record high C = 29
|Jun record high C = 34
|Jul record high C = 34
|Aug record high C = 35
|Sep record high C = 31.1
|Oct record high C = 29.1
|Nov record high C = 18
|Dec record high C = 15
|year record high C = 35
|Jan high C = 7.3
|Feb high C = 8.4
|Mar high C = 10.9
|Apr high C = 14.2
|May high C = 17.5
|Jun high C = 20.5
|Jul high C = 22.6
|Aug high C = 22.4
|Sep high C = 19.6
|Oct high C = 15.4
|Nov high C = 10.8
|Dec high C = 7.0
|year high C = 14.8
|Jan mean C = 4.6
|Feb mean C = 5.6
|Mar mean C = 7.1
|Apr mean C = 9.5
|May mean C = 12.8
|Jun mean C = 15.8
|Jul mean C = 18.0
|Aug mean C = 17.8
|Sep mean C = 15.2
|Oct mean C = 11.7
|Nov mean C = 7.7
|Dec mean C = 4.3
|year mean C = 10.9
|Jan low C = 1.8
|Feb low C = 1.8
|Mar low C = 3.2
|Apr low C = 4.8
|May low C = 8.1
|Jun low C = 11.0
|Jul low C = 13.5
|Aug low C = 13.1
|Sep low C = 10.7
|Oct low C = 7.9
|Nov low C = 4.6
|Dec low C = 1.7
|year low C = 6.9
|Jan record low C = −15.6
|Feb record low C = −13.3
|Mar record low C = −10.0
|Apr record low C = −6.1
|May record low C = −3.3
|Jun record low C = -1.7
|Jul record low C = 3.3
|Aug record low C = 2.6
|Sep record low C = 0.6
|Oct record low C = −5.0
|Nov record low C = −8.3
|Dec record low C = −13.9
|year record low C = −15.6
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 67.2
|Feb precipitation mm = 65.6
|Mar precipitation mm = 43.5
|Apr precipitation mm = 31.8
|May precipitation mm = 40.5
|Jun precipitation mm = 55.5
|Jul precipitation mm = 45.7
|Aug precipitation mm = 58.0
|Sep precipitation mm = 37.8
|Oct precipitation mm = 48.1
|Nov precipitation mm = 56.8
|Dec precipitation mm = 52.1
|year precipitation mm = 598.9
|source 1 = Météo Climat<ref>{{cite web
| url=http://meteo-climat-bzh.dyndns.org/listenormale-1981-2010-2-p183.php
| title=Météo climat stats for Lakenheath 1981-2010
| publisher=Météo Climat
| access-date=31 March 2017|date=March 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://meteo-climat-bzh.dyndns.org/index.php?page=stati&id=643|title=Météo climat stats Lakenheath records|publisher=Météo Climat|access-date=31 March 2017}}</ref>
}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Lakenheath}}
{{West Suffolk|state=expanded}}
{{authority control}}

[[Category:Lakenheath| ]]
[[Category:Villages in Suffolk]]
[[Category:Civil parishes in Suffolk]]
[[Category:Forest Heath]]

Lakenheath - Revision history

Ajay Kumar: Created a new article