Bures residents fundraise to buy back village green
Residents of a village near Sudbury are clubbing together to buy back their village green.
The field in Bures has been privately owned and closed to the public since the 18th Century.
Leigh Alston, chairman of the Bures History Society, said the village is over half way to raising the £87,500 required to buy the land.
Mr Alston said the village has until the end of June to raise the remaining cash.
"I realise how important the field was to the village in the middle ages so I was keen to see it restored to public use," he said.
"There was a ducking stool, where gossiping wives and those who might have been unfaithful to their husbands were ducked into a rather foul smelling ditch.
"Villagers were able to graze their pigs or sheep on the common - it was there for everyone."
He said the land would provide free fishing to the public, picnic benches and a place to launch canoes.