Early history

The village was listed in the Domesday Book as part of the manor of Boynton.^[2] An early 13th-century charter from nearby Dodnash Priory was the first to mention it by its current name, derived from the Norman-French and Welsh capel, meaning chapel.

Tentative evidence of Bronze Age habitation has recently been unearthed just outside the boundaries of the village,^[3] and well-documented human settlement in the area dates from the Roman period.^[4] Evidence of a villa was found while building council houses on Windmill Hill at the west end of the village in the 1930s, with remains of a kiln nearby and smaller artefacts such as coins and tiles.^[5]

A fortified house was built in nearby Little Wenham between 1260 and 1290. It is believed to be one of the first examples of fortified houses made from English brick.^[6]

Rail

A railway station was built as part of the Hadleigh branch line in 1847. The station was closed to passengers in 1932 but freight services continued until 1965, when the line was closed as a result of the Beeching Axe.

The village was birthplace in 1859 of Lieutenant-General Sir Edwin Alderson, first commander of the Canadian Expeditionary Force of World War I.^[7]

20th century

During the second World War, the village was frequented by American airmen from nearby RAF Raydon. Men from the village were involved in two local Auxiliary Units, Wenham and Capel, part of the 202nd battalion of the Home Guard. The Wenham unit was based at a dugout under Jermyn's Farm to the north of the village, and a dugout a short distance away housed their supply of explosives.^[8] The Capel unit was based in woods near Bentley; the three dugouts at their disposal housed ammunition, a field telephone, and their supplies of gelignite and plastic explosive. The explosives were destroyed in-situ after the end of hostilities because they were deemed too dangerous to move.^[9]

In 1960, initial plans were drawn up for significant housing development and mains sewerage in the village – the latter was needed following the introduction of mains water in 1951. These were finalised by 1963, initiating an expansion of the village from some 632 people in 1961 to a peak of 3,176 people in 1991. The new houses were built with an open-plan design: front gardens were not to be enclosed, and grass verges were to separate fences from the pavement. Plans for the village shopping centre were approved in 1974.^[9]

Recreation

The large playing field which includes football pitches, tennis courts, a cricket ground and a bowling green. There is also a children's playground at the same site. A fireworks display is held here annually on the 5 November. The pitches are home to Capel Plough F.C., which plays in the Suffolk and Ipswich Football League. The village hall and the attached bar are used by many societies. These are maintained by the Capel Community Trust

There is a Scout troop based in the village, with its own HQ and close to 100 members in January 2013.^[10]

Education

The village has a primary school. Most pupils then go to East Bergholt High School, or to selective or private secondary schools in nearby Ipswich or Colchester.

Religious sites

The village is in the Anglican parish of Capel St Mary with Little Wenham and Great Wenham. Construction of the parish church of St Mary, Virgin and Mother, began in the early 13th century, but most of it dates from the 15th century. However, the churchyard was found to contain Roman cremation urns, when digging took place for a northern extension in the late 1990s.

The village has a Methodist church and a Community church. The three churches are active and work closely together. Roman Catholic services were also being conducted in St Mary's, but declining numbers of priests meant this ceased to be feasible. The nearest Catholic services are in Ipswich and Brantham.

Transport

Capel sits next to the A12 road, which links the village to Ipswich and Colchester. There is a local bus service. ^[11]

Population change