Corton, Suffolk


Corton is a village near the town of Lowestoft in the East Suffolk district, in the English county of Suffolk. Corton is located around north of the centre of town. The local church is dedicated to St Bartholomew, and is a partial ruin, with only the chancel roofed, The estimated population was 1,140 in 2008, decreasing to 1,099 in the 2011 census. It has boundaries with the suburb of Gunton.

Features

Corton is home to the main tourist attraction of the Pleasurewood Hills Theme and Amusement Park. There are also two holiday centres and a school. The beaches were a popular naturist area, but the nudist area was de-designated in November 2009. The cliffs of the beaches are suffering gradual coastal erosion.

History

Corton is recorded in the Domesday Book as Caretuna or Karetuna, a name probably derived from the Viking name Kari. It used to be in the Half Hundred of Lothingland, had a population of around 21 households and formed part of the King's holdings.
In 1870–72, John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales described Corton like this:
The Corton railway station closed in 1970 and the station building is now used as a private residence.

Governance

Corton is part of the electoral ward called Gunton and Corton. The population of this ward at the 2011 census was 4,400.