Thorington Street, a hamlet in Southeast Suffolk and part of the Dedham Vale National Landscape, has officially been designated an International DarkSky Community by DarkSky International.
It is an important achievement because it is the first such place in England and joins six others in the United Kingdom, three in Scotland: Orkney, Coll, and Moffatt, two in Wales: Presteigne and Gower and one in the Channel Islands, Sark.
Dan Oakley, Policy and Destination Manager of DarkSky said: “the level of commitment to achieve dark sky status from such a small community was amazing. Their influence on the wider National Landscape in adopting a lighting management plan was a key component of their success and will undoubtedly inspire other places to follow their example.”
Charles Clover, chairman of the Dedham Vale Society, which initiated the campaign, said: “Without Marcia Brocklebank and the Dark Sky Campaign team working tirelessly for so many years to provide evidence and support for this designation, the Dedham Vale Society could not have achieved this important win for the Vale – continuing the work so many people have put in over 80 years to protect its special character. We are incredibly grateful to them and we hope the boundaries of the Dark Sky Community continue to expand to include most if not all of the Vale.”
Thorington Street is a small hamlet of about one square mile with 40 cottages arranged along one north/south lane. The definition of hamlet is a rural community “without a church”. Thorington Street is located in the geographical centre of the Dedham Vale, an historically important and statutory protected area of 35 square miles in the middle of the Dedham Vale National Landscape on the Essex/Suffolk border in the East of England. The Vale has been immortalised in paintings from John Constable and Thomas Gainsborough to Alfred Munnings and Maggie Hambling.
The Dedham Vale Dark Skies campaign’s contribution to the battle against light pollution was recognised by the National Trust when they offered, rent free, the use of a large and beautiful Tudor barn, garden and adjacent field as a DarkSky Discovery Centre. This unique opportunity gave the campaign a home where star gazing and astronomy can be practiced along with innovative teaching and talks, where school children can meet and community events take place. The fact that it is dead centre in an internationally famous landscape makes it doubly important that the night sky is protected.
The grassroots Campaign group consisted of nine local citizens who worked tirelessly for nine years to garner support for DarkSky accreditation by explaining their goal to local parish counsellors, local MPs as well as businesses, schools and community organisations. The two professional astronomers arranged over 100 astronomy events reaching up to 7000 people from Colchester in the West to North Norfolk in the East. They wrote and printed 8000 leaflets explaining the tenets of the DarkSky movement and distributed them to local organisations, churches, restaurants, hotels, pubs and schools.
The Society explored and explained the concept of astrotourism at local hotels and pubs, and engaged with the National Trust by inviting their guests to events, and were instrumental in producing a Lighting Design Guide which is now the go to authority for planners, architects and home owners in the National Landscape and beyond. T
ogether with an internationally known local lighting fixture manufacturer, the Society inspired a specifically dark sky compliant exterior light. This fixture has been included in DarkSky International’s Approved Luminaire Program, Model no. 3341AB, GU10 LED bulb 4.2 watt, 2700kelvin, 470lm.
Quotes:
“I love the darkness on the lane, so rural and un-urban…helps the nocturnal animals too.” Ian Everad, Alby’s Cottage, Thorington Street
“I feel really lucky to live in an area where the DarkSky means I can look up and see the stars and moon. Preserving this precious gift is something we should all aim to do.” Jayne Liu, Old Forge House
“The darkness in Thorington Street is our friend, it allows for wonderful views of the silky night sky. More practically one can see if someone is poking about the area with a torch!” Dan Marcal, Bridge Cottage
“I have…thoroughly enjoyed promoting DarkSkies with our marketing teams and spreading the word across National Trust Holidays.” Karen Gwynne-Vince, Thorington Hall
Future plans include developing an astrotourism template for dark sky viewing in local pubs and hotels; the idea being that guests have dinner, have a tutored evening of star gazing and spend the night. In connection with the National Trust, we intend to produce a welcome pack for their guests, including a simple sky map, instructions on how to use a telescope or binoculars and one of the instructive leaflets on dark sky compliant lighting.
The unique asset is the loan from the National Trust of such a magnificent building for education, astronomy, nature studies, conservation and photography.
As for Thorington Street itself, there are no commercial plans for development, given it is still a rural hamlet, that has much wildlife inhabiting the surrounding farmland with an important nocturnal community of owls, bats, hedgehogs, foxes, badgers, and otters. The efforts of the small residential community have had a wide impact, acting as an exemplar of good practice throughout the Dedham Vale and beyond the National Landscape in adjoining counties. It is hoped that the example of steadfast care and protection against light pollution will teach the importance and beauty of natural darkness.
Founded in 2001, the International Dark Sky Places Program is a non-regulatory program encouraging communities, parks, and protected areas worldwide to preserve and protect dark sites through effective lighting policies, environmentally responsible outdoor lighting, and public education.
When used indiscriminately, artificial light can disrupt ecosystems, impact human health, waste money and energy, contribute to climate change, and block the view and connection to the universe. Thorington Street now joins more than 230 Places that strive to protect the night from light pollution.
Find out more at https://darksky.org/what-we-d-/international-dark-sky-places/.
