Timeline 1433 ~
Newhall Manor sold to Countess of Stafford

2013 (Santon Downham featured in the BFP) (Santon Downham featured in the BFP - Life in the heart of the forest )
2013 (Santon Downham: the 15th best place for the outdoors) (The 'Best for outdoors' list, published in The Sunday Times on 24 March 2013, was part of a series 'Best places to live in Britain'. The article began: "Whether you want white-knuckle adventure or a Sunday stroll, here are the finest country escapes". The Best Place)
2013 ( ) (In memorium daffodils planted.) (The daffodils in the photograph above first flowered in 2013 and were planted around the church wall by the Sayer family in memory of Vera's mother Annie Royal. )
2012 ( ) (Jubilee Tree Planted) (A Cedar of Lebanon Tree was planted on the village green for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. It is located near another tree planted for the Silver Jubilee Jubilee Trees)
2010 ( ) (Lost Country Houses of Suffolk features Downham Hall) (The Lost Country Houses of Suffolk, well-researched and written and copiously illustrated, will help the reader to imagine the county's landscape refurnished with the many elegant mansions which are now sadly lost Lost Country Houses of Suffolk)
2009 () (1st Santon Downham Beer festival) (The first Santon Downham beer & wine festival was held on the 16th and 16th of May. A joint venture between the Brecklands Club and Brandon Rotary it is hoped to become an annual event. 12 Beers from Adnams and the local Brandon brewery were available as well as Aspall Suffolk Cider. The event was time to coincide with the EDP's annual ride for life and many could be seen partaking of a welcome drink having completed the event. Commemorative glasses were on sale as souvenirs of the event. )
2009 () (Santon Downham Car Boots Resume) (After and absence of several years Santon Downham car boot sales resumed on the 3rd of May 2009. The 1st sale was deemed a great success and all proceeds are to go to the village hall. Car boot sales will be held on the 1st Sunday in each month.)
2008 (Santon Downham Village Timeline added to Website)
2007 (Guy Fawkes bonfire cancelled.) (The annual Guy Fawkes celebrations, of Bonfire and Firework display were cancelled in 2007. Increased insurance costs were blamed. It is hoped that displays may again be possible in the future.)
2004 (Old Village Hall Demolished) (to make way for the new one)
1999 (Old water tower demolished)
1999 (22 Villages project) (. Santon Downham takes part in the Forest Heath sponsored 22 Village Project.)
1999 (Removal of sand bank from the 'sandflood' in Hall Lane.) (In preparation for the construction of a new bungalow 100s of tons of sand were removed from the embankment at Hall Drive. This is believed to have been deposited there as part of the great 17th Century Sand Flood.)
1998 (Anglian Water take over responsibility for water supply piped from Brandon.) (After much debate as to who's water tasted better Santon Downham stopped using it's own borehole (provided by the Forrestry Commission) and was connected to mains water. Many villagers still maintain the old water was better.)
1998 (Peddars Way Housing Assoc take over rented Forestry Houses.)
1994 (New Breckland Club Opened)
1982 (Sale of Forestry houses to tenants)
1978 (Village Hall extended to create space for Brecklands Club )
1975 (Felling and replanting of the Lime Avenue)
1975 (Village Green registered as common land)
1969 (Fishing rights retained by villagers)
1967 (New Forestry Commission HQ built) ( in Santon Downham. Read more)
1960 (Building land leased to outsiders)
1954 (Village Hall opened)
1952 (Queen Elizabeth II Coronation)
1950 (Houses built for forestry workers) ( later Scandinavian design houses for foresters.)
1939 ~ 1945 (Army Camp and ammunition depot established at Santon Downham) (WWII)
1925 ~ 1927 () (Downham Hall demolished) (See Downham Hall)
1924 (Estate acquired by Forestry Commission.) (Start made on planting Thetford Forest.)
1918 (Estate sold for ?75,310 to land speculators)
1917 (Colonel Mackenzie gave up his occupancy of Downham Hall to his brother )
1917 ~ 1922 (Downham Hall Timber Railway in operation) (The Downham Hall Timber Railway was operated by theCanadian Army for the Home Grown Timber Board, a part of the Ministry of Supply during the First world war.)
1914 ~ 1918 (WWI Downham Hall used by military)
1877 (Queen's Jubilee) (Douglas Firs planted - Downham Hall now occupied by William's in Santon Downham younger son Colonel Edward Philippe Mackenzie )
1860 ( ) (A Ramble over the Downham Estate published) (George West published a poem describing the Downham Hall Estate. A copy of it can be found here)
1848 (Lord William Powlett granted the right to stop trains) ("Lord William Powlett had been granted the right of stopping trains at Sexton Gate in August 1848 Station)
1836 (Alterations made to Downham Hall) (by the architect Lewis Vulliamy (1791-1871) of London)
1804 (Manors consolidated)
1688 (Sand flood at Downham) (- the account is published. See Sand Flood)
1446 ~ 1447 (Newhall Manor granted to Thomas Heigham of Higham Hall, Gazeley)
1433 (Newhall Manor sold to Countess of Stafford)
1276 (Newhall Manor held by John De Lovetot)
1250 ~ 1251 () (Downham Ixworth Manor granted to Ixworth Priory by Christiana deWalsham)
1249 ~ 1618 () (Estate subdivided into several Manors)
1086 (Little Domesday Book) (entered in as "Lands of St. Edmunds" )
1066 () (Norman invasion) (local changes)
866AD (Vikings invade) (Pagan Burial site, broaches and sword found )
630AD ~ 679AD (St Etheldreda, daughter of King of) (Domesday Book)
440AD (Saxon, dress fitting, broach,pottery, grave stone found)
43AD ~ 425AD (Roman site, scatter finds, pottery)
700BC (Iron Age occupation site, coins, iron hoard)
1,249BC (Mersey Manor acquired by Adam De Mereshaye)
2,700BC (Bronze Age pottery beaker foun)
6,000BC ~ 4,500BC (Neolithic Axe, knife, flints)
7,000BC ~ 5,000BC (Mesolithic flints found)
500,000BC ~ 8,000BC () (Palaeolithic flints found)