Villagers celebrated a part of their community’s history as they held their first ever pear fayre.

Research connected with preparations for a new village sign at Parham, near Framlingham, led to the discovery that the community’s name dated back to Anglo-Saxon times and originated from the fruit.

Jackie Foster, a member of the pear fayre organising committee, said she had spoken to the English Place Names Society and found that “par” had meant pear and “hamm”, as it would have been at that time, meant the bend of a river.

She said: “It was undoubtedly a reference to the pears that grew here and it was rather nice to find out and when it came to light it made sense to have a pear fayre, and it had to be this time of year because this is when the fruit ripens.”

The afternoon – set to become an annual event – included stalls selling pear products, a pear-themed treasure hunt, raffle and a tombola of “pears and pairs”.

There was also the chance for people to bring along their own pears and apples and to use a fruit press to make their own juice.

The afternoon raised money for the running of the village hall, and there were also donations for the new sign.