Whelnetham is a civil parish in the St Edmundsbury District of Suffolk. Located three miles to the south of Bury St Edmunds the parish comprises three areas. Sicklesmere is the centre of the parish; its houses are arranged around the river lark and A134 Bury to Sudbury Road. To the west is Great Whelnetham, population 820, and to the east the more rural area of Little Whelnetham, population 180. In Sicklesmere there is a busy pub and thriving post office/village store. Great Whelnetham boasts a community centre and playing field, used for regular village events run by the village's community council. Provision for families is excellent; an under fives group meets at the community centre and there is a pre school and primary school in the village, rated as "oustanding" by OFSTED inspectors. There is a regular bus service to town (routes 752 and 753). The area is well served by public footpaths and the parish council also owns and maintains a former railway line in Little Whelnetham that is now a popular country walk for residents and visitors alike.