Bodham is a

civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authority ...

in the

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

county of

Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...

. The village is 27.2 miles north north west of

Norwich Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. Norwich is by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. As the seat of the See of Norwich, with ...

, 6.4 miles west of

Cromer Cromer ( ) is a coastal town and civil parish on the north coast of the English county of Norfolk. It is north of Norwich, north-northeast of London and east of Sheringham on the North Sea coastline. The local government authorities are Nor ...

and 131 miles north north east of

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

. The village lies 3.1 miles south west of the nearest town of

Sheringham Sheringham (; population 7,367) is an English seaside town within the county of Norfolk, United Kingdom.Ordnance Survey (2002). ''OS Explorer Map 252 - Norfolk Coast East''. . The motto of the town, granted in 1953 to the Sheringham Urban Distr ...

.The nearest railway station is at

for the

Bittern Line The Bittern Line is a railway branch line in Norfolk, England, that links to . It passes through the Broads on its route to an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty on the north Norfolk coast. It is named after the bittern, a rare bird found in t ...

which runs between

and Norwich. The nearest airport is

Norwich International Airport Norwich Airport is an international airport in Hellesdon, Norfolk, England, north of Norwich. In 2017, Norwich Airport was the 28th busiest airport in the UK and busiest in the East Anglia region. Norwich Airport has a CAA Public Use Aero ...

. The village is situated on the A148 coast road which links the town of

King’s Lynn King's Lynn, known until 1537 as Bishop's Lynn and colloquially as Lynn, is a port and market town in the borough of King's Lynn and West Norfolk in the county of Norfolk, England. It is located north of London, north-east of Peterborough, nor ...

. The civil parish had in 2001 census, a population of 435, increasing to 484 at the 2011 Census. For the purposes of local government, the parish falls within the

district A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...

North Norfolk North Norfolk is a local government district in Norfolk, England. Its council is based in Cromer. The population at the 2011 Census was 101,149. History The district was formed on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972. It was a ...

History

Bodham has an entry in the

Domesday Book Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...

of 1085. In the great book Bodham is recorded by the names ''Bod(en)ham'', and ''Botham''. The main landholders Hugh de Montfort and Walter Giffard. The main tenant was said to be Ralph. The villages name means either 'Boda's homestead/village' or 'Boda's hemmed-in land'.

Village sign

The village sign shows a representation of a medieval tax collector going about his employment. The tax collector's name was Boda and is mentioned in the

, which confirms his existence and the fact that he lived there. Bodham means "Boda's Village".

Village amenities

Bodham & Beckham Village Hall

Bodham and Beckham Village Hall is a modern hall less than twenty years old. It is regularly used by Bodham Bingo Club, yoga classes, church events. Regular quiz night fundraisers are held four times a year, in February, May, September and December. The hall is heated by electric heaters. Grants from Norfolk Community Foundation have been obtained to put in equipment for film showing and regular monthly shows are held on Friday during the winter. A loop system has also been installed to help the hearing impaired.

Bodham Playing Field

Bodham Playing Field which is situated on Cromer Road has a full-size football pitch and a 'juniors' pitch. The Playing Field Committee has had the pavilion refurbished with the help of grants from Bodham Bingo Club, Awards for All Lottery Fund and North Norfolk District Council's Active Communities Fund. There are two changing rooms, showers, toilets and a fully fitted kitchen, all inside the pavilion. Attached is a referees room. An additional facility is a disabled toilet accessible with the use of a RADAR Key. The Playing Field Committee have now taken over responsibility for the floodlights. The Bodham Football Club is made up of players from outside the village. Many fund raising events are held throughout the year to support the playing Field. Grants have been obtained to purchase exercise equipment. This was made possible by grants from Norfolk Community Foundation, Awards for All, Bodham Bingo Club, Sports Relief, Active Norfolk, Bodham Big Weekend and Bodham Horticultural Show.

War Memorial

Bodham's War Memorial takes the form of two plaques attached to the outside of All Saints' Churchtower. It lists the following names for the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

: * Sergeant William E. Dix (d.1916), 9th Battalion,

Royal Norfolk Regiment The Royal Norfolk Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army until 1959. Its predecessor regiment was raised in 1685 as Henry Cornwall's Regiment of Foot. In 1751, it was numbered like most other British Army regiments and named ...

* Private George C. Tuck (d.1916), 1st Battalion, Royal Norfolk Regiment * Private George Nichols (d.1916), 9th Battalion, Royal Norfolk Regiment * Private Walter Balls (1889-1917), 9th Battalion, Royal Norfolk Regiment * Private William Gant (1894-1917), 9th Battalion, Royal Norfolk Regiment * Private William Emery (d.1918), 9th Battalion,

Royal Sussex Regiment The Royal Sussex Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army that was in existence from 1881 to 1966. The regiment was formed in 1881 as part of the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 35th (Royal Sussex) Regiment of Foot ...

And, the following for the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

: * Lance-Corporal Francis W. Digby (1921-1942), 5th Battalion, Royal Norfolk Regiment Smith, L. (2004). Retrieved November 06, 2022. http://www.roll-of-honour.com/Norfolk/Bodham.html

References

http://kepn.nottingham.ac.uk/map/place/Norfolk/Bodham

External links

{{authority control North Norfolk Villages in Norfolk Civil parishes in Norfolk