Horning is an ancient village and

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or m ...

in the

English county The counties of England are areas used for different purposes, which include administrative, geographical, cultural and political demarcation. The term "county" is defined in several ways and can apply to similar or the same areas used by each ...

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 ...

. It covers an area of 11 km² and had a population of 1,033 in the 2001 census. Horning parish lies on the northern bank of the

River Bure The River Bure is a river in the county of Norfolk, England, most of it in the Broads.Ordnance Survey (2005). ''OS Explorer Map OL40 - The Broads''. . The Bure rises near Melton Constable, upstream of Aylsham, which was the original head of ...

south of the

River Thurne The River Thurne is a river in Norfolk, England in The Broads. Just long, it rises from the coast near Martham Broad and is navigable from West Somerton. It flows southwest and is linked by Candle Dyke and Heigham Sound to both Horsey Mere ...

and is located in

The Broads The Broads (known for marketing purposes as The Broads National Park) is a network of mostly navigable rivers and lakes in the English counties of Norfolk and Suffolk. Although the terms "Norfolk Broads" and "Suffolk Broads" are correctly use ...

National Park A national park is a nature park, natural park in use for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state dec ...

. For the purposes of local government, it 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 ...

, although areas alongside the rivers and broads fall into the executive area of the

Broads Authority The Broads Authority is the agency which has statutory responsibility for the Broads in England. Originally, the Nature Conservancy Council (now Natural England), pressed for a special authority to manage the Broads which had been neglected for ...

History

The name Horning means the "folk who live on the high ground between the rivers". Its history dates back to 1020 when the manor was given by

King Canute Cnut (; ang, Cnut cyning; non, Knútr inn ríki ; or , no, Knut den mektige, sv, Knut den Store. died 12 November 1035), also known as Cnut the Great and Canute, was King of England from 1016, King of Denmark from 1018, and King of Norw ...

to the newly founded Abbey of St. Benet at Hulme. The

Bishop of Norwich The Bishop of Norwich is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Norwich in the Province of Canterbury. The diocese covers most of the county of Norfolk and part of Suffolk. The bishop of Norwich is Graham Usher. The see is in the ...

, as Abbot of St. Benets, is still Lord of the Manor. Horning Parish extends along the south bank of the

Thurne Thurne is a small village and civil parish in the English county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh ...

Mouth and includes the ruins of St Benet's Abbey & St. James Hospital. St. Benet's Abbey is a

Grade I In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

listed building, and dates back to the 9th Century. The importance of the Abbey as a medieval place of pilgrimage is reflected in the medieval finds of two papal seals, that would have secured documents from the Pope. The Church of St. Benedict lies half a mile east of the village and dates back to the 13th Century. Horning is situated on the River Bure (pronounced locally "Burr") between

Wroxham Wroxham is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The civil parish of Wroxham has an area of 6.21 square kilometres, and in 2001, had a population of 1,532 in 666 households. A reduced population of 1,502 in 653 households ...

and

Ludham Ludham is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk, in the Norfolk Broads, at the end of a dyke leading to Womack Water and flowing into the River Thurne. It lies to the East of Ludham Bridge, which is on the River Ant. It cov ...

. A ferry plied across the river for more than 1,000 years. Horning 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 ...

, noted under the name 'Horningam'. In 1086, Horning had 18 villagers, 11 'smallholders', 4 cattle, 10 pigs, 360 sheep and the taxable value was £4. Archaeologists have found ancient earthworks in Horning, which run alongside the River Bure, possibly dating to the early Saxon period. The earliest ancient monument is a Bronze Age ring ditch and possible burial pit. Neolithic and Bronze Age artefacts have also been found.

Leisure and attractions

The village of Horning is a very popular tourist destination within the Norfolk Broads, having attractions both around the village and surrounding areas. The village lies on the north bank of the River Bure, and has many waterside properties, pubs, shops, restaurants, tea-rooms, boat-trips as well as other features to enjoy. Horning is picturesque, and described as the prettiest village on the broads. The sights to see are: the River Bure from the landing stages, Lower Street, St. Benedicts Church and many properties with thatched roofs. Following Lower Street to the east, leads to the school, marina, leisure centre, church and the old riverbank. North of Horning are the broads of Barton, Alderfen and Burntfen, and village of Neatishead. West is the popular area of Hoveton & Wroxham. East lies the quaint village of Ludham. To the south, across the river via the ferry, are Bure Marshes and village of

Woodbastwick Woodbastwick is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It is located on the River Bure between Cockshoot Broad and Salhouse Broad, within The Broads and close to Bure Marshes NNR ( national nature reserve). The city of Norw ...

. The Ferry Inn to the east of the village was largely destroyed in a

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 ...

bombing raid by the German

Luftwaffe The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German ''Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabtei ...

on 26 April 1941, during which 15 bombs are believed to have been dropped on Horning and the surrounding area by a single aircraft. Most landed in the local marshes but one hit the ferry and one hit the Inn, where 21 of the 24 people in the pub at the time were killed. The Ferry Inn was open for business with a makeshift bar only three weeks later. River Bure Horning at night

Horning is home to "Southern Comfort" the Mississippi Cruise boat, which leaves from the staithe adjacent to The Swan Inn. The village is popular for sail & motor boating, and Horning Sailing Club hosts regular annual events. Several boatyards specialise in boat sales, boat hire, boat building and repairs. There are two marinas which offer private mooring facilities. The River Bure is navigable from the North Sea at

Great Yarmouth Great Yarmouth (), often called Yarmouth, is a seaside town and unparished area in, and the main administrative centre of, the Borough of Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, England; it straddles the River Yare and is located east of Norwich. A pop ...

all the way to Horning. The village centre is quite small, consisting of just a single street, a village green, The Swan Inn pub (built early 19th century but dates back to 1696), a few shops and restaurants and a riverbank adjacent to the River Bure. The main Village Hall, playing fields and children's play area are located behind Lower Street on the upper side of the village. Outside the village centre is the popular Bewilderwood theme park, which was voted best large attraction in the East of England (2009), as well as having many other UK and International awards. Broadland Cycle Hire is located within Bewilderwood, from which there are many good cycle routes through rural areas to villages and broads. Other local attractions nearby include Barton Broad boardwalk, Neatishead village,

village, shopping in Hoveton & Wroxham. A short distance away are many beautiful beaches such as

Waxham Waxham is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Sea Palling, in the North Norfolk district, in the county of Norfolk, England. It lies on the north-east coast of the county. Buildings in the village include Waxham Hall, the 14t ...

Sea Palling Sea Palling is a village and civil parish covering in the English county of Norfolk. The village is south-east of Cromer, north-east of Norwich and north-east of London. The village lies east of the A149 road, A149 between Kings Lynn and G ...

and

Winterton-on-Sea Winterton-on-Sea is a village and civil parish on the North Sea coast of the English county of Norfolk. It is north of Great Yarmouth and east of Norwich.Ordnance Survey (2002). ''OS Explorer Map 252 - Norfolk Coast East''. . The civil parish ...

, as well as the more popular holiday destinations of

and

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 ...

. The North Norfolk Coast is approximately 1hr away, which is a designated

Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB; , AHNE) is an area of countryside in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, that has been designated for conservation due to its significant landscape value. Areas are designated in recognition of ...

Transport

Horning lies just off the A1062 road, which is a designated "Rural Route". This Rural Route starts at

Hoveton Hoveton is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It is located within the Norfolk Broads, and immediately across the River Bure from the village of Wroxham. Whilst Hoveton is north of the river, Wroxham is south; but man ...

, passes through Horning, Ludham and ends in

Potter Heigham Potter Heigham is a village and civil parish on the River Thurne in the English county of Norfolk. It is situated north-east of the city of Norwich on the A149 road, and within the Broads. The village is known for its mediaeval bridge and the ...

Car

The city 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 ...

is a 25 minute drive from Horning. Sprowston Park & Ride is 12 minutes away.

Train

The nearest railway station is Hoveton & Wroxham, located on the Bittern Line between

and

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 ...

Air

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 ...

has scheduled flights to places such as

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...

and

Exeter Exeter () is a city in Devon, South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol. In Roman Britain, Exeter was established as the base of Legio II Augusta under the personal comm ...

. The airport is a 26min drive away.

Bus

Horning is served by the 5B bus, operated by

Konectbus Konectbus is a bus operator based in Dereham in Norfolk, England. It is a subsidiary of the Go-Ahead Group and forms part of Go East Anglia. History Konectbus was formed in 1999 when the Saham Toney depot of Norfolk Green was purchased from wi ...

Bicycle

There is a cycle path between Horning and Hoveton, which takes about 15 mins to cycle. The Norfolk Broads Cycle Centre can be found nearby at Bewilderwood.

Passenger ferry

There has been a ferry service connecting Horning and Woodbastwick for generations. The ferry connects The Ferry Inn with Woodbastwick Staithe, for access to Bure Marshes, Ranworth, Cockshoot Broad, Woodbastwick brewery and The Fur & Feather Inn. The Horning Foot Ferry transports passengers, cycles and dogs, currently on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, 10.30am - 7.30pm.

Events

* Horning Boat Show (30 April 2022) * Three Rivers Race (28 & 29 May 2022) - sailing event, over 24hrs * Village Fete (July) * Boat Regatta (early August) * School Summer Fair (July)

Shops

* Post Office * Newsagents & General Store * The Galley - cafe, delicatessen and giftware * JHD Interiors - curtains, blinds, upholstery * Courtyard Cafe * Fli-Hi - flight simulation experience * Gift Shops

Pubs

* The Swan Inn * The Ferry Inn * The New Inn

Restaurants

* Bure River Cottage (5-star seafood restaurant) * Staithe & Willow

Eateries

* The Galley Cafe * The Clubhouse Cafe - Ferry Marina * Courtyard Cafe * Country Treats Coffee Shop * Golden City Chinese Takeaway

Places to stay

Norfolk River Cottages

The Moorhen Bed and Breakfast

Recreational

* Horning Sailing Club * GoPaddle - stand-up paddleboard adventures on the Norfolk Broads * Mississippi River Boat * Canoe Hire * Crown Green Bowling * Children's Playground * Playing field * St. Benets Hall (for regular art exhibitions) * Boat Hire - picnic boats, dinghies & cruisers

Services and facilities

* Public Toilets * Car and Coach Park * Public Moorings * Pub Moorings * Electric Hook-up * Refuse disposal * Marina services * Bottle, Paper & clothing recycling banks * Water - standpipe at Swan green * Slipways - public slipway adjacent to The Swan Inn, 3 private slipways at Horning Sailing Club

Nearby

* Bewilderwood * St Benet's Abbey *

RAF Neatishead Remote Radar Head Neatishead ( ) or RRH Neatishead is an air defence radar station operated by the Royal Air Force. It is located approximately north east of Norwich in Norfolk, England. It was established during the Second World War and consi ...

* RAF Air Defence Radar Museum * Hoveton village * Ludham village * Wroxham village * Fairhaven Woodland and Water Garden *

Roys of Wroxham Roys of Wroxham is a family owned group of general stores based in Hoveton, Norfolk. The store after winning a competition in the early 1930s uses the motto "''The World's Largest Village Store''" in all its advertising and literature. History ...

* Wroxham Barns * Woodforde's Brewery

Media

Arthur Ransome's books ''

Coot Club ''Coot Club'' is the fifth book of Arthur Ransome's Swallows and Amazons series of children's books, published in 1934. The book sees Dick and Dorothea Callum visiting the Norfolk Broads during the Easter holidays, eager to learn to sail and ...

'' and ''

The Big Six ''The Big Six'' is the ninth book of Arthur Ransome's Swallows and Amazons series of children's books, published in 1940. The book returns Dick and Dorothea Callum, known as the Ds, to the Norfolk Broads where they renew their friendship with ...

'' were written based on his time spent in Horning. Several scenes in the books take place in the village. The books were made into a 1984 BBC television series ''

Swallows and Amazons Forever! ''Swallows and Amazons Forever!'' is a 1984 BBC children's television series based on two children's novels from the ''Swallows and Amazons series'' by Arthur Ransome: ''Coot Club'' (1934) (four episodes), and ''The Big Six'' (1940) (four episode ...

''. In 2016, ''

Swallows and Amazons ''Swallows and Amazons'' is a children's adventure novel by English author Arthur Ransome and first published on 21 July 1930 by Jonathan Cape. Set in the summer of 1929 in the Lake District, the book introduces the main characters of John, ...

'' was released as a major film production. The 2015 film "

45 Years ''45 Years'' is a 2015 British Romance film, romantic drama film directed and written by Andrew Haigh. The film is based on the short story "In Another Country" by David Constantine. The film premiered in the main competition section of the 65 ...

" was filmed in Horning village and locally on the River Bure. Veteran radio presenter

Keith Skues Richard Keith Skues MBE, AE (born 4 March 1939) is a British radio personality. His career spans over 60 years. Biography Skues was born in Timperley, Cheshire. His broadcasting career began on the British Forces Network in Cologne, Germany, in 1 ...

lives in the village, with his collection of around 300,000 records. He presented his popular Sunday late night show on BBC Local Radio from his home many times.

Social media

* Instagra
Horning_Village

Education

Horning Community Primary School :- Primary Education for 5-11 year olds :- Pre-school for 2-4 year olds The 2016 Ofsted report rated Horning Community Primary School overall as 'Good' The nearest secondary school to Horning is Broadland High School in Hoveton.Broadland High School
/ref>

Geography

Communications

In addition to the usual terrestrial TV and telephone landline services, the following communication services are available in Horning: * Fibre Broadband (Fibre to the Cabinet FTTC) * Broadband (ADSL) * Digital TV & Radio * Mobile Phone networks * Mobile HSDPA, 3G & 4G (Vodafone currently has best signal)

External links

Horning Sailing ClubThree Rivers RaceHorning Foot Ferry
Passenger ferry providing transport across the river
North Norfolk District CouncilHoveton & Wroxham Medical Centre
A guided tour of Horning
Bure River Cottage Restaurant
High quality fish restaurant, serving fresh local fish
Bure Marshes, Natural Nature Reserve (NNR)BeWILDerwood
The curious treehouse adventure park
Broads by Bike
Good cycle routes in the local Horning area
The Canoe Man
Canoe and Kayak Hire
North Norfolk Coast AONBThe Broads National ParkBroads AuthorityBurnt Fen AlpacasWroxham BarnsNorfolk Wildlife Trust
Alderfen Broad
Norfolk Archaeological Trust
St. Benets Abbey
Historic Maps
Maps of Horning: Aerial photos from 1945 & 1988; Enclosure plan from 1800; Tithe map from 1840; and Ordnance Survey 1st edition
Norfolk Museums Collections

Norfolk Heritage Explorer - Map
Map of Archaeological Areas & Buildings in Horning
Norfolk Heritage Explorer
NHER record for St. Benet's Abbey
History of the Benedictine Monks at St. Benet's Abbey
Mill Loke Postmill photo from 1875

Photos of Horning circa 1870 of the waterfront, maltings, mill, Swan corner
The New Inn pubThe Swan Inn pubThe Ferry Inn pubLiberty Restaurant Wroxham

Roys
The world's largest village store
Photos of Horning on Flickr.comHorning History
Essay on Horning from 1810
Horning Parish Council

References

{{Reflist Norfolk Broads Villages in Norfolk Civil parishes in Norfolk North Norfolk