Hevingham is a village and

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

Broadland Broadland is a local government district in Norfolk, England, named after the Norfolk Broads. The population of the local authority district taken at the 2011 Census was 124,646. Its council is based in Thorpe St Andrew. In 2013, Broadland wa ...

district of the English 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 ...

. Situated between the

A140 road The A140 is an 'A-class' road in Norfolk and Suffolk, East Anglia, England partly following the route of the Roman Pye Road. It runs from the A14 near Needham Market to the A149 south of Cromer. It is of primary status for the entirety o ...

Norwich to

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 ...

road and the

B1149 road The B1149 is the most direct route between the town of Holt and the city of Norwich in the county of Norfolk, England. There is no direct A-road alternative. The road joins the A140 north of Norwich at a traffic island close to Norwich Intern ...

Norwich to

Holt Holt or holte may refer to: Natural world *Holt (den), an otter den * Holt, an area of woodland Places Australia * Holt, Australian Capital Territory * Division of Holt, an electoral district in the Australian House of Representatives in Vic ...

road. It is north from 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 ...

and south from the market town of

Aylsham Aylsham ( or ) is a historic market town and civil parish on the River Bure in north Norfolk, England, nearly north of Norwich. The river rises near Melton Constable, upstream from Aylsham and continues to Great Yarmouth and the North Sea, ...

. Hevingham parish covers a wide area—. The village has grown slightly since the 1891 census (which showed a population of 760) to its level of 1,150 in 452 households as shown in 2001 census. then a population of 1,260 in 485 households at the 2011 Census.

History

The village name has

Old English Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain, Anglo ...

origins and is translated as homestead of the people of Hefa. The village is documented 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 ...

where it is recorded as ''Heuincham'' "where one freeman, a priest, is recorded as holding 40 acres in alms for the King". The village of Rippon or Ripton is noted within Hevingham but this village was deserted during the medieval period. Its exact location is unknown. ‘''William White's History, Gazetteer, and Directory of Norfolk 1845''’ described Hevingham thus: Archaeological evidence shows that the site of the village has been occupied since the

Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...

. But there are much earlier signs of activity, a

Mesolithic The Mesolithic (Greek: μέσος, ''mesos'' 'middle' + λίθος, ''lithos'' 'stone') or Middle Stone Age is the Old World archaeological period between the Upper Paleolithic and the Neolithic. The term Epipaleolithic is often used synonymous ...

flint axe-head being the earliest archaeological find recorded, with several

Neolithic The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several parts ...

flint axe-heads also being recovered. There is evidence of

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...

activity. A Roman iron-working site was found during ploughing and was subsequently excavated. Archaeologists also investigated pottery kilns in the parish in the 1950s. Five kilns were recorded. These produced cooking vessels and other pottery during the 2nd century. The names of two potters who worked at the site – INGENU and ESAMI are recorded on the stamps they used on their pottery. There also extensive finds recorded from throughout the

Saxon The Saxons ( la, Saxones, german: Sachsen, ang, Seaxan, osx, Sahson, nds, Sassen, nl, Saksen) were a group of Germanic * * * * peoples whose name was given in the early Middle Ages to a large country (Old Saxony, la, Saxonia) near the Nor ...

period. With its red brick 16th century manor house, Park Farm is the former site of a

moated A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that is dug and surrounds a castle, fortification, building or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. In some places moats evolved into more extensive ...

bishops' palace. Built in 1250 by

Walter de Suffield Walter Suffield (died 19 May 1257) was a medieval Bishop of Norwich. Life Suffield was a canonist at Paris before his election to the Anglican Diocese of Norwich, see of Norwich about 9 July 1244. He was consecrated on 26 February 1245.

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 ...

and used by subsequent bishops until the ownership of the land was passed to

the Crown The Crown is the state in all its aspects within the jurisprudence of the Commonwealth realms and their subdivisions (such as the Crown Dependencies, overseas territories, provinces, or states). Legally ill-defined, the term has different ...

by Bishop Nix in 1531.

Earthworks Earthworks may refer to: Construction *Earthworks (archaeology), human-made constructions that modify the land contour * Earthworks (engineering), civil engineering works created by moving or processing quantities of soil *Earthworks (military), m ...

of the moat can still be seen and many artefacts have been found on the site by the current landowner. Adjacent Hevingham Park, a medieval wood may have been a deer park connected to the palace. There is also a massive bank and ditch marking the parish boundary. There are records of a post medieval windmill or

Smock mill The smock mill is a type of windmill that consists of a sloping, horizontally weatherboarded, thatched, or shingled tower, usually with six or eight sides. It is topped with a roof or cap that rotates to bring the sails into the wind. This type ...

which stood in the North east part of the village, to the west of the Cromer road and was sold at auction 'to be dismantled' in 1869. Other notable historic buildings include – Pound Farm House, built in 1675 on The Street/Halls Corner, The Free School (Old School House) built by John Hall in 1726 on the Cromer Road, Avenue Farm House – built in 1835 and Hevingham Primary School, built in 1875 with a capacity of 100 students (currently 98 enrolled). The site of a camping ground, or recreation field, where '

Camping Camping is an outdoor activity involving overnight stays away from home, either without shelter or using basic shelter such as a tent, or a recreational vehicle. Typically, participants leave developed areas to spend time outdoors in more nat ...

' a forerunner to modern day Association football was played may be recorded in the modern names of ''Camping Beck'' and ''Camping Bridge''. There is a complete

World War II 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 ...

pillbox Pillbox may refer to: * Pill organizer, a container for medicine * Pillbox hat, a woman's hat with a flat crown, straight upright sides, and no brim * Pillbox (military) A pillbox is a type of blockhouse, or concrete dug-in guard-post, norm ...

located in the south-western corner of Buxton Heath, itself a

site of special scientific interest A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle of ...

The parish church

St Mary the Virgin and St Botolph church was mainly built in 1300 but parts of the church may date back to the

Norman period The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Norman, Breton, Flemish, and French troops, all led by the Duke of Normandy, later styled William the Conque ...

. Situated one mile north of the village centre, the church is dedicated to

Botolph of Thorney Botolph of Thorney (also called Botolph, Botulph or Botulf; later known as Saint Botolph; died around 680) was an English abbot and saint. He is regarded as the patron saint of boundaries, and by extension, of trade and travel, as well as vario ...

; an English 7th century saint of travellers and farmers. The old rectory built in 1788 for the Reverend J. Alderson, is now a care home.

The village sign

A sign of two crossed

birch A birch is a thin-leaved deciduous hardwood tree of the genus ''Betula'' (), in the family Betulaceae, which also includes alders, hazels, and hornbeams. It is closely related to the beech-oak family Fagaceae. The genus ''Betula'' contains 30 ...

brooms which recalls a staple industry of the village in the past. The idea for the sign was conceived by a Mr. Wymer, one of the last of the brushmakers. The background imagery of the sign fits with the description given by Rev. Francis Blomfield when he wrote about the village in 1750, mentioning that "it lay at the confluence of several small streams". The sign is situated at the corner of the

village green A village green is a commons, common open area within a village or other settlement. Historically, a village green was common pasture, grassland with a pond for watering cattle and other stock, often at the edge of a rural settlement, used for ...

on Westgate (Formerly a pond called 'Westgate pit') and the current incarnation was erected in 2009.

The village today

Amenities in the village include two public houses, ''The Fox'' and ''The Marsham Arms''. On 11 July 2010 ''The Marsham Arms'' suffered a serious fire which resulted in its closure. After restoration the pub re-opened in May 2011, There is also a village hall where various events are held and which can be hired privately, the hall was built in 2000 to replace an older building and opened by

Bernard Matthews Bernard Trevor Matthews CVO CBE QSM (24 January 1930 – 25 November 2010) was the founder of Bernard Matthews Farms, a company that is best known for producing turkey meat products. Early life Bernard Trevor Matthews was born in 1930 in Br ...

. The main industries in the village are

forestry Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests, woodlands, and associated resources for human and environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands. Th ...

and

farming Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...

. Sanders Coaches provide regular bus services linking the village to several destinations including

and Norwich. Leisure facilities include fishing lakes ''Cobbleacre'' and ''Hevingham Lakes'' which also has a caravan and camping park.

Notable people

* Frederick Savage, engineer and inventor * Victoria Williamson, elite bobsledder and former track cyclist

Photo gallery

Junction_of_Cromer_Road_(A140)_with_The_Street_-_geograph.org.uk_-_556345.jpg, Cromer Road Junction Halls_Corner_Road_-_geograph.org.uk_-_519155.jpg, Halls Corner Lane Buxton_Heath_Nature_Reserve_-_geograph.org.uk_-_519147.jpg, Buxton Heath Nature Reserve Hevingham_Primary_School_-_geograph.org.uk_-_519157.jpg, Hevingham Primary School Hevingham_Village_Hall_-_geograph.org.uk_-_519165.jpg, Hevingham Village Hall Park_Farm_-_geograph.org.uk_-_496236.jpg, Park Farm House Pound_Farm_-_geograph.org.uk_-_519150.jpg, Pound Farm Fox_public_house,_Hevingham,_Norfolk.jpg, The Fox Public House

Notes

External links

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