Walsoken is a settlement 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 authorit ...

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 Nor ...

, England, which is conjoined as a suburb at the northeast of the town of

Wisbech Wisbech ( ) is a market town, inland port and civil parish in the Fenland district in Cambridgeshire, England. In 2011 it had a population of 31,573. The town lies in the far north-east of Cambridgeshire, bordering Norfolk and only 5 miles ...

Isle of Ely The Isle of Ely () is a historic region around the city of Ely in Cambridgeshire, England. Between 1889 and 1965, it formed an administrative county. Etymology Its name has been said to mean "island of eels", a reference to the creatures th ...

, Cambridgeshire. The parish of Walsoken in the 2001 census, had a population of 1,484 rising slightly to 1,489 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, subdivision ...

King's Lynn and West Norfolk King's Lynn and West Norfolk is a local government district with borough status in Norfolk, England. Its council is based in the town of King's Lynn. The population of the Local Authority at the 2011 Census was 147,451. History The district w ...

. The council is Walsoken Parish Council.

History

The name Walsoken is thought to originate from the

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 settlers in the mid-5th ...

meaning ''the district under particular jurisdiction by the wall'' which refers to the villages proximity to a

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 lett ...

sea wall or defence.

Roman settlement

Archaeological evidence has found that much of the land of Walsoken of pre-Roman occupation was completely submerged beneath the

Iron Age The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age ( Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age ( Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly ...

silts. As such, very little early prehistoric archaeology has been recorded. It is thought that some dry land existed within the parish in 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 ...

as several artefacts from that time period were uncovered in the 19th century. There has been a lot more archaeological evidence found to attest to Roman occupation in the parish, including a dispersed hoard of 300 to 400 Roman coins, mostly of

Postumus Marcus Cassianius Latinius Postumus was a Roman commander of Batavian origin, who ruled as Emperor of the splinter state of the Roman Empire known to modern historians as the Gallic Empire. The Roman army in Gaul threw off its allegiance to Ga ...

, but including examples minted by

Gallienus Publius Licinius Egnatius Gallienus (; c. 218 – September 268) was Roman emperor with his father Valerian from 253 to 260 and alone from 260 to 268. He ruled during the Crisis of the Third Century that nearly caused the collapse of the empi ...

and

Hostilian Hostilian ( la, Gaius Valens Hostilianus Messius Quintus; died 251) was briefly Roman emperor in 251. Hostilian was born to Decius and Herennia Etruscilla at an unknown date and elevated to Caesar (title), ''caesar'' in 250 by Decius. After De ...

which were found via metal detecting in the 1980s.

Medieval period

Ailwin (or Aethelwine), earl of East Anglia, gave 5 hides at Walsoken to

Ramsey Abbey Ramsey Abbey was a Benedictine abbey in Ramsey, Huntingdonshire (now part of Cambridgeshire), England. It was founded about AD 969 and dissolved in 1539. The site of the abbey in Ramsey is now a Scheduled Ancient Monument. Most of the abbey ...

. The principal manor of Walsoken was Popenhoe and originally belonged to Ramsey Abbey. The settlement's population, land ownership and productive resources were detailed in its 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 Walsoken is recorded by the name 'Walsocam', which was held by the Benedictine Order based at Ramsey Abbey before and after 1066. The survey also records the presence of a

fishery Fishery can mean either the enterprise of raising or harvesting fish and other aquatic life; or more commonly, the site where such enterprise takes place ( a.k.a. fishing ground). Commercial fisheries include wild fisheries and fish farms, ...

. In 1286 Desiderata grand-daughter of Sir Stephen de Maresco, Lord of Newton, Walsoken and Tidd St Giles married Sir Roger de Colvile. There was Guild of the Assumption of our Lady, a Guild of St Thomas the Martyr, a Guild of the Nativity of our Lady, a Guild of St John and a Guild of the Trinity according to the will of Thomas Honiter (1513).

18th century

In 1788 Henry Sell (17), an apprentice farrier, was convicted and executed at THETFORD for the murder, at Walsoken, of Elizabeth Clark, his master's wife. After sentencing he confessed to putting arsenic into the tea-water, also poisoning his master William Clark who survived.

19th century

In 1872 the Walsoken Working Men's Institute was formed and met at the Lecture Hall, New Walsoken.

20th century

In 1940 Mr and Mrs C.R. Miller, of Black Bear Lane, received the King's Bounty of three Guineas for the birth of their triplets.

Amalgamation with Wisbech

The county boundary between Norfolk and the

based on the old course of the Welle Stream through the built-up area, dividing up roads and streets haphazardly. Wisbech and a large part of Walsoken, containing the larger part of the population, were amalgamated in April 1934 – a stone boundary marker stone in Wisbech Park records the event and bears the names - Joseph Smith, Mayor of Wisbech and Thomas Burling, Warden of Walsoken. Six other boundary markers were also put in place. Part of the ecclesiastical parish was transferred to the

from Norfolk. As a result the church remains in Norfolk and the village hall, schools, pubs and most shops are now in the New Walsoken part of Wisbech.

21st century

The Bell P.H. was demolished and redeveloped for housing, leaving only the Three Tuns, Black Bear and Locomotive public houses in operation, although these are now located in Wisbech.

Geography

The village and parish of Walsoken is situated in the west of Norfolk on the border with

Cambridgeshire Cambridgeshire (abbreviated Cambs.) is a county in the East of England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the north-east, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to t ...

– much of the original village now lies in Cambridgeshire but All Saints Church lies in Norfolk. Norfolk_boundary

The village is a suburb of the fenland town of

and its ancient character and historic core have been surrounded by modern housing. The parish is south of

West Walton West Walton is a village and civil parish in the King's Lynn and West Norfolk District of Norfolk, England. The parish of West Walton, in the 2001 Census, had a population of 1,659, increasing to 1,731 at the 2011 Census. History The name Wes ...

, north of Emneth and west of

Marshland St James Marshland St James is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It covers an area of and had a population of 1,137 in 456 households at the 2001 census, increasing to 1,209 at the 2011 Census. For the purposes of local gover ...

. Walsoken is approximately west-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 Episcopal see, See of ...

, west-south-west 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 ...

and north of London. The suburb and parish is east-north-east of the centre of Wisbech. Walsoken is to the east of the

B198 The Benetton B198 is a Formula One racing car with which the Benetton Formula One team competed in the 1998 Formula One season. It was driven by Giancarlo Fisichella, who had moved from Jordan, and Alexander Wurz, who was in his first full seas ...

which was the old A47 renumbered in 1984 with the opening of the Wisbech bypass. The nearest railway station is at

Downham Market Downham Market, sometimes simply referred to as Downham, is a market town and civil parish in Norfolk, England. It lies on the edge of the Fens, on the River Great Ouse, approximately 11 miles south of King's Lynn, 39 miles west of Norwich and 30 ...

for the Fen Line which runs between

and

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...

. 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 Aer ...

Flora and Fauna

Early records include one to "Sleeply Nightshade" by

John Gerard John Gerard (also John Gerarde, c. 1545–1612) was an English herbalist with a large garden in Holborn, now part of London. His 1,484-page illustrated ''Herball, or Generall Historie of Plantes'', first published in 1597, became a popular gar ...

(c.1545–1612), English herbalist, who wrote: "It groweth very plentifully in Holland, Lincolnshire and in the Isle of Ely at a place called Walsoken neere unto Wisbitch. "This kinde of nightshade causeth sleep, trouble the mind and bringeth madness if a few of the berries be inwardly taken, but if more be given they also kill and bring present death.

Landmarks

All Saints Parish Church

All Saints' Church in Walsoken is a Grade I

listed building 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 I ...

and consists of a nave with south and north aisles, chancel with south and north chapels, south porch The nave and chancel are both late Norman and date from c.1146.Norfolk 2: Norfolk: North-west and South, By

Nikolaus Pevsner Sir Nikolaus Bernhard Leon Pevsner (30 January 1902 – 18 August 1983) was a German-British art historian and architectural historian best known for his monumental 46-volume series of county-by-county guides, '' The Buildings of England'' ...

and Bill Wilson, Walsoken entry. 0-300-09657-7 Above the chancel arch is a 15th-century carving of King David with harp. This church is crowned by a prominent west tower with four

turret Turret may refer to: * Turret (architecture), a small tower that projects above the wall of a building * Gun turret, a mechanism of a projectile-firing weapon * Objective turret, an indexable holder of multiple lenses in an optical microscope * M ...

s and a

spire A spire is a tall, slender, pointed structure on top of a roof of a building or tower, especially at the summit of church steeples. A spire may have a square, circular, or polygonal plan, with a roughly conical or pyramidal shape. Spires a ...

which dates from the

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

period.The King's England series, NORFOLK, by Arthur Mee, Pub: Hodder and Stoughton, 1972, page 323/324, Walsoken, To the base of the tower is the rounded Norman west doorway. The interior of the church has massive Norman

arcade Arcade most often refers to: * Arcade game, a coin-operated game machine ** Arcade cabinet, housing which holds an arcade game's hardware ** Arcade system board, a standardized printed circuit board * Amusement arcade, a place with arcade games * ...

s which are rich with zigzag moulding decoration. An arch in the

chancel In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar, including the choir and the sanctuary (sometimes called the presbytery), at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building. It may terminate in an apse. ...

is supported on carved banded shafts. On one side is the 15th-century doorway to the old

rood A rood or rood cross, sometimes known as a triumphal cross, is a cross or crucifix, especially the large crucifix set above the entrance to the chancel of a medieval church. Alternatively, it is a large sculpture or painting of the crucifixion ...

loft. The

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-typ ...

roof has painted angels and other figures in delicately canopied niches. There are 15th-century screens in both aisles, one with most intricate tracery, stalls with carved heads, battered figures on old benches, and over the tower arch two paintings of the judgement of

Solomon Solomon (; , ),, ; ar, سُلَيْمَان, ', , ; el, Σολομών, ; la, Salomon also called Jedidiah (Hebrew language, Hebrew: , Modern Hebrew, Modern: , Tiberian Hebrew, Tiberian: ''Yăḏīḏăyāh'', "beloved of Yahweh, Yah"), ...

with a statue of a king enthroned between them. The Seven Sacrament font is 400 years plus old. This pre-Reformation font is decorated with sculptures of the

crucifixion Crucifixion is a method of capital punishment in which the victim is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross or beam and left to hang until eventual death from exhaustion and asphyxiation. It was used as a punishment by the Persians, Carthagi ...

and seven

sacrament A sacrament is a Christian rite that is recognized as being particularly important and significant. There are various views on the existence and meaning of such rites. Many Christians consider the sacraments to be a visible symbol of the rea ...

s (these are; Baptism, Confession, Confirmation, Last Rites, Mass, Matrimony and Ordination), eight saints under rich canopies (these are; Catherine, Paul, John, Magdala, Steven, Margaret, Peter and Dorothea), and round the base this inscription to those friends of the church who gave it: "Remember the souls of S. Honyter and Margaret his wife, and John Benforth, Chaplain 1544". A portrait of Charles I on a panel found under the lead of the roof of the church in 1858 was donated to Wisbech & Fenland Museum in 1871. One child baptised at this font grew up to be

archbishop of Canterbury The archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and a principal leader of the Church of England, the ceremonial head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. The current archbishop is Just ...

. He was the Rector's boy,

Thomas Herring Thomas Herring (169323 March 1757) was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1747 to 1757. Early life and education He was the son of John Herring, rector of Walsoken in Norfolk, who had previously been vicar of Foxton, near Cambridge, and his wife, ...

, who became archbishop in 1747, and a little while before he died put a tablet in the chancel here "in grateful memory of his excellent parents". He was a man of immense enthusiasm and full of generosity. There are several later window insertions throughout. The church's bell tower has six bells made by Thomas Osborn in Downham Market in 1795. Originally the bells were hung in a frame adjacent to the louvres in the tower. The bells were restored and re-hung in 1901 by the children of Richard Young, M.P. for Cambridgeshire, and further work was undertaken in 1956 when the bells were re-hung in a lower position in the tower in an eight bell metal frame. This was to allow for the future provision of two additional bells, which has not to date been achieved.

Church gallery

File:All Saints Walsoken 20080721-03.jpg, The arch

supported on carved banded shafts File:All Saints Walsoken 20080721-18.jpg, The 400-year-old Seven Sacrament font File:All Saints Walsoken 20080721-13.jpg, The

roof with painted angels and other figures

War Memorial

The

War Memorial A war memorial is a building, monument, statue, or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or (predominating in modern times) to commemorate those who died or were injured in a war. Symbolism Historical usage It has ...

for the two World Wars is located in the grounds of All Saints church.

Walsoken Cemetery

Within the parish and Norfolk boundary and abutting the church yard is

Fenland District Council Fenland may mean: * Fenland, or the Fens, an area of low-lying land in eastern England ** Fenland District, a local authority district in Isle of Ely, Cambridgeshire, England, forming part of the Fens ** Fenland Airfield, an airfield near Spalding, ...

's Walsoken cemetery.

Notable people

Names are in birth order. Data are from the subject's Wikipedia article except where referenced. *

M.A., (1693-1757)

Archbishop of Canterbury The archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and a principal leader of the Church of England, the ceremonial head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. The current archbishop is Just ...

from 1747-1757. Born in Walsoken and died 23 March 1757. Attended Wisbech Grammar School * Sheriff

Richard Young (MP) Alderman Richard Young, , (1809 – 15 October 1871) was a British merchant, shipowner and Liberal politician. Early years He was born on 22 March 1809 the second son of Mary (née Spickings) and John (died 1851), of Scarning, Norfolk. Hi ...

, DL JP, (1809–15 October 1871) was a British Liberal politician, merchant and shipowner. * Christopher Green, (1820-1874) was a famous steeple chase jockey and trainer. Twice winner of the

Grand National The Grand National is a National Hunt horse race held annually at Aintree Racecourse in Liverpool, England. First run in 1839, it is a handicap st ...

. * Robert Goodale, (1840-1885) was executed in

Norwich Castle Norwich Castle is a medieval royal fortification in the city of Norwich, in the English county of Norfolk. William the Conqueror (1066–1087) ordered its construction in the aftermath of the Norman conquest of England. The castle was used as a ...

in December 1885 for the murder of his wife Bathsheba, on 15 September 1885. To the horror of all present, the hanging resulted in the decapitation of the condemned prisoner.

The barque Walsoken

This boat owned by local shipowner Richard Young was named Walsoken.

Sport

A short lived

greyhound racing Greyhound racing is an organized, competitive sport in which greyhounds are raced around a track. There are two forms of greyhound racing, track racing (normally around an oval track) and coursing; the latter is now banned in most countries. Tr ...

track called the Wheatley Bank Sports Stadium existed between 1939 and 1948. The racing was independent (not affiliated to the sports governing body the

National Greyhound Racing Club The National Greyhound Racing Club was an organisation that governed Greyhound racing in the United Kingdom. History The National Greyhound Racing Club (NGRC) was formed in 1928 and this body would be responsible for regulation, licensing and the ...

) and was known as a flapping track, which was the nickname given to independent tracks. The track on Lynn Road could only accommodate 500 spectators and is reported to have reopened on 10 July 1948 meaning it had closed at some stage after 1939. Races were over 350 yards and meetings were held three times per week - on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. It was also used for Speedway. Walsoken Pride was a champion chestnut mare owned and shown by Robert Baxter. The horse dropped dead at a horse show in Wisbech in 1922. The body was buried upright in what is now part of Baxter Close.

References

External links

* {{authority control Villages in Norfolk King's Lynn and West Norfolk Civil parishes in Norfolk Wisbech