Ashill, Norfolk
Encyclopedia
Ashill is a village
and civil parish
in the English
county
of Norfolk
. The village is between Watton
and Swaffham
.
had a population of 1,426 in 634 households. For the purposes of local government, the parish falls within the district
of Breckland
.
The parish church of St Nicholas dates from the 14th century and stands close to the group of houses that form the oldest part of the village. The village centres around the green and a duck pond. Drovers travelling to Swaffham
market would stay overnight on the green, using a shed as accommodation, whilst their cattle grazed on the green and drank from the pond.
The National Society for Promoting Religious Education
built an adjoining classroom and school house in 1876 and the school name was changed to Ashill National School. The school house was taken over by Norfolk Education committee in 1957, however, this was subsequently sold on again in 1979. It is now the headquarters for the local St John Ambulance division.
The present school building, housing Ashill Voluntary Controlled Primary School, was opened by the Bishop of Lynn, The Right Reverend David Bentley, in 1989 and caters for 119 pupils.
The Village Aid's Call-in centre was converted from the village coal store next to the pond and operates as a drop-in centre for the local community.
Ashill has facilities that cater for a wide age-range from a Toddlers club, the bowls club(indoor and outdoor) at the Old Hall Leisure Centre, (which also has a fully licenced function suite and two bars) up to The Lodge Care Home for the elderly. Sadly, the White Hart public house which used to offer live music, quiz nights and traditional home-cooked food, has now closed.
The parish church of St Nicholas originates from the 14th century but also features many aspects from more recent times. The north windows hold some 15th-century mediaeval glass, the chancel features 19th-century glass by Lavers, Barraud and Westlake
, whilst the roof is of 17th-century origin. The current incumbent is the Rev Jane Atkins.
There is also a charismatic congregation, which split from the parish church in the 1990s. The Fountain of Life church is unusually still on good terms with the local parish church and is still a member of the Church of England. During the divide the church received a great deal of publicity on a national scale due to the rarity of a charismatic revival in a rural Anglican congregation. It was a mechanics garage before it became the home of Fountain of Life.
Methodist
Ashill Methodist Church is a 92-year-old brickwork building situated in Hale Road. The chapel has now closed and is being converted to a residential building.
, West Bromwich Albion
, Charlton Athletic
and once Premiership player Andy Hunt
. He was most notable for his spell with Charlton in the Premiership.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
and civil parish
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
in the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
county
County
A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...
of Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
. The village is between Watton
Watton, Norfolk
Watton is a market town in the district of Breckland within the English county of Norfolk. It is situated on the crossroads of the A1075 Dereham-Thetford road and the B1108 Brandon-Norwich Road, about west of Norwich....
and Swaffham
Swaffham
Swaffham is a market town and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The town is situated east of King's Lynn and west of Norwich.The civil parish has an area of and in the 2001 census had a population of 6,935 in 3,130 households...
.
Parish
The civil parish has an area of 12.26 square kilometres and in the 2001 censusUnited Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
had a population of 1,426 in 634 households. For the purposes of local government, the parish falls within the district
Non-metropolitan district
Non-metropolitan districts, or colloquially shire districts, are a type of local government district in England. As created, they are sub-divisions of non-metropolitan counties in a so-called "two-tier" arrangement...
of Breckland
Breckland (district)
Breckland District is a local government district in Norfolk, England. Its council is based in East Dereham.Breckland District derives its name from the Breckland landscape region, a gorse covered sandy heath of south Norfolk and north Suffolk...
.
History
Ashill was originally called Asleigh, which meant a clearing in the Ash wood.The parish church of St Nicholas dates from the 14th century and stands close to the group of houses that form the oldest part of the village. The village centres around the green and a duck pond. Drovers travelling to Swaffham
Swaffham
Swaffham is a market town and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The town is situated east of King's Lynn and west of Norwich.The civil parish has an area of and in the 2001 census had a population of 6,935 in 3,130 households...
market would stay overnight on the green, using a shed as accommodation, whilst their cattle grazed on the green and drank from the pond.
School
The original school was built using funds from Rev. Bartholomew Edwards and opened in 1848. Bartholomew was the longest-serving incumbent of a single parish, totalling 76 years in Ashill, from 1813 to 1889.The National Society for Promoting Religious Education
National Society for Promoting Religious Education
The National Society for Promoting Religious Education, often just referred to as the National Society, is a Church of England body in England and Wales for the promotion of church schools and Christian education....
built an adjoining classroom and school house in 1876 and the school name was changed to Ashill National School. The school house was taken over by Norfolk Education committee in 1957, however, this was subsequently sold on again in 1979. It is now the headquarters for the local St John Ambulance division.
The present school building, housing Ashill Voluntary Controlled Primary School, was opened by the Bishop of Lynn, The Right Reverend David Bentley, in 1989 and caters for 119 pupils.
Shops
Although the local Post Office is now closed, there is a new general store in the village providing general groceries and convenience items. Opening from early morning to late in the evening, this is the only shop actively trading.Amenities
The Community Centre complex was completed in the 1970s and provides Ashill with a main event hall, with a large grassed playing field for sporting activities.The Village Aid's Call-in centre was converted from the village coal store next to the pond and operates as a drop-in centre for the local community.
Ashill has facilities that cater for a wide age-range from a Toddlers club, the bowls club(indoor and outdoor) at the Old Hall Leisure Centre, (which also has a fully licenced function suite and two bars) up to The Lodge Care Home for the elderly. Sadly, the White Hart public house which used to offer live music, quiz nights and traditional home-cooked food, has now closed.
Newsletter
The village has its own free monthly newsletter, Ashlink, which contains local notices and announcements, detail on local events, clubs and societies and submissions from local residents. The publication is produced by Ashill residents, and offers a detailed insight into the village and offers warm welcomes to new residents in the village, as well as periodically fanning the local 'duck wars'. It also features a crossword with a £100 prize.Churches
AnglicanThe parish church of St Nicholas originates from the 14th century but also features many aspects from more recent times. The north windows hold some 15th-century mediaeval glass, the chancel features 19th-century glass by Lavers, Barraud and Westlake
Lavers, Barraud and Westlake
Lavers, Barraud and Westlake were an English firm that produced stained glass windows from 1855 until 1921. They were part of the Gothic Revival movement that affected English church architecture in the 19th century.-History:...
, whilst the roof is of 17th-century origin. The current incumbent is the Rev Jane Atkins.
There is also a charismatic congregation, which split from the parish church in the 1990s. The Fountain of Life church is unusually still on good terms with the local parish church and is still a member of the Church of England. During the divide the church received a great deal of publicity on a national scale due to the rarity of a charismatic revival in a rural Anglican congregation. It was a mechanics garage before it became the home of Fountain of Life.
Methodist
Ashill Methodist Church is a 92-year-old brickwork building situated in Hale Road. The chapel has now closed and is being converted to a residential building.
Notable people
A notable person to have hailed from Ashill is the former Newcastle UnitedNewcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
, West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
, Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
and once Premiership player Andy Hunt
Andy Hunt (footballer)
Andrew "Andy" Hunt is a former English footballer.-Career:Hunt started his career in non-league football, whilst training in business and tourism management, with King's Lynn and Kettering Town before being signed by then manager Jim Smith for Newcastle United in early 1991...
. He was most notable for his spell with Charlton in the Premiership.
External links
.- Information from Genuki Norfolk on Ashill.
- Ashill village pages.
- 1883 Kelly's Directory entry for Ashill, 1883, p.229