Blo' Norton
Encyclopedia
Blo' Norton is a village and civil parish
in the Breckland
district of Norfolk
, England
, on the River Little Ouse
, not far from Diss
. The parish had a population of 270 in approximately 100 households, according to the 2001 census.
Features of Blo' Norton include some attractive fen land and the village church. The unusual name of the village has earned it a reference in the Bill Bryson
book Notes From A Small Island
and a brief mention on the Channel 4 TV show So Graham Norton
. The name reputedly derives from ‘Blae’, old Saxon
/Norse
meaning both ‘cold’ and ‘blue’. The ‘blue’ could refer to the woad
plant that grows in wetter areas and is a source of traditional blue dye. ‘Norton’ is a settlement on the north side of the river.
There is evidence of people living in the area from Saxon times, and perhaps from the Romano-British
period. Aerial photographs show outlines of buildings and tracks that are possibly from the Romano-British period, near to Blo' Norton Hall.
In the summer of 1906 Virginia Woolf
(1882–1941) came to stay at Blo' Norton Hall. This visit inspired her short story, The Journal of Miss Joan Martyn.
(1868–1926) lived at Blo' Norton Hall for the last 20 years of his life and is buried in the churchyard of St Andrew's church. For this reason, Blo' Norton is part of the Anglo-Sikh Heritage trail.
Prince Freddy designed the village war memorial
situated in front of the church.
.
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 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...
district 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...
, England
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...
, on the River Little Ouse
River Little Ouse
The Little Ouse is a river in the east of England, a tributary of the River Great Ouse. For much of its length it defines the boundary between Norfolk and Suffolk....
, not far from Diss
Diss
Diss is a town in Norfolk, England close to the border with the neighbouring East Anglian county of Suffolk.The town lies in the valley of the River Waveney, around a mere that covers . The mere is up to deep, although there is another of mud, making it one of the deepest natural inland lakes...
. The parish had a population of 270 in approximately 100 households, according to the 2001 census.
Features of Blo' Norton include some attractive fen land and the village church. The unusual name of the village has earned it a reference in the Bill Bryson
Bill Bryson
William McGuire "Bill" Bryson, OBE, is a best-selling American author of humorous books on travel, as well as books on the English language and on science. Born an American, he was a resident of Britain for most of his adult life before moving back to the US in 1995...
book Notes From A Small Island
Notes from a Small Island
Notes from a Small Island is a humorous travel book on Great Britain by American author Bill Bryson, first published in 1995.-Overview:Bryson wrote Notes from a Small Island when he decided to move back to his native United States, but wanted to take one final trip around Great Britain, which had...
and a brief mention on the Channel 4 TV show So Graham Norton
So Graham Norton
So Graham Norton is a British television programme, hosted by Irish personality Graham Norton. It ran from 3 July 1998 to 1 March 2002.-Theme:...
. The name reputedly derives from ‘Blae’, old Saxon
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
/Norse
Norse
Norse may refer to:In history:* Norsemen, the Scandinavian people before the Christianization of Scandinavia** Norse mythology** Norse paganism** Norse art** Norse activity in the British IslesIn language:...
meaning both ‘cold’ and ‘blue’. The ‘blue’ could refer to the woad
Woad
Isatis tinctoria, with Woad as the common name, is a flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae. It is commonly called dyer's woad, and sometimes incorrectly listed as Isatis indigotica . It is occasionally known as Asp of Jerusalem...
plant that grows in wetter areas and is a source of traditional blue dye. ‘Norton’ is a settlement on the north side of the river.
There is evidence of people living in the area from Saxon times, and perhaps from the Romano-British
Romano-British
Romano-British culture describes the culture that arose in Britain under the Roman Empire following the Roman conquest of AD 43 and the creation of the province of Britannia. It arose as a fusion of the imported Roman culture with that of the indigenous Britons, a people of Celtic language and...
period. Aerial photographs show outlines of buildings and tracks that are possibly from the Romano-British period, near to Blo' Norton Hall.
Blo' Norton Hall
Blo' Norton Hall is an impressive moated Elizabethan manor, situated at the end of a long avenue of lime trees immediately before Blo' Norton Church.In the summer of 1906 Virginia Woolf
Virginia Woolf
Adeline Virginia Woolf was an English author, essayist, publisher, and writer of short stories, regarded as one of the foremost modernist literary figures of the twentieth century....
(1882–1941) came to stay at Blo' Norton Hall. This visit inspired her short story, The Journal of Miss Joan Martyn.
Prince Frederick Duleep Singh
Prince "Freddy" Frederick Duleep SinghFrederick Duleep Singh
Prince Frederick Victor Duleep Singh MVO, TD, FSA , also known as Prince Freddy, was a younger son of Duleep Singh, the last Maharaja of the Sikh Empire.-Life and education:...
(1868–1926) lived at Blo' Norton Hall for the last 20 years of his life and is buried in the churchyard of St Andrew's church. For this reason, Blo' Norton is part of the Anglo-Sikh Heritage trail.
Prince Freddy designed the village war memorial
War memorial
A war memorial is a building, monument, statue or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or to commemorate those who died or were injured in war.-Historic usage:...
situated in front of the church.
Frogstock festival
The village is also the location of the Frogstock festival, which was established in 1995 as a local music festival in answer to the perceived over-commercialisation of festivals such as GlastonburyGlastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or even Glasto, is a performing arts festival that takes place near Pilton, Somerset, England, best known for its contemporary music, but also for dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts.The...
.