Brooke is a village 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 South Norfolk

South Norfolk

South Norfolk is a local government district in Norfolk, England. Its council is based in Long Stratton.-History:The district was formed on April 1, 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, as a merger of Diss Urban District, Wymondham Urban District, Depwade Rural District, Forehoe and Henstead...

 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...

, about 7 miles south of Norwich

Norwich

Norwich is a city in England. It is the regional administrative centre and county town of Norfolk. During the 11th century, Norwich was the largest city in England after London, and one of the most important places in the kingdom...

 and roughly equidistant from Norwich and Bungay

Bungay

Bungay is a town in Suffolk, East Anglia, England.Bungay may also refer to:* Bungay railway station* Frank Bungay , former professional footballer* Stephen Bungay , British management consultant, historian and author...

. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 1,242 in 554 households.

The church of Brooke St Peter is one of 124 existing round-tower church

Round-tower church

Round-tower churches are a type of church found mainly in England, almost solely in East Anglia; of about 185 surviving examples in the country, 124 are in Norfolk, 38 in Suffolk, 6 in Essex, 3 in Sussex and 2 each in Cambridgeshire and Berkshire. There is evidence of about twenty round-tower...

es in 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...

.

In common with most small Norfolk villages public services are few, however the village is better served than most by one primary school (Brooke Primary), a garage and petrol station, post office, farm store & butcher, one pub and a popular restaurant. One further convenience store is located at the warden-patrolled elderly housing development Churchill Place.

Notable residents

• Sir Astley Paston Cooper
  Astley Cooper
  Sir Astley Paston Cooper, 1st Baronet was an English surgeon and anatomist, who made historical contributions to otology, vascular surgery, the anatomy and pathology of the mammary glands and testicles, and the pathology and surgery of hernia.-Life:Cooper was born at Brooke Hall in Brooke, Norfolk...
  
  , 1st Baronet (23 August 1768–12 February 1841), English surgeon and anatomist, who made historical contributions to otology, vascular surgery, the anatomy and pathology of the mammary glands and testicles, and the pathology and surgery of hernia.
• Edward Brian (Ted) Seago
  Edward Seago
  Edward Brian Seago RBA ARWS RWS was an English artist who painted in both oils and watercolours.The son of a coal merchant, born in Norwich, Seago was a self-taught artist, , and enjoyed a wide range of admirers from the British Royal family and the Aga Khan to the common man...
  
   RBA ARWS RWS (31 March 1910–1974) was an English artist who painted in both oils and watercolours, who lived at Brooke Lodge.
• Bernard Matthews
  Bernard Matthews
  Bernard Matthews Farms Ltd is a British farming and food products business, which specialises in the farming of turkeys. Founded by Bernard Matthews in 1950, as Bernard Matthews Foods Ltd, the company is headquartered in Norwich, Norfolk, England, and has 56 farms throughout Norfolk, Suffolk and...
  
  , (24 January 1930 – 25 November 2010), founder of the poultry empire Bernard Matthews Farms, the son of a mechanic, was born in Brooke, in 1930.
• Transsexual model Caroline Cossey
  Caroline Cossey
  Caroline "Tula" Cossey is an English model. She is one of the world's most well known transsexual women, having appeared in a James Bond film and been the first to pose for Playboy...
  
   was born in Brooke on 31 August 1954. She appeared as a James Bond girl and was the first acknowledged transsexual to pose for Playboy
  Playboy
  Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
  
   magazine.

External links

• Website with photos of Brooke St Peter, a round-tower church
  Round-tower church
  Round-tower churches are a type of church found mainly in England, almost solely in East Anglia; of about 185 surviving examples in the country, 124 are in Norfolk, 38 in Suffolk, 6 in Essex, 3 in Sussex and 2 each in Cambridgeshire and Berkshire. There is evidence of about twenty round-tower...