Drayton, Norfolk
Encyclopedia
Drayton, Norfolk, is a suburban village in the county of Norfolk
and district of Broadland
7 kilometres (4.3 mi) north west of Norwich
. It is situated on the A1067 road
between Hellesdon
and Taverham
.
as Draituna, meaning place where logs are dragged. However, the area seems to have been settled much earlier. In 1849, Roman pottery was unearthed in the village.
Between 1432 and 1459 the village was in the possession of Sir John Fastolf
, a prominent soldier in the Hundred Years' War
who gave his name to Shakespeare
's character Sir John Falstaff
. He built Drayton Lodge, a red brick 'plaisance', as a lookout overlooking the river Wensum and the main road into Norwich. Its ruins are still visible today.
On Falstolf's death in 1459, his properties passed into the hands of John Paston. His inheritance soon became the subject of bitter litigation from the Duke of Suffolk
, who owned the neighbouring village of Costessey
, leading to violent clashes between the two landowners (described in the Paston Letters
).
A resident of the village, Harry Cator
, received the Victoria Cross
for his gallantry during the First World War.
A large new housing estate, Thorpe Marriott
, was built partially within the parish of Drayton in the late 20th century.
and Middle
), a village hall, playing fields and the Bob Carter sports and community centre. Drayton also has Low Road Potato Farm which serves the local community and businesses with potatoes and vegetables.
The parish church of St Margaret's http://www.draytonparish.org was built in the 13th century, but was substantially rebuilt in the 19th century, after the tower collapsed in 1850.
Part of Thorpe Marriott
lies within the ward of Drayton North. Thorpe Marriott is a late 1980s early 1990s residential community covering parts of Drayton and Taverham parishes. Thorpe Marriott is served by Trinity Ecumenical Church (Methodist & Anglican) and by St Margaret's Drayton and St Edmund's Taverham, partner churches with local methodists in the Trinity LEP (Local Ecumenical Partnership). St Margaret's, together with Drayton Methodist and Trinity Church http://www.thorpemarriottlife.net are members of 'Churches Together in Drayton, Taverham & Thorpe Marriott'.
Drayton was once served by its own Drayton railway station
on the now closed Midland and Great Northern
line into Norwich
from the north. Today, the track bed forms part of the Marriott's Way
, a long distance footpath.
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...
and district of Broadland
Broadland
Broadland is a local government district in Norfolk, England, named after the Norfolk Broads. Its council is based in Thorpe St Andrew, which is a suburb of the City of Norwich.-History:The district was formed on April 1, 1974 by the merger of St...
7 kilometres (4.3 mi) north west 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...
. It is situated on the A1067 road
A1067 road
The A1067 is an English A road entirely in the county of Norfolk. It runs from Fakenham Northern By-Pass to Norwich inner ring road .-A47 to A1067 Link Road:...
between Hellesdon
Hellesdon
Hellesdon is a thriving suburb of Norwich in the District of Broadland in Norfolk, England. It lies approximately 4 miles north-west of Norwich and has 11,177 inhabitants.- History :...
and Taverham
Taverham
Taverham is a village and civil parish in Norfolk, in the UK. It is approximately 5 miles north-west of the City of Norwich. Taverham sits on the River Wensum.In 2001, Taverham had a population of 10,233...
.
History
Drayton is mentioned in the Domesday BookDomesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
as Draituna, meaning place where logs are dragged. However, the area seems to have been settled much earlier. In 1849, Roman pottery was unearthed in the village.
Between 1432 and 1459 the village was in the possession of Sir John Fastolf
John Fastolf
Sir John Fastolf KG was an English knight during the Hundred Years War, who has enjoyed a more lasting reputation as in some part being the prototype of Shakespeare's Sir John Falstaff...
, a prominent soldier in the Hundred Years' War
Hundred Years' War
The Hundred Years' War was a series of separate wars waged from 1337 to 1453 by the House of Valois and the House of Plantagenet, also known as the House of Anjou, for the French throne, which had become vacant upon the extinction of the senior Capetian line of French kings...
who gave his name to Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
's character Sir John Falstaff
Falstaff
Sir John Falstaff is a fictional character who appears in three plays by William Shakespeare. In the two Henry IV plays, he is a companion to Prince Hal, the future King Henry V. A fat, vain, boastful, and cowardly knight, Falstaff leads the apparently wayward Prince Hal into trouble, and is...
. He built Drayton Lodge, a red brick 'plaisance', as a lookout overlooking the river Wensum and the main road into Norwich. Its ruins are still visible today.
On Falstolf's death in 1459, his properties passed into the hands of John Paston. His inheritance soon became the subject of bitter litigation from the Duke of Suffolk
John de la Pole, 2nd Duke of Suffolk
John de la Pole, 2nd Duke of Suffolk, KG , known as "the Trimming Duke". He was the son of William de la Pole, 1st Duke of Suffolk and Alice Chaucer, daughter of Thomas Chaucer.-Life:...
, who owned the neighbouring village of Costessey
Costessey
Costessey is a civil parish situated west of Norwich in Norfolk, England. The parish comprises two settlements: the long-established village of Costessey , and New Costessey , which developed during the first half of the 20th century and has become a suburb of Norwich...
, leading to violent clashes between the two landowners (described in the Paston Letters
Paston Letters
The Paston Letters are a collection of letters and papers from England, consisting of the correspondence of members of the gentry Paston family, and others connected with them, between the years 1422 and 1509, and also including some state papers and other important documents.- History of the...
).
A resident of the village, Harry Cator
Harry Cator
Harry Cator VC, MM was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces....
, received the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
for his gallantry during the First World War.
A large new housing estate, Thorpe Marriott
Thorpe Marriott
Thorpe Marriott is a residential area in Norfolk, England covering part of Taverham and Drayton parishes. Much of the housing was built in the latter part of the 20th century....
, was built partially within the parish of Drayton in the late 20th century.
Amenities
Drayton has a bank, post office, doctors’ surgery, prison, travelodge, space station, chemist, baker, patisserie, florist, hairdresser, beautician and public houses (The Cock Inn and The Red Lion). There are two schools (FirstFirst School
First school and lower school are terms used in some areas of the United Kingdom to describe the first stage of primary education. Some English Local Education Authorities have introduced First Schools since the 1960s...
and Middle
Middle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
), a village hall, playing fields and the Bob Carter sports and community centre. Drayton also has Low Road Potato Farm which serves the local community and businesses with potatoes and vegetables.
The parish church of St Margaret's http://www.draytonparish.org was built in the 13th century, but was substantially rebuilt in the 19th century, after the tower collapsed in 1850.
Part of Thorpe Marriott
Thorpe Marriott
Thorpe Marriott is a residential area in Norfolk, England covering part of Taverham and Drayton parishes. Much of the housing was built in the latter part of the 20th century....
lies within the ward of Drayton North. Thorpe Marriott is a late 1980s early 1990s residential community covering parts of Drayton and Taverham parishes. Thorpe Marriott is served by Trinity Ecumenical Church (Methodist & Anglican) and by St Margaret's Drayton and St Edmund's Taverham, partner churches with local methodists in the Trinity LEP (Local Ecumenical Partnership). St Margaret's, together with Drayton Methodist and Trinity Church http://www.thorpemarriottlife.net are members of 'Churches Together in Drayton, Taverham & Thorpe Marriott'.
Drayton was once served by its own Drayton railway station
Drayton railway station
Drayton railway station is a former station in Norfolk, England. Constructed by the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway in the 1880s, on the line between Melton Constable and Norwich, it was closed to passengers in 1959. It served the settlement of Drayton now on the outskirts of Norwich...
on the now closed Midland and Great Northern
Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway
The Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway, was a joint railway owned by the Midland Railway and the Great Northern Railway in eastern England, affectionately known as the 'Muddle and Get Nowhere' to generations of passengers, enthusiasts, and other users.The main line ran from Peterborough to...
line into 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...
from the north. Today, the track bed forms part of the Marriott's Way
Marriott's Way
The Marriott's Way is a long distance footpath and bridleway which forms part of the National Cycle Network and is open to walkers, cyclists and horse riders between Hellesdon and Aylsham, Norfolk, England...
, a long distance footpath.