East Runton
Encyclopedia
East Runton is a small village
in Norfolk
, England
situated close to the North Sea. It was once a traditional fishing village
outside Cromer
but is now a popular holiday destination for camping and caravan holidays. The village is within the parish
of Runton
that also includes West Runton
. The village is 1.3 miles (2.1 km) west of Cromer, 1.7 miles (2.7 km) east of West Runton, 2.7 miles (4.3 km) east of Sheringham
and 21.7 miles (34.9 km) north of Norwich
. The village lies on the A149
coast road but most of the dwellings can be found just south of the road, nestled around the two village greens. The population in the 2001 census was shown as 1,633 (includes West Runton) in 784 households. The parish area is 544 hectares.
The war dead of East Runton are recorded on the West Runton War Memorial.
Next door is a fish and chip shop. This was run for some time (especially during the 1980s) by John Parkin (Bernie's brother).
and fantail
but to date has no sails. The tower is 38 feet (11.6 m) high and is built of brick. The tower had five storeys and once had three pairs of stones which were powered from the four double-shuttered sails. The village once also had a wooden post mill
although there is no trace of where this was located other than a piece of land close to the railway which to this day is called Mill Hill and is now a caravan storage facility.
was a resident of East Runton around the early part of the 19th century. Leak was the local blacksmith
and renowned Bare-Knuckle prize fighter
. He lived in one of six thatched cottages that once stood on the cliff top near Runton gap. His blacksmith’s forge
was at West Runton. In 1827 Leak had a big problem. The story goes that he had developed a gangrenous
toe
and was in fear of it spreading and causing his death. In his desperation, Leak came up with his own solution to his problem. He went to his forge in West Runton, rested his foot on his anvil and with one mighty blow removed the infected toe with a hammer
and chisel
. He then cauterized
the stump with a red hot poker
from out of his forge. This desperate surgery had been as a consequence of Leak being unable to afford surgeon’s fees. He made a full recovery and his home surgery seems to have had little effect on the man as he continued his prize-fighting and lived to the ripe old age of 82.
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...
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...
, 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...
situated close to the North Sea. It was once a traditional fishing village
Traditional fishing village
A fishing village is a village, usually located near a fishing ground, with an economy based on catching fish and harvesting seafood. The continents and islands around the world have coastlines totalling around 356,000 kilometres...
outside Cromer
Cromer
Cromer is a coastal town and civil parish in north Norfolk, England. The local government authority is North Norfolk District Council, whose headquarters is in Holt Road in the town. The town is situated 23 miles north of the county town, Norwich, and is 4 miles east of Sheringham...
but is now a popular holiday destination for camping and caravan holidays. The village is within the 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...
of Runton
Runton
Runton is a civil parish in the English county of Norfolk consisting of the villages of East Runton and West Runton.It covers an area of and had a population of 1,633 in 7.84 households as of the 2001 census....
that also includes West Runton
West Runton
West Runton is a village in North Norfolk, England, approximately ¼ of a mile from the North Sea coast.-Overview:West Runton and East Runton together form the parish of Runton. The village straddles the A149 North Norfolk coast road and is 2½ miles west of Cromer and 1½ miles east of Sheringham...
. The village is 1.3 miles (2.1 km) west of Cromer, 1.7 miles (2.7 km) east of West Runton, 2.7 miles (4.3 km) east of Sheringham
Sheringham
Sheringham is a seaside town in Norfolk, England, west of Cromer.The motto of the town, granted in 1953 to the Sheringham Urban District Council, is Mare Ditat Pinusque Decorat, Latin for "The sea enriches and the pine adorns"....
and 21.7 miles (34.9 km) north 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...
. The village lies on the A149
A149 road
The A149 is a major route in Norfolk, linking Kings Lynn to Great Yarmouth. It runs via the coast rather than on a more direct route such as the A47. The eastern section runs through The Broads.-Kings Lynn to Wells next the Sea:...
coast road but most of the dwellings can be found just south of the road, nestled around the two village greens. The population in the 2001 census was shown as 1,633 (includes West Runton) in 784 households. The parish area is 544 hectares.
The war dead of East Runton are recorded on the West Runton War Memorial.
Public houses
There are two public houses in East Runton: the Fishing Boat and the White Horse Inn. The Fishing Boat is the older of the inns, and is on the tithe map of 1840, although it was simply called the ‘Boat Inn’ then. In 1734 it is recorded that a court was held at the inn and it was then called the ‘Three Horse Shoes’. The White Horse Inn is first recorded in 1851. There is also a social club in the village which is known as ‘Bernies’ Corner House in Beach Road which in years prior was an amusement arcade but this changed to current usage in around 1982. Bernie's was named after Bernie Parkin whose father Reginald (Snr) originally had bought the place and had run it as an amusement arcade.Next door is a fish and chip shop. This was run for some time (especially during the 1980s) by John Parkin (Bernie's brother).
The Windmill
The tower mill at East Runton dates from at least 1826 when it is shown on Bryants map. The mill has now been restored and is a private dwelling. The mill was last worked in 1908 and has a cap that resembles an upturned clinker-built boat. This style of top is known as the Norfolk style. The restored tower now is complete with its cap, galleryBalcony
Balcony , a platform projecting from the wall of a building, supported by columns or console brackets, and enclosed with a balustrade.-Types:The traditional Maltese balcony is a wooden closed balcony projecting from a...
and fantail
Windmill fantail
A Fantail is a small windmill mounted at right angles to the sails, at the rear of the windmill, and which turns the cap automatically to bring it into the wind. The fantail was patented in 1745 by Edmund Lee, a blacksmith working at Brockmill Forge near Wigan, England, and perfected on mills...
but to date has no sails. The tower is 38 feet (11.6 m) high and is built of brick. The tower had five storeys and once had three pairs of stones which were powered from the four double-shuttered sails. The village once also had a wooden post mill
Post mill
The post mill is the earliest type of European windmill. The defining feature is that the whole body of the mill that houses the machinery is mounted on a single vertical post, around which it can be turned to bring the sails into the wind. The earliest post mills in England are thought to have...
although there is no trace of where this was located other than a piece of land close to the railway which to this day is called Mill Hill and is now a caravan storage facility.
The story of James Leak
James LeakJames Leak
James Leak was a Bare-Knuckle prize fighter who was born in the county of Norfolk in the United Kingdom.James Leak was a resident of East Runton, Norfolk around the early part of the 19th century. Leak was the local blacksmith and renowned Bare-Knuckle prize fighter. He lived in one of six thatched...
was a resident of East Runton around the early part of the 19th century. Leak was the local blacksmith
Blacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
and renowned Bare-Knuckle prize fighter
Bare-knuckle boxing
Bare-knuckle boxing is the original form of boxing, closely related to ancient combat sports...
. He lived in one of six thatched cottages that once stood on the cliff top near Runton gap. His blacksmith’s forge
Forge
A forge is a hearth used for forging. The term "forge" can also refer to the workplace of a smith or a blacksmith, although the term smithy is then more commonly used.The basic smithy contains a forge, also known as a hearth, for heating metals...
was at West Runton. In 1827 Leak had a big problem. The story goes that he had developed a gangrenous
Gangrene
Gangrene is a serious and potentially life-threatening condition that arises when a considerable mass of body tissue dies . This may occur after an injury or infection, or in people suffering from any chronic health problem affecting blood circulation. The primary cause of gangrene is reduced blood...
toe
Toe
Toes are the digits of the foot of a tetrapod. Animal species such as cats that walk on their toes are described as being digitigrade. Humans, and other animals that walk on the soles of their feet, are described as being plantigrade; unguligrade animals are those that walk on hooves at the tips of...
and was in fear of it spreading and causing his death. In his desperation, Leak came up with his own solution to his problem. He went to his forge in West Runton, rested his foot on his anvil and with one mighty blow removed the infected toe with a hammer
Hammer
A hammer is a tool meant to deliver an impact to an object. The most common uses are for driving nails, fitting parts, forging metal and breaking up objects. Hammers are often designed for a specific purpose, and vary widely in their shape and structure. The usual features are a handle and a head,...
and chisel
Chisel
A chisel is a tool with a characteristically shaped cutting edge of blade on its end, for carving or cutting a hard material such as wood, stone, or metal. The handle and blade of some types of chisel are made of metal or wood with a sharp edge in it.In use, the chisel is forced into the material...
. He then cauterized
Cauterization
The medical practice or technique of cauterization is the burning of part of a body to remove or close off a part of it in a process called cautery, which destroys some tissue, in an attempt to mitigate damage, remove an undesired growth, or minimize other potential medical harmful possibilities...
the stump with a red hot poker
Poker
Poker is a family of card games that share betting rules and usually hand rankings. Poker games differ in how the cards are dealt, how hands may be formed, whether the high or low hand wins the pot in a showdown , limits on bet sizes, and how many rounds of betting are allowed.In most modern poker...
from out of his forge. This desperate surgery had been as a consequence of Leak being unable to afford surgeon’s fees. He made a full recovery and his home surgery seems to have had little effect on the man as he continued his prize-fighting and lived to the ripe old age of 82.