Elsing
Encyclopedia
Elsing is a village
and civil parish
in the English
county
of Norfolk
. It is situated some 6 miles north-east of the town of East Dereham and 12 miles north-west of the city of Norwich
.
The civil parish has an area of 634 hectares and in the 2001 census
had a population of 229 in 105 households. For the purposes of local government, the parish falls within the district
of Breckland
.
The village is widely spread and a succession of interesting old buildings can be seen passing through the village from East Dereham to the adjacent village of Lyng
. These are Elsing Hall, the Church, the Guildhall, the Rectory and Elsing Mill
on the River Wensum
.
The Mermaid Inn public house (16th Century c.1540) is adjacent to 14th century St Mary's Church
and Elsing Hall gardens are open to groups by prior appointment during the summer months.
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...
. It is situated some 6 miles north-east of the town of East Dereham and 12 miles north-west of the city 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 civil parish has an area of 634 hectares and in the 2001 census
United 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 229 in 105 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 of Elsing
The village is named after a Danish chieftain, “Elesa”, whose image appears on the village sign together with his hunting hound. In mediaeval times, Elsing was a thriving town with a population of over a thousand. It had its own market and guildhall. The church of St Mary, built in 1347, has the widest pillarless nave in East Anglia. There is a brass commemorating the life of Sir Hugh Hastings, the Lord of the Manor. The Hastings family built the moated Elsing Hall in 1470. Elsing Hall has a priest hole amongst its many features, used during the 16th century to hide Catholic priests from persecution.The village is widely spread and a succession of interesting old buildings can be seen passing through the village from East Dereham to the adjacent village of Lyng
Lyng, Norfolk
Lyng is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It is situated on the River Wensum, some north-east of the town of East Dereham and north-west of the city of Norwich....
. These are Elsing Hall, the Church, the Guildhall, the Rectory and Elsing Mill
Watermill
A watermill is a structure that uses a water wheel or turbine to drive a mechanical process such as flour, lumber or textile production, or metal shaping .- History :...
on the River Wensum
River Wensum
The River Wensum is a chalk fed river in Norfolk, England and a tributary of the River Yare despite being the larger of the two rivers. The complete river is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest and Special Area of Conservation ....
.
The Mermaid Inn public house (16th Century c.1540) is adjacent to 14th century St Mary's Church
St Mary's Church, Elsing
St Mary's is an Anglican parish church in Elsing, a small village and civil parish in the Breckland district of Norfolk, England. The 14th-century church was built to a single plan in Decorated Gothic style by a local knight and has remained largely unaltered to the present day...
and Elsing Hall gardens are open to groups by prior appointment during the summer months.