Gimingham
Encyclopedia
Gimingham is a village and civil parish
in the English
county of Norfolk
. The village is 4.1 miles (6.6 km) north of North Walsham
and 6.1 miles (9.8 km) east of Cromer
. It is 21.6 miles (34.8 km) north of the city of Norwich
. Nearby road communications with Gimingham are the A140 to Norwich, the A148 (direct) and A149 (coast road) to King's Lynn, and the A149 into the Norfolk Broads and Great Yarmouth. The B1159
is a coastal road between Cromer and Mundesley
. The nearest airport is Norwich International Airport
.
of 1086 under the name of Gimingeham.The manor was held by William de Warenne
. The village name is thought to mean the ‘Ham’ or the ‘Homestead of Gymma’s people'. Gymma was the name of an Anglo-Saxon
warlord
who settled in this part of the country some time between the 5th and 6th centuries. The village name has appeared in several different versions. In 1192 it is documented as Gumingham whilst in 1211 it appears as Gemingehem.
group of parishes since 1965 and is in the service of a team of clergy of these parishes. There was an earlier church on the site of the present one. Signs of early Saxon
quoins or ashlars can be seen in the east wall of the chancel
. The chancel dates from the early 14th century. The church is almost entirely built from un-knapped flint although there are some squared flints in the entrance porch. Some buttresses and arches are of brick construction. The porch
has two storeys and was incorporated into a much older original porch. The room on the first floor is known as a parvise
. This room was used in the past by priests who had travelled some distance to get to the church. It also may have been used in the past as part of the wedding service, with guests waiting there while the groom and bride exchanged their vows in the porch. The nave
dates from the 15th century and was re-roofed around 1950. The battlemented tower is also 15th century.
A feature of the village is the mill pond which stretches along the western edge of the main street. The mill pond is filled by the River Mun
. The pond is home to many species of water fowl and is very popular with local fisherman. The area beyond the river is said to have been part of the stew pond
, the fish-breeding place of a small monastery
. Close to the mill pond is the rebuilt corn mill. The original watermill burnt down during the night of 15 February 1979. A mill mentioned in the Domesday Book stood on this location. The one previous to the present building was built in the 18th century of flint, brick and pantiles. The pit for the original water wheel still remains, as does the old diesel engine, which provided power to the mill for many years.
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 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...
. The village is 4.1 miles (6.6 km) north of North Walsham
North Walsham
North Walsham is a market town and civil parish in Norfolk, England in the North Norfolk district.-Demographics:The civil parish has an area of and in the 2001 census had a population of 11,998. For the purposes of local government, the parish falls within the district of North...
and 6.1 miles (9.8 km) east of 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...
. It is 21.6 miles (34.8 km) north 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...
. Nearby road communications with Gimingham are the A140 to Norwich, the A148 (direct) and A149 (coast road) to King's Lynn, and the A149 into the Norfolk Broads and Great Yarmouth. The B1159
B1159 road
The B1159 is a road in Norfolk, England, running for about between Cromer and Caister-on-Sea, parallel to and at a short distance from the northeastern coast of Norfolk.From north to south the road passes through:*Overstrand*Sidestrand*Trimingham...
is a coastal road between Cromer and Mundesley
Mundesley
Mundesley is a coastal village and a civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The village is 20.3 miles north-north east of Norwich, 7.3 miles south east of Cromer and 136 miles north east of London. The village lies 5.6 miles north-north east of the town of North Walsham. The nearest...
. The nearest airport is Norwich International Airport
Norwich International Airport
Norwich International Airport , also known as Norwich Airport, is an airport in the City of Norwich within Norfolk, England north of the city centre and on the edge of the city's suburbs....
.
Early history
Gimingham is 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...
of 1086 under the name of Gimingeham.The manor was held by William de Warenne
William de Warenne, 1st Earl of Surrey
William de Warenne, 1st Earl of Surrey, Seigneur de Varennes is one of the very few proven Companions of William the Conqueror known to have fought at the Battle of Hastings in 1066...
. The village name is thought to mean the ‘Ham’ or the ‘Homestead of Gymma’s people'. Gymma was the name of an Anglo-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...
warlord
Warlord
A warlord is a person with power who has both military and civil control over a subnational area due to armed forces loyal to the warlord and not to a central authority. The term can also mean one who espouses the ideal that war is necessary, and has the means and authority to engage in war...
who settled in this part of the country some time between the 5th and 6th centuries. The village name has appeared in several different versions. In 1192 it is documented as Gumingham whilst in 1211 it appears as Gemingehem.
Gimingham Parish Church
Gimingham Parish Church is called All Saints. The church has been part of the TrunchTrunch
Trunch is a village and parish in Norfolk, England, situated three miles north of North Walsham and two miles from the coast at Mundesley. At the Census 2001 the village had a population of 805, and 388 households. The parish covers an area of ....
group of parishes since 1965 and is in the service of a team of clergy of these parishes. There was an earlier church on the site of the present one. Signs of early 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...
quoins or ashlars can be seen in the east wall of the chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
. The chancel dates from the early 14th century. The church is almost entirely built from un-knapped flint although there are some squared flints in the entrance porch. Some buttresses and arches are of brick construction. The porch
Porch
A porch is external to the walls of the main building proper, but may be enclosed by screen, latticework, broad windows, or other light frame walls extending from the main structure.There are various styles of porches, all of which depend on the architectural tradition of its location...
has two storeys and was incorporated into a much older original porch. The room on the first floor is known as a parvise
Parvise
Parvise or parvis may refer to:#A room over the porch of a church — quite often found in Norman churches in England. In some churches these rooms were used for school rooms and in Castle Ashby was the home of a woman - who saved the manor house from burning when she saw the fire taking hold from...
. This room was used in the past by priests who had travelled some distance to get to the church. It also may have been used in the past as part of the wedding service, with guests waiting there while the groom and bride exchanged their vows in the porch. The nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
dates from the 15th century and was re-roofed around 1950. The battlemented tower is also 15th century.
Mill Pond and Watermill
River Mun
The River Mun or Mundesley Beck is a river in the north of the county of Norfolk, England. The source of the river can be found in the Parish of Northrepps. The river finally runs into the North Sea in the village of Mundesley.-The source:...
. The pond is home to many species of water fowl and is very popular with local fisherman. The area beyond the river is said to have been part of the stew pond
Stew pond
A stew pond was the name given to fish ponds during the Middle Ages in England, attached, for example, to monasteries, which were used to store live fish for the table over the winter.-References:...
, the fish-breeding place of a small monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
. Close to the mill pond is the rebuilt corn mill. The original watermill burnt down during the night of 15 February 1979. A mill mentioned in the Domesday Book stood on this location. The one previous to the present building was built in the 18th century of flint, brick and pantiles. The pit for the original water wheel still remains, as does the old diesel engine, which provided power to the mill for many years.