Hellesdon
Encyclopedia
Hellesdon is a thriving suburb of Norwich in the District of Broadland
in Norfolk
, England
. It lies approximately 4 miles (6.4 kilometres) north-west of Norwich
and has 11,177 inhabitants.
Hellesdon has signs of very early settlement as a variety of flint instruments have been unearthed in and around this suburb; it is thought that they date back at least 4,000 years. A collection of bronze axe heads were found near Hellesdon Hall and a skeleton dating from around 600 AD was discovered next to Hellesdon Lodge in Low Road. It is not clear from where the name Hellesdon originates; suggestions have been made throughout the centuries, but we will probably never know for certain.
In the 1880s the railways reached Hellesdon linking it to nearby Norwich
. In 1915 Mann Egerton
built H1s, Spads and Type B
seaplanes in Hellesdon and, in the 1920s, construction of the Ring Road began, making Hellesdon much more accessible.
Hellesdon was the home of the old Firs raceway (home of the Norwich Stars
and of Ove Fundin
, who was World Speedway Champion on a number of occasions in the early 1960s). The stadium was sold for housing in 1964 which brought the Norwich Stars Speedway team to an end.
The area has now developed into a major suburb of Norwich.
supermarket, a B&Q
store, six schools (one high school, two junior schools and three infant schools), and Norwich International Airport
, which flies throughout Europe as well as the British Isles and is owned by Omniport. The high school, Hellesdon High School, is a specialist Technology College and shares a Sixth Form
partnership with Taverham
High. There is also a community centre for use by local clubs such as Hellesdon Horticultural Association, and a library. There are three remaining pubs in Hellesdon: The Bull At Hellesdon, The Falcon and The Whiffler. Former pub The Man On The Moon is now the Hellesdon doctors surgery, another former pub, The Bignold Arms, is now a fish restaurant and takeaway and "The Firs" is set to become a Tesco.
It once had its own Hellesdon railway station
, which closed in the 1950s.
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...
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...
. It lies approximately 4 miles (6.4 kilometres) 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...
and has 11,177 inhabitants.
History
Situated to the north-west of Norwich, Hellesdon is a popular suburb with a large population.Hellesdon has signs of very early settlement as a variety of flint instruments have been unearthed in and around this suburb; it is thought that they date back at least 4,000 years. A collection of bronze axe heads were found near Hellesdon Hall and a skeleton dating from around 600 AD was discovered next to Hellesdon Lodge in Low Road. It is not clear from where the name Hellesdon originates; suggestions have been made throughout the centuries, but we will probably never know for certain.
In the 1880s the railways reached Hellesdon linking it to nearby 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...
. In 1915 Mann Egerton
Mann Egerton
Mann, Egerton & Company Ltd. was an automotive and aerospace company headquartered in Norwich, United Kingdom. During its history the company was variously active in automotive retailing, aircraft manufacturing, automotive coachbuilding and electrical services.It was formally founded in 1905 by...
built H1s, Spads and Type B
Mann Egerton Type B
-See also:...
seaplanes in Hellesdon and, in the 1920s, construction of the Ring Road began, making Hellesdon much more accessible.
Hellesdon was the home of the old Firs raceway (home of the Norwich Stars
Norwich Stars
Norwich Stars were a motorcycle speedway team based in Norwich, England which operated from 1930 until their closure in 1964.-History:Speedway racing was staged in Norwich both before and after World War II at The Firs Stadium in Aylsham Road, Hellesdon. Pre-War Norwich were members of the National...
and of Ove Fundin
Ove Fundin
Ove Fundin is a former speedway rider who won the Speedway World Championship five times...
, who was World Speedway Champion on a number of occasions in the early 1960s). The stadium was sold for housing in 1964 which brought the Norwich Stars Speedway team to an end.
The area has now developed into a major suburb of Norwich.
Amenities
Hellesdon has a number of small shops, an AsdaAsda
Asda Stores Ltd is a British supermarket chain which retails food, clothing, general merchandise, toys and financial services. It also has a mobile telephone network, , Asda Mobile...
supermarket, a B&Q
B&Q
B&Q plc is a multinational DIY and home improvement retailer headquartered in Eastleigh, United Kingdom. It was founded in 1969 and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kingfisher plc, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange....
store, six schools (one high school, two junior schools and three infant schools), and 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....
, which flies throughout Europe as well as the British Isles and is owned by Omniport. The high school, Hellesdon High School, is a specialist Technology College and shares a Sixth Form
Sixth form
In the education systems of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and of Commonwealth West Indian countries such as Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Belize, Jamaica and Malta, the sixth form is the final two years of secondary education, where students, usually sixteen to eighteen years of age,...
partnership with 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...
High. There is also a community centre for use by local clubs such as Hellesdon Horticultural Association, and a library. There are three remaining pubs in Hellesdon: The Bull At Hellesdon, The Falcon and The Whiffler. Former pub The Man On The Moon is now the Hellesdon doctors surgery, another former pub, The Bignold Arms, is now a fish restaurant and takeaway and "The Firs" is set to become a Tesco.
It once had its own Hellesdon railway station
Hellesdon railway station
Hellesdon railway station is a former railway station in Norfolk, England, which served the area of Hellesdon, today virtually an outer suburb of Norwich...
, which closed in the 1950s.