Honing, Norfolk
Encyclopedia
Honing is a village and a civil parish
in the English
county of Norfolk
. The village is 15.3 miles (24.6 km) north-northeast of Norwich
, 13.3 miles (21.4 km) south east of Cromer
and 135 miles (217.3 km) north-east of London
. The village lies 3.9 miles (6.3 km) east of the town of North Walsham
. The nearest railway station is at Worstead
on the Bittern Line
which runs between Cromer
and Norwich. The nearest airport is Norwich International Airport
. The Village and parish of Honing had in the 2001 census
, a population of 319. For the purposes of local government, the village falls within the district
of North Norfolk
.
whilst to the south is the parish of Dilham
. West lies Worstead
and on the eastern boundary is the parish of East Ruston
. The disused North Walsham & Dilham Canal
runs along the south-west boundary of the parish. There are several areas of common land within the parish, including Crostwight Common and Honing Common. The Weavers Way long distance footpath runs across the south east corner of the parish along the old track bed of the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway
that ran between North Walsham
and Stalham
. The Weavers Way runs for 56 miles (90.1 km) between Cromer and Great Yarmouth. The village sign
depicts a labourer honing
his scythe
. Since 1935, the civil parish
of Honing has incorporated its very small neighbouring village of Crostwight
. The name Honing derives from the Old English for something approaching settlement of the people at the hill or rock.
or possibly Neolithic
flint axehead.
of 1085 where its, its population, land ownership and productive resources were extensively detailed In the survey Honing is recorded by the name of Haninga. The main tenants being the Robert Malet from the abbot of Holme who had held the land before and after 1066, Robert de Glanville from Robert Malet, and Ranulf brother of Ilger. The survey also list that there have always been 13 smallholders on this land. 2 ploughs in lordship; 3 men’s ploughs; meadow, 35 acres (141,640.1 m²); woodland, 8 pigs; 1 mill: 2 cobs; 4 head of cattle; 12 pigs; 40 sheep; 30 goats. Also 8 freemen, 41 acres (165,921.3 m²). Always 2 ploughs; meadow, 5 acres (20,234.3 m²). Value of the whole 40s. It has 1 league in length and 10 furlongs in width; tax of 10d, whoever holds there.
was shortened to only four feet and is now no more than an alcove. The font
dates from the 13th century. The stem is perpendicular with the bowl of Purbeck marble. The roof dates from the 18th century. Between the choir stalls is a brass to Nicholas Parker of 1496. He is depicted in full armour. On the north wall there hangs two Hatchments or armorial shield, both to a man leaving a surviving wife. There are also two tablets, one to Thomas Cubitt who died in 1829, and the other to another Cubitt who died in 1865.
to prepare plans for alterations, only some of which were executed in 1790. The exterior is constructed in red brick and has five bays by five bays over 2 and half storeys. There is a three-bay pediment
with coat of arms and garland in the pediment. The main doorway has Ionic columns
with pediment. In 1792 Humphry Repton
produced a Red Book of proposals to lay out a landscape park. Repton's Book suggests that a small park already existed on the site because he advised against expanding. Many of his suggestions were adopted and the results can be seen on Faden's map of 1797 which records a park of around 13 hectare’s south of the Hall. The mid-19th-century Tithe map shows that the Cubitt family increased the park to around 24 hectares and extended the perimeter belts to completely encircle it. Since then there have been no significant changes to the landscape and the Hall and grounds are in private ownership.
to Sutton Bridge
via Stalham
, North Walsham
, Aylsham
, Melton Constable
, Fakenham
and King's Lynn
. It opened in stages between 1865 and 1933. The line closed in 1959, although some sections survive and are now part of the Weaver's Way footpath. Other remnants of the line that can still be seen in the parish are a cast iron, steel and brick railway bridge of 1881 on the Dilham road south of the village. At Briggate there are still the disused platforms of Honing Station.
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 15.3 miles (24.6 km) north-northeast 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...
, 13.3 miles (21.4 km) south 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...
and 135 miles (217.3 km) north-east of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. The village lies 3.9 miles (6.3 km) east of the town 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...
. The nearest railway station is at Worstead
Worstead railway station
Worstead is a railway station situated about 1 km distant from the villages of Worstead and Sloley in the English county of Norfolk. The station is served by local services operated by National Express East Anglia on the Bittern Line from Norwich to Cromer and Sheringham.-Train Services:The...
on the Bittern Line
Bittern Line
The Bittern Line is a railway line from Norwich to Cromer then Sheringham in Norfolk, England. It is one of the most scenic in the East of England traversing the Norfolk Broads on its route to the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty on the North Norfolk Coast. The line is part of the Network Rail...
which runs between 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...
and Norwich. 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....
. The Village and parish of Honing had 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....
, a population of 319. For the purposes of local government, the village 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 North Norfolk
North Norfolk
North Norfolk is a local government district in Norfolk, United Kingdom. Its council is based in Cromer. The council headquarters can be found approximately out of the town of Cromer on the Holt Road.-History:...
.
Description
Honing is a large parish in north-east of the county of Norfolk. Its northern boundary is with the civil parish of WittonWitton Bridge
Witton is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It is located east of the town of North Walsham and north of the city of Norwich...
whilst to the south is the parish of Dilham
Dilham
Dilham is a village and civil parish covering an area of with a population of 301 in 128 homes as of the 2001 census. It is on the River Ant just of the A149 road, near Stalham in Norfolk, England within The Broads...
. West lies Worstead
Worstead
Worstead is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It lies 5 km south of North Walsham, 9 km north of Wroxham, and 20 km north of Norwich. The village is served by Worstead railway station on the Bittern Line....
and on the eastern boundary is the parish of East Ruston
East Ruston
East Ruston is a village and a civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The village is North East of Norwich, South East of Cromer and north-east of London. The village lies East of the town of North Walsham.The nearest railway station is at North Walsham for the Bittern Line which runs...
. The disused North Walsham & Dilham Canal
North Walsham & Dilham Canal
The North Walsham and Dilham Canal is a waterway in the English county of Norfolk. It is accepted officially that this waterway is the only canal in Norfolk although it is the canalization of the upper reaches of the River Ant. This navigation was constructed with locks a little wider than most...
runs along the south-west boundary of the parish. There are several areas of common land within the parish, including Crostwight Common and Honing Common. The Weavers Way long distance footpath runs across the south east corner of the parish along the old track bed of the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway
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...
that ran between 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 Stalham
Stalham railway station
Stalham railway station was a station in North Norfolk serving the settlement of Stalham. It was on the line between Melton Constable and Great Yarmouth. It is now closed, having been shut in 1959 when the line was closed in a precursor of the Beeching cuts. The station lay derelict and unused for...
. The Weavers Way runs for 56 miles (90.1 km) between Cromer and Great Yarmouth. The village sign
Village sign
A village sign in some areas of England is a symbol of a village's history, heritage, or culture. They differ from regular road signs in that they are decorative, with the designs usually depicting some aspect of the history of the village...
depicts a labourer honing
Honing
Honing may refer to:* Honing , machining a surface by scrubbing an abrasive stone against it* Sharpening edged tools with a manual hone* Henkjan Honing , Dutch musician* Honing, Norfolk, English village* Playing Heroes of Newerth...
his scythe
Scythe
A scythe is an agricultural hand tool for mowing grass, or reaping crops. It was largely replaced by horse-drawn and then tractor machinery, but is still used in some areas of Europe and Asia. The Grim Reaper is often depicted carrying or wielding a scythe...
. Since 1935, the 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...
of Honing has incorporated its very small neighbouring village of Crostwight
Crostwight
Crostwight is a small village and former civil parish in the north-east of the county of Norfolk, England. In the past, it was sometimes called Crostwick, but this should be avoided, for fear of confusion with the different village of Crostwick, also in Norfolk.Apart from the church, the village...
. The name Honing derives from the Old English for something approaching settlement of the people at the hill or rock.
History
There is very little evidence of any human settlement or activity in the parish of Honing until the medieval period and beyond, apart from a MesolithicMesolithic
The Mesolithic is an archaeological concept used to refer to certain groups of archaeological cultures defined as falling between the Paleolithic and the Neolithic....
or possibly Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
flint axehead.
The Domesday Book
Honing has an entry 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 1085 where its, its population, land ownership and productive resources were extensively detailed In the survey Honing is recorded by the name of Haninga. The main tenants being the Robert Malet from the abbot of Holme who had held the land before and after 1066, Robert de Glanville from Robert Malet, and Ranulf brother of Ilger. The survey also list that there have always been 13 smallholders on this land. 2 ploughs in lordship; 3 men’s ploughs; meadow, 35 acres (141,640.1 m²); woodland, 8 pigs; 1 mill: 2 cobs; 4 head of cattle; 12 pigs; 40 sheep; 30 goats. Also 8 freemen, 41 acres (165,921.3 m²). Always 2 ploughs; meadow, 5 acres (20,234.3 m²). Value of the whole 40s. It has 1 league in length and 10 furlongs in width; tax of 10d, whoever holds there.
The parish church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul
The parish church is situated on raised ground north of the village. On its west elevation is a tall perpendicular tower with flushwork panelling at its base and battlements. The tower has a three light window with transom and tracery. Below the window is a window which was once a doorway which was thought to have been filled in a period of reconstruction c.1795. In the same period of restoration the aisles were reduced to a narrow passages and the length of the chancelChancel
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...
was shortened to only four feet and is now no more than an alcove. The font
Baptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
dates from the 13th century. The stem is perpendicular with the bowl of Purbeck marble. The roof dates from the 18th century. Between the choir stalls is a brass to Nicholas Parker of 1496. He is depicted in full armour. On the north wall there hangs two Hatchments or armorial shield, both to a man leaving a surviving wife. There are also two tablets, one to Thomas Cubitt who died in 1829, and the other to another Cubitt who died in 1865.
Honing Hall
Honing hall was built in 1748 to replaced an earlier smaller house on a different site, immediately to the north of the present stable block, which itself replaced the medieval building within the moated enclosed inside the north boundary of the property. The present hall was built by the Chambers family, and was acquired by Thomas Cubitt in 1784. Thomas Cubitt's son, also Thomas, moved in following his marriage in 1784 and in 1788 commissioned John SoaneJohn Soane
Sir John Soane, RA was an English architect who specialised in the Neo-Classical style. His architectural works are distinguished by their clean lines, massing of simple form, decisive detailing, careful proportions and skilful use of light sources...
to prepare plans for alterations, only some of which were executed in 1790. The exterior is constructed in red brick and has five bays by five bays over 2 and half storeys. There is a three-bay pediment
Pediment
A pediment is a classical architectural element consisting of the triangular section found above the horizontal structure , typically supported by columns. The gable end of the pediment is surrounded by the cornice moulding...
with coat of arms and garland in the pediment. The main doorway has Ionic columns
Ionic order
The Ionic order forms one of the three orders or organizational systems of classical architecture, the other two canonic orders being the Doric and the Corinthian...
with pediment. In 1792 Humphry Repton
Humphry Repton
Humphry Repton was the last great English landscape designer of the eighteenth century, often regarded as the successor to Capability Brown; he also sowed the seeds of the more intricate and eclectic styles of the 19th century...
produced a Red Book of proposals to lay out a landscape park. Repton's Book suggests that a small park already existed on the site because he advised against expanding. Many of his suggestions were adopted and the results can be seen on Faden's map of 1797 which records a park of around 13 hectare’s south of the Hall. The mid-19th-century Tithe map shows that the Cubitt family increased the park to around 24 hectares and extended the perimeter belts to completely encircle it. Since then there have been no significant changes to the landscape and the Hall and grounds are in private ownership.
Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway
The Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway ran through the parish, part of a line that linked Great YarmouthGreat Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth, often known to locals as Yarmouth, is a coastal town in Norfolk, England. It is at the mouth of the River Yare, east of Norwich.It has been a seaside resort since 1760, and is the gateway from the Norfolk Broads to the sea...
to Sutton Bridge
Sutton Bridge
Sutton Bridge is a village and civil parish in southeastern Lincolnshire, England on the west bank of the River Nene in the district of South Holland.-Geography:...
via Stalham
Stalham
Stalham is a market town on the River Ant in the English county of Norfolk, in East Anglia. It covers an area of and had a population of 2,951 in 1,333 households as of the 2001 census. It lies within the Norfolk Broads, about north-east of Norwich on the A149 road.For the purposes of local...
, 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...
, Aylsham
Aylsham
Aylsham is a historic market town and civil parish on the River Bure in north Norfolk, England, about north of Norwich. The river rises near Melton Constable, upstream from Aylsham and continues to Great Yarmouth and the North Sea, although it was only made navigable after 1779, allowing grain,...
, Melton Constable
Melton Constable
Melton Constable is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk.It covers an area of and had a population of 518 in 225 households as of the 2001 census.For the purposes of local government, it falls within the district of North Norfolk...
, Fakenham
Fakenham
Fakenham is a town and civil parish in Norfolk, England. It is situated on the River Wensum, some north east of King's Lynn, south west of Cromer, and north west of Norwich....
and King's Lynn
King's Lynn
King's Lynn is a sea port and market town in the ceremonial county of Norfolk in the East of England. It is situated north of London and west of Norwich. The population of the town is 42,800....
. It opened in stages between 1865 and 1933. The line closed in 1959, although some sections survive and are now part of the Weaver's Way footpath. Other remnants of the line that can still be seen in the parish are a cast iron, steel and brick railway bridge of 1881 on the Dilham road south of the village. At Briggate there are still the disused platforms of Honing Station.