Litcham
Encyclopedia
Litcham is a village
and civil parish
in the English
county
of Norfolk
. It is situated some 10 km (6.2 mi) north-east of the town of Swaffham
and 40 km (24.9 mi) west of the city of Norwich
.
The civil parish has an area of 7.89 km² (3 sq mi) and in the 2001 census
had a population of 592 in 257 households as of the 2001 census
. For the purposes of local government, the parish falls within the district
of Breckland
.
Litcham is in the Launditch
hundred of the Breckland
district of Norfolk
, England. It is almost equidistant from three major market towns: East Dereham, Fakenham
and Swaffham
.
The Bull Inn is a 17th century coaching inn
with parts dating back to the 14th century. It is the one surviving of many pubs once serving the village.
The village has all the necessary amenities such as a post office, butchers, church, Methodist chapel, bus garage, fish and chip shop and health centre.
Litcham is the location of Litcham High School
and Litcham Primary School.
under the name Licham, Lecham or Leccham as 'a Market Town in the centre of Norfolk'. Other known spellings are Lucham, Lycham, Luychesham to mention but a few.
Edward I
granted Litcham the right to hold a weekly market, but it did not thrive and had ceased by 1836. However it has left its mark on the layout of Litcham and is probably the reason why Church Street widens out so dramatically just below All Saints Church.
In Elizabethan times the village was the centre of the local tanning industry. The Collinson and Hallcottis families made considerable fortunes and became country squires. The Hallcottis' were local benefactors, building almshouses and paying for a church bell. Mathew Hallcottis is shown on the village sign with his tanning equipment.
In 1831 its population reached 771; more than a third of these were agricultural workers.
In 1977 it was designated a conservation village and boasts eleven listed buildings plus a church and priory that date back to the 12th century. The village sits astride a major crossroads of country lanes, the most important of which is the B1145
which stretches between King's Lynn and Norwich and was once the King's Lynn
- Norwich
- Great Yarmouth
stagecoach route. Horses would have been changed at the 17th-century Bull Inn, which also served as the local law court until the late 18th century. On the green in front of the Bull Inn there once stood a row of old cottages and a chapel, which were demolished in 1968. The route out of the village on the B1145 towards Mileham
passes 'Fourways', a toll house
until 1912 and now home to the village museum run by the Litcham Historical Society.
blacksmith. The tower contains a peal of six bells, which are still rung today by the Litcham Bellringers. The unusual red and green painted rood screen was completed in 1536 and shows twenty-two painted images of saints. The tracery of the upper portions of the screen are carved with great delicacy. The female saints can be identified as Sitha, Cecilia, Dorothy, Juliana, Agnes, Petronella, Helena, and Ursula. The baptismal font
is of the early 15th century and shows shields, now stripped of their identifying painted arms, on the bowl. The church also contains a wooden Dutch coffer, of which there are only five in the country, this used to be used for storing books. Also none of the faces on the statues have been erased unlike in other churches of the area.
There is also a Methodist Chapel, built in 1909, on Front Street.
Estate; at each end it passes through commons managed as nature reserves at Litcham and Castle Acre
. A Bronze Age
burial mound or tumulus
was discovered on the common and Roman
settlements and roads
have been found just outside the village. An extensive collection of coinage and artifacts is housed in the local museum.
Grazing Scheme :
In 2006 Litcham Common Management Committee put forward proposals to introduce grazing which is recommended as by far the best way of preserving this type of habitat. The Management Committee submitted a formal application to the Secretary of State for the erection of stock proof fencing which was approved on 12th February 2007. Fencing was erected in May 2008 and four four wild Dartmoor ponies
arrived in June 2008. The common is divided in two by the Dunham Road and the ponies currently only graze the western half there are now plans to install cattle grids on the Dunham Road to allow the ponies to graze whole of the common.
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 10 km (6.2 mi) north-east of the town of Swaffham
Swaffham
Swaffham is a market town and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The town is situated east of King's Lynn and west of Norwich.The civil parish has an area of and in the 2001 census had a population of 6,935 in 3,130 households...
and 40 km (24.9 mi) 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 7.89 km² (3 sq mi) 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 592 in 257 households as of 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....
. 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...
.
Litcham is in the Launditch
Mitford and Launditch
Mitford and Launditch Hundred was an old grouping of parishes for administrative purposes in the County of Norfolk, England. It is located around East Dereham and is bordered by Walsingham Hundred, Aylsham Hundred, Horsham St...
hundred of the 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...
district 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...
, England. It is almost equidistant from three major market towns: East Dereham, 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 Swaffham
Swaffham
Swaffham is a market town and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The town is situated east of King's Lynn and west of Norwich.The civil parish has an area of and in the 2001 census had a population of 6,935 in 3,130 households...
.
The Bull Inn is a 17th century coaching inn
Coaching inn
In Europe, from approximately the mid-17th century for a period of about 200 years, the coaching inn, sometimes called a coaching house or staging inn, was a vital part of the inland transport infrastructure, as an inn serving coach travelers...
with parts dating back to the 14th century. It is the one surviving of many pubs once serving the village.
The village has all the necessary amenities such as a post office, butchers, church, Methodist chapel, bus garage, fish and chip shop and health centre.
Litcham is the location of Litcham High School
Litcham High School
Litcham High School is a state school, located in the village of Litcham in the English county of Norfolk. It has around 560 pupils aged 11–16 , and the current headteacher is Jeremy 'Jez' Nicholls....
and Litcham Primary School.
History
Litcham is mentioned 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...
under the name Licham, Lecham or Leccham as 'a Market Town in the centre of Norfolk'. Other known spellings are Lucham, Lycham, Luychesham to mention but a few.
Edward I
Edward I of England
Edward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...
granted Litcham the right to hold a weekly market, but it did not thrive and had ceased by 1836. However it has left its mark on the layout of Litcham and is probably the reason why Church Street widens out so dramatically just below All Saints Church.
In Elizabethan times the village was the centre of the local tanning industry. The Collinson and Hallcottis families made considerable fortunes and became country squires. The Hallcottis' were local benefactors, building almshouses and paying for a church bell. Mathew Hallcottis is shown on the village sign with his tanning equipment.
In 1831 its population reached 771; more than a third of these were agricultural workers.
In 1977 it was designated a conservation village and boasts eleven listed buildings plus a church and priory that date back to the 12th century. The village sits astride a major crossroads of country lanes, the most important of which is the B1145
B1145 road
The B1145 runs for about through the county of Norfolk, England, between King’s Lynn and Mundesley. The road is an alternative route to the A47 between Kings Lynn and Norwich by way of the A1067 from Bawdeswell onwards.-History:...
which stretches between King's Lynn and Norwich and was once the 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....
- 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...
- Great Yarmouth
Great 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...
stagecoach route. Horses would have been changed at the 17th-century Bull Inn, which also served as the local law court until the late 18th century. On the green in front of the Bull Inn there once stood a row of old cottages and a chapel, which were demolished in 1968. The route out of the village on the B1145 towards Mileham
Mileham
Mileham is a village approximately mid way between East Dereham and Fakenham in Mid Norfolk. The village sits astride of the B1145 Kings Lynn to Mundesley road that dissects Mid Norfolk west to east.It is the old coaching road from Kings Lynn to Norwich and then onto Great Yarmouth.The name Mileham...
passes 'Fourways', a toll house
Toll house
A tollhouse or toll house is a building with accommodation for a toll collector, beside a tollgate on a toll road or canal. Many tollhouses were built by turnpike trusts in England, Wales and Scotland during the 18th and early 19th centuries...
until 1912 and now home to the village museum run by the Litcham Historical Society.
All Saints Church
Litcham is served by All Saints church in the Benefice of Litcham. The square tower was largely rebuilt in the early 15th century. The clock is dated 1725 and was made by the SwaffhamSwaffham
Swaffham is a market town and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The town is situated east of King's Lynn and west of Norwich.The civil parish has an area of and in the 2001 census had a population of 6,935 in 3,130 households...
blacksmith. The tower contains a peal of six bells, which are still rung today by the Litcham Bellringers. The unusual red and green painted rood screen was completed in 1536 and shows twenty-two painted images of saints. The tracery of the upper portions of the screen are carved with great delicacy. The female saints can be identified as Sitha, Cecilia, Dorothy, Juliana, Agnes, Petronella, Helena, and Ursula. The baptismal 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:...
is of the early 15th century and shows shields, now stripped of their identifying painted arms, on the bowl. The church also contains a wooden Dutch coffer, of which there are only five in the country, this used to be used for storing books. Also none of the faces on the statues have been erased unlike in other churches of the area.
There is also a Methodist Chapel, built in 1909, on Front Street.
Litcham Common
Litcham Common is situated the south of the village and is a managed nature reserve consisting of 28 hectares of lowland heath and mixed woodlands. The Nar Valley Way long-distance footpath runs across the common, is never far from the river, and offers a variety of scenery along the country lanes and tracks. The path follows farm tracks through LexhamLexham
Lexham is a parish consisting of the twin villages of East Lexham and West Lexham situated in the Breckland District of Norfolk and covers an area of with a population of 157 as of the 2001 census...
Estate; at each end it passes through commons managed as nature reserves at Litcham and Castle Acre
Castle Acre
Castle Acre is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The village is situated on the River Nar some north of the town of Swaffham...
. A Bronze Age
Bronze Age Britain
Bronze Age Britain refers to the period of British history that spanned from c. 2,500 until c. 800 BC. Lasting for approximately 1700 years, it was preceded by the era of Neolithic Britain and was in turn followed by the era of Iron Age Britain...
burial mound or tumulus
Tumulus
A tumulus is a mound of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves. Tumuli are also known as barrows, burial mounds, Hügelgrab or kurgans, and can be found throughout much of the world. A tumulus composed largely or entirely of stones is usually referred to as a cairn...
was discovered on the common and Roman
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
settlements and roads
Roman roads in Britain
Roman roads, together with Roman aqueducts and the vast standing Roman army , constituted the three most impressive features of the Roman Empire. In Britain, as in other provinces, the Romans constructed a comprehensive network of paved trunk roads Roman roads, together with Roman aqueducts and the...
have been found just outside the village. An extensive collection of coinage and artifacts is housed in the local museum.
Grazing Scheme :
In 2006 Litcham Common Management Committee put forward proposals to introduce grazing which is recommended as by far the best way of preserving this type of habitat. The Management Committee submitted a formal application to the Secretary of State for the erection of stock proof fencing which was approved on 12th February 2007. Fencing was erected in May 2008 and four four wild Dartmoor ponies
Dartmoor pony
-External links:*...
arrived in June 2008. The common is divided in two by the Dunham Road and the ponies currently only graze the western half there are now plans to install cattle grids on the Dunham Road to allow the ponies to graze whole of the common.