Little Cressingham
Encyclopedia
Little Cressingham lies 2.5 miles (4 km) south east by road from Great Cressingham
, 3 miles (4.8 km) west of Watton
and 8 miles (12.9 km) south of Swaffham
in the Breckland District
of Norfolk
. It covers an area of 11.9 km² (4.6 sq mi) and had a population of 157 in 70 households as of the 2001 census
The village is located on the edge of the Stanford Battle Area
.
The village is dispersed, with the main centre focused on a crossroads around the church and the mill. The village church is dedicated to St Andrew and is partially ruined. The building is medieval and designated as a Grade I listed building. The village is in the Benefice
of Cockley Cley
. The round tower
Church of All Saints at Threxton
lies 0.5 mile (0.80467 km) to the east of the village.
The village pub, The White Horse, closed in 2004. Next to the church is the old Free School founded and endowed by William Farrer in 1809 and built at a cost of £144. It is now the village hall. The mill at Little Cressingham, a Grade II* listed building, is both a water and wind mill, one of only two in Norfolk. It was built in about 1820 on the Clermont Estate and is now disused.
, friend of the Prince of Wales
. He built Clermont Lodge as a shooting box and it was extended by his nephew and heir William Charles Fortescue (1764–1829), Viscount Clermont.
Following Viscount Clermont's death without issue Clermont Estate was sold to Sir Francis Lyttleton Holyoake Goodricke
in 1844 and in 1858 it was purchased by the 2nd Duke of Wellington
. In 1863 he conveyed the Hilborough and Clermont Estates to John Remington Mills.John Remington Mills was one of two sons of Samuel Mills (d 1847) of Russell Square. Both sons bought country estates. Thomas Mills, barrister and MP, bought Tolmers in Hertfordshire (which his brother inherited) and John Remington Mills bought the Hilborough and Clermont Estates at Little Cressingham, retaining property and business interests in London and elsewhere. In 1869 Mills bought the Watton estate and an outlying farm at Tottenhill in Norfolk. His son Joseph Trueman Mills added the South Pickenham
estate, Norfolk.
The last owner of Clermont Hall was Sir Richard Prince-SmithRichard Prince-Smith died in June 2007 at his home in Palm Springs
, California. who acquired the estate in 1966 and sold it in 1997. The estate, which originally extended to 2734 acres (11.1 km²), was broken up from 1977 onwards. Much of it is now owned by the UK Ministry of Defence
.
Clermont House was built in 1971/2 in the walled garden of Clermont Hall as a replacement for Clermont Hall and as an agent's house. John Davies, Prince-Smith's resident land agent from 1971—1997, bought Clermont House in 1977. Davies added to the house in later years and in 1983 developed an arboretum extending 13 acres (52,609.2 m²) which is open to public visitors.. In 1972 Clermont Hall was found to be riddled with dry rot but attempts to demolish were thwarted by the imposition of a preservation order. The hall was sold in 1973 to Philip Jones, an artist, who demolished the servants quarters and restored the main house in 19 acres (76,890.3 m²) of land with cottages.
Great Cressingham
Great Cressingham is a village which lies about of Watton, south of Swaffham and only off the A1065 arterial road just north of Hilborough. It is north west by road from Little Cressingham...
, 3 miles (4.8 km) west of Watton
Watton, Norfolk
Watton is a market town in the district of Breckland within the English county of Norfolk. It is situated on the crossroads of the A1075 Dereham-Thetford road and the B1108 Brandon-Norwich Road, about west of Norwich....
and 8 miles (12.9 km) south 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...
in the Breckland District
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...
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 covers an area of 11.9 km² (4.6 sq mi) and had a population of 157 in 70 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....
The village is located on the edge of the Stanford Battle Area
Stanford Battle Area
Stanford Battle Area, better known as the Stanford Training Area , is a British Army training area situated in the English county of Norfolk. The area is approximately in size; it is some north of the town of Thetford and south-west of the city of Norwich...
.
The village is dispersed, with the main centre focused on a crossroads around the church and the mill. The village church is dedicated to St Andrew and is partially ruined. The building is medieval and designated as a Grade I listed building. The village is in the Benefice
Benefice
A benefice is a reward received in exchange for services rendered and as a retainer for future services. The term is now almost obsolete.-Church of England:...
of Cockley Cley
Cockley Cley
Cockley Cley is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk.It covers an area of and had a population of 138 in 58 households as of the 2001 census. For the purposes of local government, it falls within the district of Breckland....
. The round tower
Round-tower church
Round-tower churches are a type of church found mainly in England, almost solely in East Anglia; of about 185 surviving examples in the country, 124 are in Norfolk, 38 in Suffolk, 6 in Essex, 3 in Sussex and 2 each in Cambridgeshire and Berkshire. There is evidence of about twenty round-tower...
Church of All Saints at Threxton
Threxton, All Saints
Threxton All Saints is a round-tower church at Threxton Hill situated east of the village of Little Cressingham and west of the town of Watton in the English county of Norfolk. The church is medieval with a late 13th century tower as well as a 14th century octagonal font and remnants of medieval...
lies 0.5 mile (0.80467 km) to the east of the village.
The village pub, The White Horse, closed in 2004. Next to the church is the old Free School founded and endowed by William Farrer in 1809 and built at a cost of £144. It is now the village hall. The mill at Little Cressingham, a Grade II* listed building, is both a water and wind mill, one of only two in Norfolk. It was built in about 1820 on the Clermont Estate and is now disused.
Clermont estate
The Clermont Estate in Threxton, hamlet near Little Cressingham, was created by the Irish peer William Henry Fortescue (1722–1806), Earl of ClermontEarl of Clermont
Viscount Clermont, of Clermont in the County of Louth, was a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1776 for William Fortescue, 1st Baron Clermont, with remainder in default of male issue of his own to his brother James Fortescue and the heirs male of his body. He was the son of Thomas...
, friend of the Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
. He built Clermont Lodge as a shooting box and it was extended by his nephew and heir William Charles Fortescue (1764–1829), Viscount Clermont.
Following Viscount Clermont's death without issue Clermont Estate was sold to Sir Francis Lyttleton Holyoake Goodricke
Holyoake-Goodricke Baronets
The Holyoake-Goodricke Baronetcy, of Studley Castle in the County of Warwick, was a title in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 31 March 1835 for Francis Holyoake-Goodricke of Studley Castle, Warwickshire. He was descended from the Lyttletons of Studley Castle and was born...
in 1844 and in 1858 it was purchased by the 2nd Duke of Wellington
Arthur Wellesley, 2nd Duke of Wellington
Lieutenant-General Arthur Richard Wellesley, 2nd Duke of Wellington KG, PC , styled Lord Douro between 1812 and 1814 and Marquess of Douro between 1814 and 1852, was a British soldier and politician...
. In 1863 he conveyed the Hilborough and Clermont Estates to John Remington Mills.John Remington Mills was one of two sons of Samuel Mills (d 1847) of Russell Square. Both sons bought country estates. Thomas Mills, barrister and MP, bought Tolmers in Hertfordshire (which his brother inherited) and John Remington Mills bought the Hilborough and Clermont Estates at Little Cressingham, retaining property and business interests in London and elsewhere. In 1869 Mills bought the Watton estate and an outlying farm at Tottenhill in Norfolk. His son Joseph Trueman Mills added the South Pickenham
South Pickenham
South Pickenham is a small village and civil parish in the Breckland district of mid Norfolk, East Anglia, England. It has an area of 758 hectares and a population of 101 in 40 households as of the 2001 census....
estate, Norfolk.
The last owner of Clermont Hall was Sir Richard Prince-SmithRichard Prince-Smith died in June 2007 at his home in Palm Springs
Palm Springs, California
Palm Springs is a desert city in Riverside County, California, within the Coachella Valley. It is located approximately 37 miles east of San Bernardino, 111 miles east of Los Angeles and 136 miles northeast of San Diego...
, California. who acquired the estate in 1966 and sold it in 1997. The estate, which originally extended to 2734 acres (11.1 km²), was broken up from 1977 onwards. Much of it is now owned by the UK Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
.
Clermont House was built in 1971/2 in the walled garden of Clermont Hall as a replacement for Clermont Hall and as an agent's house. John Davies, Prince-Smith's resident land agent from 1971—1997, bought Clermont House in 1977. Davies added to the house in later years and in 1983 developed an arboretum extending 13 acres (52,609.2 m²) which is open to public visitors.. In 1972 Clermont Hall was found to be riddled with dry rot but attempts to demolish were thwarted by the imposition of a preservation order. The hall was sold in 1973 to Philip Jones, an artist, who demolished the servants quarters and restored the main house in 19 acres (76,890.3 m²) of land with cottages.