Ludham
Encyclopedia
Ludham is a village
and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk
, in The Broads
, at the end of a dyke leading to Womack Water and flowing into the River Thurne
. It lies 1.5 miles (2.4 km) to the East of Ludham Bridge
, which is on the River Ant
.
It covers an area of 12.18 km² (4.7 sq mi) and had a population of 1,301 in 582 households as of the 2001 census
.
For the purposes of local government, it falls within the district
of North Norfolk
.
It is part of the Ludham - Potter Heigham NNR
, a National Nature Reserve
.
The village gave its name to a Ham class minesweeper
, HMS Ludham
.
to the Admiralty
on 24 August 1944 and occupied by the Mobile Naval Airfields Organisation. RNAS Ludham was commissioned as HMS Flycatcher
, RNAS Ludham on 4 September under the command of the Senior Officer Mobile Naval Airfields Organisation.
At Ludham the MNAO assembled and despatched the first five Mobile Naval Air Bases
(MONAB) and one "Transportable Aircraft Maintenance Yard" (TAMY). Flycatcher moved from Ludham to RAF Middle Wallop which was more advantageous to shipping the assembled units to the Far East
. In return the RAF took Ludham on again.
and Muriel Pavlow
. Adapted from the novel by Don Sharp
, the story takes place in a Norfolk country village where the locals decide to fight against a proposal to build a rocket range on a bird sanctuary.
Filming took place in the village centre and shows many buildings and features (including the Bakers Arms pub and the very narrow main road through the village) which no longer exist.
A photograph showing filming and more information about Ludham can be accessed at the Ludham Community Archive website http://www.ludhamarchive.org.uk/nita.htm
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 in the English 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...
, in The Broads
The Broads
The Broads are a network of mostly navigable rivers and lakes in the English counties of Norfolk and Suffolk. The Broads, and some surrounding land were constituted as a special area with a level of protection similar to a UK National Park by The Norfolk and Suffolk Broads Act of 1988...
, at the end of a dyke leading to Womack Water and flowing into the River Thurne
River Thurne
The River Thurne is a river in Norfolk, England in The Broads. Just six miles long it rises two miles from the coast near Martham Broad and is navigable from West Somerton. It flows southwest and is linked by Candle Dyke and Heigham Sound to both Horsey Mere and Hickling Broad...
. It lies 1.5 miles (2.4 km) to the East of Ludham Bridge
Ludham Bridge
Ludham Bridge is a hamlet on the River Ant on the Norfolk Broads in Norfolk, England....
, which is on the River Ant
River Ant
The River Ant is a tributary river of the River Bure in the county of Norfolk, England. It is 17 miles long , and has an overall drop of 25 metres from source to mouth...
.
It covers an area of 12.18 km² (4.7 sq mi) and had a population of 1,301 in 582 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, it 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:...
.
It is part of the Ludham - Potter Heigham NNR
Ludham - Potter Heigham NNR
Ludham–Potter Heigham Marshes NNR is a National Nature Reserve established and owned by English Nature in Norfolk, England. Located within The Broads National Park, it is an internationally important wetland site....
, a National Nature Reserve
National Nature Reserve
For details of National nature reserves in the United Kingdom see:*National Nature Reserves in England*National Nature Reserves in Northern Ireland*National Nature Reserves in Scotland*National Nature Reserves in Wales...
.
The village gave its name to a Ham class minesweeper
Ham class minesweeper
The Ham class was a class of inshore minesweepers , known as the Type 1, of the British Royal Navy. The class was designed to operate in the shallow water of rivers and estuaries. It took its name from the fact that all the ship names were British place names ending in -"ham"...
, HMS Ludham
HMS Ludham
HMS Ludham was one of 93 ships of the of inshore minesweepers.Their names were all chosen from villages ending in -ham. The minesweeper was named after Ludham in Norfolk.-References:*Blackman, R.V.B. ed. Jane's Fighting Ships...
.
RAF Ludham
Ludham was transferred from No. 12 Group RAFNo. 12 Group RAF
No. 12 Group of the Royal Air Force was a command organization that exisited over two separate periods, namely the end of World War I when it had a training function and from just prior to World War II until the early 1960s when it was tasked with an air defence role.No. 12 Group was first formed...
to the Admiralty
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
on 24 August 1944 and occupied by the Mobile Naval Airfields Organisation. RNAS Ludham was commissioned as HMS Flycatcher
HMS Flycatcher
HMS Flycatcher was a stone frigate name for the Royal Navy's headquarters for its Mobile Naval Air Bases which supported their Fleet Air Arm units.Flycatcher was based first at RNAS Ludham, Norfolk then moved to RAF Middle Wallop....
, RNAS Ludham on 4 September under the command of the Senior Officer Mobile Naval Airfields Organisation.
At Ludham the MNAO assembled and despatched the first five Mobile Naval Air Bases
Mobile Naval Air Bases
Mobile Operational Naval Air Bases were a series of mobile units first formed in 1944 to provide logistical support to the Fleet Air Arm aircraft of the Royal Navy's British Pacific Fleet towards the end of World War II....
(MONAB) and one "Transportable Aircraft Maintenance Yard" (TAMY). Flycatcher moved from Ludham to RAF Middle Wallop which was more advantageous to shipping the assembled units to the Far East
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
. In return the RAF took Ludham on again.
Film location
Ludham was one of the film locations for the 1954 movie "Conflict of Wings" starring John GregsonJohn Gregson
John Gregson was an English actor.He was born Harold Thomas Gregson, of Irish descent, and grew up in Wavertree, Liverpool, where he was educated at Greenbank Road primary school, later St Francis Xavier School...
and Muriel Pavlow
Muriel Pavlow
Muriel Lilian Pavlow is a British actress. Her mother was French and her father was Russian.-Film career:She began work as a child actor with John Gielgud and the Royal Shakespeare Company...
. Adapted from the novel by Don Sharp
Don Sharp
Donald Sharp is a British film director.His most famous films were made for Hammer Studios in the sixties, and included The Kiss of the Vampire and Rasputin, the Mad Monk . Also in 1965 he directed The Face of Fu Manchu, based on the character created by Sax Rohmer, here played by Christopher Lee...
, the story takes place in a Norfolk country village where the locals decide to fight against a proposal to build a rocket range on a bird sanctuary.
Filming took place in the village centre and shows many buildings and features (including the Bakers Arms pub and the very narrow main road through the village) which no longer exist.
A photograph showing filming and more information about Ludham can be accessed at the Ludham Community Archive website http://www.ludhamarchive.org.uk/nita.htm
Notable residents
- Edward SeagoEdward SeagoEdward Brian Seago RBA ARWS RWS was an English artist who painted in both oils and watercolours.The son of a coal merchant, born in Norwich, Seago was a self-taught artist, , and enjoyed a wide range of admirers from the British Royal family and the Aga Khan to the common man...
, the landscape artistLandscape artLandscape art is a term that covers the depiction of natural scenery such as mountains, valleys, trees, rivers, and forests, and especially art where the main subject is a wide view, with its elements arranged into a coherent composition. In other works landscape backgrounds for figures can still...
lived in the village at the Grade II listed Dutch House.