Potter Heigham
Encyclopedia
Potter Heigham is a village
and civil parish on the River Thurne
in the English
county of Norfolk
. It is situated some 20 km (12.4 mi) north-east of the city of Norwich
on the A149 road
, and on The Broads
.
The civil parish has an area of 10.38 km² (4 sq mi) and in the 2001 census
had a population of 961 in 425 households. For the purposes of local government, the parish falls within the district
of North Norfolk
although as in other broadland villages, the areas adjacent to the river fall under the administration of the Broads Authority
.
Potter Heigham has a medieval bridge, believed to date from 1385, famous for being the most difficult to navigate in the Broads. The bridge opening is so narrow that only small cruisers can pass through it, and then only at low water, usually with the help of resident pilot Greg Lochhead - there is a fee of £20 - £10 each way for holiday craft in the summer. A modern roadbridge is close by.
The village is part of the Ludham - Potter Heigham NNR
, a National Nature Reserve
. The Weavers Way
, a long distance footpath, passes through the village on its way from Cromer
to Great Yarmouth
.
, the patron saint of fishermen and children. The earliest surviving feature is the round tower, which dates from the 12th century and has a 14th-century octagonal extension, one of the best preserved in the country.
It is famed for its hammerbeam roof
and the almost unique 15th-century brick font. The church also contains a scheme of wall paintings dating from the 14th century, the most readable of which depicts the Seven Works of Mercy. When the roof was re-thatched it required about 1850 bundles of reed. It is one of 124 existing round-tower church
es in Norfolk
. The church is a Grade I listed building.
, to the north of the parish, was used as a seaplane base during World War I
. Part of Ludham Airstrip, a now shrunken remnant of a larger World War II
airbase, is also built on parish lands, and there were a number of defensive structures around the medieval bridge.
lived and worked in Potter Heigham. He was famous for his collection of Norfolk dialect
letters entitled The Boy John Letters, which were originally published in the Eastern Daily Press
.
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 on 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...
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...
. It is situated some 20 km (12.4 mi) north-east 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...
on the A149 road
A149 road
The A149 is a major route in Norfolk, linking Kings Lynn to Great Yarmouth. It runs via the coast rather than on a more direct route such as the A47. The eastern section runs through The Broads.-Kings Lynn to Wells next the Sea:...
, and on 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...
.
The civil parish has an area of 10.38 km² (4 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 961 in 425 households. 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 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:...
although as in other broadland villages, the areas adjacent to the river fall under the administration of the Broads Authority
Broads Authority
The Broads Authority is the agency which has statutory responsibility for the Broads in England. Originally, the Nature Conservancy Council , pressed for a special authority to manage the Broads which had been neglected for a long time. In 1978, the forerunner to the present-day Broads Authority...
.
Potter Heigham has a medieval bridge, believed to date from 1385, famous for being the most difficult to navigate in the Broads. The bridge opening is so narrow that only small cruisers can pass through it, and then only at low water, usually with the help of resident pilot Greg Lochhead - there is a fee of £20 - £10 each way for holiday craft in the summer. A modern roadbridge is close by.
The village 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 Weavers Way
Weavers Way
For the Philadelphia co-op see Weavers Way Co-opThe Weavers' Way is a long distance footpath in Norfolk, England. It is 56 miles long and runs from Cromer to Great Yarmouth...
, a long distance footpath, passes through the village on its way from 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...
to 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...
.
Broads Haven
One of Potter Heigham's biggest and most striking features is the Broads Haven building, which is located next to the bridge. Located at the famous Herbert Woods boatyard, the building currently houses offices for Waterside Estate Agents and Waterside Marine Sales.Church of St Nicholas
Potter Heigham church is dedicated to St NicholasSaint Nicholas
Saint Nicholas , also called Nikolaos of Myra, was a historic 4th-century saint and Greek Bishop of Myra . Because of the many miracles attributed to his intercession, he is also known as Nikolaos the Wonderworker...
, the patron saint of fishermen and children. The earliest surviving feature is the round tower, which dates from the 12th century and has a 14th-century octagonal extension, one of the best preserved in the country.
It is famed for its hammerbeam roof
Roof
A roof is the covering on the uppermost part of a building. A roof protects the building and its contents from the effects of weather. Structures that require roofs range from a letter box to a cathedral or stadium, dwellings being the most numerous....
and the almost unique 15th-century brick font. The church also contains a scheme of wall paintings dating from the 14th century, the most readable of which depicts the Seven Works of Mercy. When the roof was re-thatched it required about 1850 bundles of reed. It is one of 124 existing round-tower church
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...
es 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...
. The church is a Grade I listed building.
Buildings of note
Apart from the church of St Nicholas and the medieval bridge, Potter Heigham has a number of buildings of historic or architectural note. These include Heigham Holmes windpump to the east of the parish, High's mill on the River Thurne, and Sunways corn mill, all of which are listed buildings.Potter Heigham at war
The parish of Potter Heigham has a number of features related to the World Wars. Hickling BroadHickling Broad
Hickling Broad lies within The Broads National Park in Norfolk, England,. 4 km south-east of Stalham.It is a National Nature Reserve established by English Nature and in the care of the Norfolk Wildlife Trust, who run boat trips around the reserve for visitors. It is also part of the Upper...
, to the north of the parish, was used as a seaplane base during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Part of Ludham Airstrip, a now shrunken remnant of a larger World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
airbase, is also built on parish lands, and there were a number of defensive structures around the medieval bridge.
Sidney Grapes
The Norfolk humourist Sidney GrapesSidney Grapes
Sidney Grapes was a British comedian, the owner of a bicycle shop and later a garage in Potter Heigham, a village in northeast Norfolk.In the years before the Second World War, he acquired a reputation as an amateur Norfolk dialect comedian, performing at social functions in many parts of the...
lived and worked in Potter Heigham. He was famous for his collection of Norfolk dialect
Norfolk dialect
The Norfolk dialect, also known as Broad Norfolk, is a dialect that was once, and to a great extent, still is spoken by those living in the county of Norfolk in England...
letters entitled The Boy John Letters, which were originally published in the Eastern Daily Press
Eastern Daily Press
The Eastern Daily Press, commonly referred to as the EDP, is a regional newspaper covering Norfolk, and northern parts of Suffolk and eastern Cambridgeshire, and is published daily in Norwich, UK....
.
External links
.- Information from Genuki Norfolk on Potter Heigham.
- Website with photos of Potter Heigham St. Nicholas, a round-tower churchRound-tower churchRound-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...
- Southall, A. (2006).‘A Vision of Britain Through Time: Potter Heigham CP’