Salthouse
Encyclopedia
Salthouse is a village and a civil parish
in the English
county of Norfolk. It is situated on the salt marsh
es of North Norfolk
. It is 3.8 miles (6.1 km) north of Holt
, 5.4 miles (8.7 km) west of Sheringham
and 26.3 miles (42.3 km) north of Norwich
. The village is on the A149
coast road between King's Lynn
and Great Yarmouth
. The nearest railway station is at Sheringham
for the Bittern Line
which runs between Sheringham
, Cromer
and Norwich. The nearest airport is Norwich International Airport
. The landscape around Salthouse lies within the Norfolk Coast AONB
(Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
) and the North Norfolk Heritage Coast. The civil parish has an area of 6.22 km² (2.4 sq mi) and in 2001 had a population of 196 in 88 households. For the purposes of local government, the parish falls within the district
of North Norfolk
.
Changes in governmental policy have discontinued management of coastal erosion
in North Norfolk.
Since 2001 the Church of St Nicholas in Salthouse village has been the setting for an annual month-long contemporary art exhibition by artists with a Norfolk connection. The exhibition is organised by the North Norfolk Exhibition Project (NNEP). The curator of Salthouse 09 was Simon Martin from Pallant House Gallery
in Chichester, on a theme of 'Salt of the Earth.' The exhibition ran from 2 July to 2 August 2009 and included ceramics, film, installation, painting, printmaking and sculpture. The 50 artists in the exhibition included Maggi Hambling
, Gary Breeze, Kabir Hussain, Colin Self, Margaret Mellis and Ana Maria Pacheco and the potters Ruthanne Tudball and Stephen Parry.
The Salthouse Sculpture Trail http://www.salthousetrail.co.uk/index.html features a number of local artist’s sculptures over approximately ten miles, linking Salthouse Church and Heath, Holt
town, Holt Country Park, Kelling Heath Holiday Park and Kelling Heath
.
. It was once what it says it was: a “House for the storing of salt” and the Domesday Book
of 1086 describes it so. Norfolk and Lincolnshire
had more salt pans than any other counties of Medieval Britain
. To produce salt seawater
was boiled in clay
vessels with the salt formed after the process fashioned into blocks of a standard weight and measure. Much evidence of this activity can be found along this stretch of the coast. There is evidence of even earlier settlements around Salthouse. During the construction of the village hall in 1954 a drinking vessel or beaker
was dug up which dated from the Neolithic
period around 2000 B.C.
along with the fossilised vertebrae of a whale
. Evidence has also been found of a Neolithic Causewayed enclosure
. The earthwork is approximately circular, with a diameter of 60 meters. The circuit appears to be divided into at least seven separate lengths of ditch, although there is a larger gap to the north where a further two stretches of ditch may be obscured. The enclosure lies on a south facing slope 50 meters above sea level on Salthouse Heath. The way in which this enclosure was used is not fully understood, but it may have been a meeting point for small, dispersed groups of people living in the surrounding area, a place where the exchange of goods, ritual feasting and other ceremonial activities might have taken place. There was also evidence uncovered of Bronze age
activity also. The tumuli
at near-by Three Halfpenny and Three Farthing hills yielded brown clay urn
s, burnt bones and other relics in 1850 excavations. On Gramborough Hill evidence has been uncovered of a substantial Roman
building believed to have been a fort with a settlement which was occupied between the early 3rd century until the middle of the 4th century.
and saline lagoons are managed as a nature reserve by the Norfolk Wildlife Trust
. Lying between Walsey Hills and Kelling Hard, the marshes are of international importance for wildlife, particularly birds.
of glacial moraine, the heath is an important wildlife site and also has the largest cluster of Bronze Age
burial mounds in Norfolk. The predominant vegetation is gorse
and heather
, but in recent years the open aspect of the southern part has been lost by encroaching birch
and oak
woodland
. It is well-known locally as a good place to hear Nightingales
and Nightjar
s in early summer.
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. It is situated on the salt marsh
Salt marsh
A salt marsh is an environment in the upper coastal intertidal zone between land and salt water or brackish water, it is dominated by dense stands of halophytic plants such as herbs, grasses, or low shrubs. These plants are terrestrial in origin and are essential to the stability of the salt marsh...
es 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 3.8 miles (6.1 km) north of Holt
Holt, Norfolk
Holt is a market town and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The town is north of the city of Norwich, west of Cromer and east of King's Lynn. The town is on the route of the A148 King's Lynn to Cromer road. The nearest railway station is in the town of Sheringham where access to the...
, 5.4 miles (8.7 km) west of Sheringham
Sheringham
Sheringham is a seaside town in Norfolk, England, west of Cromer.The motto of the town, granted in 1953 to the Sheringham Urban District Council, is Mare Ditat Pinusque Decorat, Latin for "The sea enriches and the pine adorns"....
and 26.3 miles (42.3 km) north 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 village is on the A149
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:...
coast road between 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....
and 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...
. The nearest railway station is at Sheringham
Sheringham railway station
Sheringham railway station is a timber halt in the town of Sheringham in the English county of Norfolk. The station is the terminus of the Bittern Line, operated by National Express East Anglia, and is 49 km north of...
for 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 Sheringham
Sheringham
Sheringham is a seaside town in Norfolk, England, west of Cromer.The motto of the town, granted in 1953 to the Sheringham Urban District Council, is Mare Ditat Pinusque Decorat, Latin for "The sea enriches and the pine adorns"....
, 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 landscape around Salthouse lies within the Norfolk Coast AONB
Norfolk Coast AONB
The Norfolk Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty covers over 450 km2 of coastal and agricultural land from the The Wash in the west through coastal marshes and cliffs to the sand dunes at Winterton in the east....
(Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is an area of countryside considered to have significant landscape value in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, that has been specially designated by the Countryside Agency on behalf of the United Kingdom government; the Countryside Council for Wales on...
) and the North Norfolk Heritage Coast. The civil parish has an area of 6.22 km² (2.4 sq mi) and in 2001 had a population of 196 in 88 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:...
.
Changes in governmental policy have discontinued management of coastal erosion
Coastal erosion
Coastal erosion is the wearing away of land and the removal of beach or dune sediments by wave action, tidal currents, wave currents, or drainage...
in North Norfolk.
Since 2001 the Church of St Nicholas in Salthouse village has been the setting for an annual month-long contemporary art exhibition by artists with a Norfolk connection. The exhibition is organised by the North Norfolk Exhibition Project (NNEP). The curator of Salthouse 09 was Simon Martin from Pallant House Gallery
Pallant House Gallery
Pallant House Gallery is an art gallery in Chichester, West Sussex, England. It houses one of the best collections of 20th century British art in the world....
in Chichester, on a theme of 'Salt of the Earth.' The exhibition ran from 2 July to 2 August 2009 and included ceramics, film, installation, painting, printmaking and sculpture. The 50 artists in the exhibition included Maggi Hambling
Maggi Hambling
Maggi Hambling CBE is an English painter and sculptor. Perhaps her best known public works are a memorial to Oscar Wilde in central London and Scallop, a 4 metre high steel sculpture of two interlocking scallop shells on Aldeburgh beach dedicated to Benjamin Britten...
, Gary Breeze, Kabir Hussain, Colin Self, Margaret Mellis and Ana Maria Pacheco and the potters Ruthanne Tudball and Stephen Parry.
The Salthouse Sculpture Trail http://www.salthousetrail.co.uk/index.html features a number of local artist’s sculptures over approximately ten miles, linking Salthouse Church and Heath, Holt
Holt, Norfolk
Holt is a market town and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The town is north of the city of Norwich, west of Cromer and east of King's Lynn. The town is on the route of the A148 King's Lynn to Cromer road. The nearest railway station is in the town of Sheringham where access to the...
town, Holt Country Park, Kelling Heath Holiday Park and Kelling Heath
Kelling Heath
Kelling Heath is an area of heathland on the coast of North Norfolk, England, between Holt and Weybourne. It has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest, and is described by Natural England as 'a fine example of oceanic heathland'...
.
Origins
The name of the village comes from the once valuable commodity of SaltSalt
In chemistry, salts are ionic compounds that result from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base. They are composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
. It was once what it says it was: a “House for the storing of salt” and the Domesday Book
Domesday 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 1086 describes it so. Norfolk and Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
had more salt pans than any other counties of Medieval Britain
England in the Middle Ages
England in the Middle Ages concerns the history of England during the Medieval period — from the end of Roman rule in Britain through to the Early Modern period...
. To produce salt seawater
Seawater
Seawater is water from a sea or ocean. On average, seawater in the world's oceans has a salinity of about 3.5% . This means that every kilogram of seawater has approximately of dissolved salts . The average density of seawater at the ocean surface is 1.025 g/ml...
was boiled in clay
Clay
Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...
vessels with the salt formed after the process fashioned into blocks of a standard weight and measure. Much evidence of this activity can be found along this stretch of the coast. There is evidence of even earlier settlements around Salthouse. During the construction of the village hall in 1954 a drinking vessel or beaker
Beaker culture
The Bell-Beaker culture , ca. 2400 – 1800 BC, is the term for a widely scattered cultural phenomenon of prehistoric western Europe starting in the late Neolithic or Chalcolithic running into the early Bronze Age...
was dug up which dated from the 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...
period around 2000 B.C.
along with the fossilised vertebrae of a whale
Whale
Whale is the common name for various marine mammals of the order Cetacea. The term whale sometimes refers to all cetaceans, but more often it excludes dolphins and porpoises, which belong to suborder Odontoceti . This suborder also includes the sperm whale, killer whale, pilot whale, and beluga...
. Evidence has also been found of a Neolithic Causewayed enclosure
Causewayed enclosure
A causewayed enclosure is a type of large prehistoric earthwork common to the early Neolithic in Europe. More than 100 examples are recorded in France and 70 in England, while further sites are known in Scandinavia, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Ireland and Slovakia.The term "causewayed enclosure" is...
. The earthwork is approximately circular, with a diameter of 60 meters. The circuit appears to be divided into at least seven separate lengths of ditch, although there is a larger gap to the north where a further two stretches of ditch may be obscured. The enclosure lies on a south facing slope 50 meters above sea level on Salthouse Heath. The way in which this enclosure was used is not fully understood, but it may have been a meeting point for small, dispersed groups of people living in the surrounding area, a place where the exchange of goods, ritual feasting and other ceremonial activities might have taken place. There was also evidence uncovered of Bronze age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
activity also. The tumuli
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...
at near-by Three Halfpenny and Three Farthing hills yielded brown clay urn
Urn
An urn is a vase, ordinarily covered, that usually has a narrowed neck above a footed pedestal. "Knife urns" placed on pedestals flanking a dining-room sideboard were an English innovation for high-style dining rooms of the late 1760s...
s, burnt bones and other relics in 1850 excavations. On Gramborough Hill evidence has been uncovered of a substantial Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
building believed to have been a fort with a settlement which was occupied between the early 3rd century until the middle of the 4th century.
Salthouse Marshes
66 hectares of coastal grazing marshGrazing marsh
Grazing marsh is a British Isles term for flat, marshy grassland in polders. It consists of large grass fields separated by fresh or brackish ditches, and is often important for its wildlife.-History:...
and saline lagoons are managed as a nature reserve by the Norfolk Wildlife Trust
Norfolk Wildlife Trust
The Norfolk Wildlife Trust, Norfolk, England, formerly known as the Norfolk Naturalists' Trust, is one of almost 50 wildlife trusts throughout the United Kingdom.Founded in 1926, it is the oldest of all the trusts....
. Lying between Walsey Hills and Kelling Hard, the marshes are of international importance for wildlife, particularly birds.
Salthouse Heath
Forming part of the Cromer RidgeCromer Ridge
Cromer Ridge is a ridge of old glacial moraines that stands next to the coast above Cromer, Norfolk, England. Cromer Ridge seems to have been the front line of the ice sheet for some time at the last glaciation, which is shown by the large size of the feature...
of glacial moraine, the heath is an important wildlife site and also has the largest cluster of Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
burial mounds in Norfolk. The predominant vegetation is gorse
Gorse
Gorse, furze, furse or whin is a genus of about 20 plant species of thorny evergreen shrubs in the subfamily Faboideae of the pea family Fabaceae, native to western Europe and northwest Africa, with the majority of species in Iberia.Gorse is closely related to the brooms, and like them, has green...
and heather
Calluna
Calluna vulgaris is the sole species in the genus Calluna in the family Ericaceae. It is a low-growing perennial shrub growing to tall, or rarely to and taller, and is found widely in Europe and Asia Minor on acidic soils in open sunny situations and in moderate shade...
, but in recent years the open aspect of the southern part has been lost by encroaching birch
Birch
Birch is a tree or shrub of the genus Betula , in the family Betulaceae, closely related to the beech/oak family, Fagaceae. The Betula genus contains 30–60 known taxa...
and oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
woodland
Woodland
Ecologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
. It is well-known locally as a good place to hear Nightingales
Nightingales
Nightingales is a British situation comedy set around the antics of three security guards working the night shift. It was produced by Alomo Productions for Channel 4 in 1990.-Outline:...
and Nightjar
Nightjar
Nightjars are medium-sized nocturnal or crepuscular birds with long wings, short legs and very short bills. They are sometimes referred to as goatsuckers from the mistaken belief that they suck milk from goats . Some New World species are named as nighthawks...
s in early summer.