Sheringham
Encyclopedia
Sheringham is a seaside town
(population 7,143) 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".
, a farming community, and Lower Sheringham, which combined farming with fishing
.
The fishing industry was at its peak in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as the coming of the railways made it possible for fish to be transported more efficiently to market. Through the 1900s the focus of the fishing, as all along the north Norfolk coast, began to be on crabs, lobsters and whelk
s. The local fishermen were major suppliers of crabs and lobsters to the London fish markets. Long lining
for cod
and the catching of herring
began to become less important in the second half of the century, as did whelking. Today, from a peak of maybe 200 boats, Sheringham has eight boats operated single-handed.
The current town of Sheringham was once Lower Sheringham, a fishing station for the main village, now known as Upper Sheringham. It is a railway town
that was developed with the coming of the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway
line in the late 19th century. Most of Sheringham's range of buildings and shops come from this period and the early 20th century. It has a particularly interesting range of buildings using flint, not normally in the traditional Norfolk style but in a variety of techniques.
with a wide range of privately-owned shops. On Saturdays throughout the year there is a popular market in the car park next to the railway station which attracts large crowds even out of the holiday season. The town also has a good selection of specialist shops such as second-hand books, antiques
and bric-a-brac
, fishing tackle
and bait, a computer shop, a model shop, and arts and craft shops. The Sheringham Little Theatre
has a wide range of productions on throughout the year including a well-established summer repertory
season running from July to September, and a popular pantomime
at Christmas
; in the foyer
is a coffee shop with display of art by local artists. There is a selection of food outlets, pubs, restaurants, and a youth hostel.
On the 15 October 2010, Tesco won a 14 year battle to open a store in the town. In a split vote North Norfolk District Council development committee chairman Simon Partridge used his casting vote in favour of the scheme
Otterndorf Green is a small green space between the town's railway stations. It commemorates Sheringham's twinning
with the German town of Otterndorf
.
visitor centre.
JC Madge (1904–36) pulling and sailing.
Foresters Centenary (1936–61) the towns first motorised lifeboat.
Manchester Unity of Oddfellows (1961–90) an Oakley Class lifeboat, Sheringham’s last offshore boat. Within the next two to three years Sheringham Museum Trust plans to have an extended museum to house this unique collection together with three crab boats and general lifeboat and fishing industry ephemera. The town has no harbour, so the lifeboat has to be launched by tractor, and the fishing boats are hauled up the beach. An old sail-powered lifeboat is preserved in the former lifeboat shed and the three other preserved RNLI lifeboats are kept in another centre.
remains open as the Bittern Line
. Beyond Sheringham station
, the line has been preserved as the North Norfolk Railway
also known as "The Poppy Line" to Holt
.
The Roman Catholic Church of St Joseph, on Cromer Road was designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott. In 1901 a donation of over £3,000 by Catherine Deterding
, the wife of the managing director and founder of the Shell Oil Company
, enabled the purchase of land around an existing chapel to build a new church. Work began in 1902 and the first section, St Joseph's chapel was completed in 1908. In 1910 the second section opened, which comprises the sanctuary
, nave
and the porch. Later the church was completed by extending the nave and adding a new porch. The complete building was consecrated on the 25 March 1935. From the outside it is possible to see the join between the northern two-thirds opened in 1910, and the southern extension completed in 1935. This large red-brick church towers over its neighbours. The north end, (the liturgical east), has a high rose window, while each long side is pierced by three vast Perpendicular-style windows. The church is entered through a porch and into a narthex
on the south west corner of the building. Behind a grilled area to the east there is a large framed icon
of the Blessed Virgin. Inside the church the height and narrowness emphasizes the arcade
s which are also of a good height and have arches of alternate sizes. The décor is a mixture of both the arts and crafts movement
and industrial Gothic
, a signature of Gibert Scott’s style. The font
is a replica the seven sacraments font at Little Walsingham.There are some good pieces of early 20th century devotional art
much of which was imported from the studio and workshop of Ferdinand Stuflesser in the Austrian Tyrol
. There is a rood screen
above the entrance to the sanctuary
. The Stations of the Cross
, ordered from Stuflesser, spent the First World War in the hold of a German freighter impounded at Genoa
. In September 2008, Father Denys Lloyd arrived as the successor to Father Peter Brown, whom retired to Wells-next-the-Sea
.
.jpg)
The memorial to the men and women of Sheringham and Beeston Regis
who died in military service during the two World War
s is located at on the traffic island at the intersection of The Boulevard, St Nicholas Place and The Esplanade. It was designed by Herbert Palmer somewhat in the style of an Eleanor cross
. It is of Clipsham
stone and stands 26 feet (7.9 m) tall. It was unveiled on 1 January 1921. The names of the dead are on four panels that form the base of the cross. A recent addition to the memorial is a small wrought-iron fence around the base with poppy motifs. There are also further names on memorial boards in the nearby parish church of St Peter.
on the Lifeboat Plain, built in 1867, was the original RNLI Lifeboat
station and a gathering place for fishermen and boat builders, and has over the years been used as a Craft centre, used to exhibit a model railway, and to display a model village. The hall was also used as a shoe factory, amongst other things.
After years of standing idle, it re-opened in October 2007 having been completely refurbished at a cost of £250,000. A collection of Organizations such as EEDA
, North Norfolk council
, Sheringham plus Community Partnership and other interested parties worked together to facilitate the refurbishment of the hall and bring it back into community use.
secret Y-stations
. The Bump can be climbed using the Norfolk Coast Path from either the east or west.
which also serves as the promenade. It is a vital part of the protection of the town against the natural erosion
that occurs along the North Norfolk
coast. The storm surge
of 1953
considerably damaged Sheringham's wooden sea defences. In front of the sea wall are groyne
s, armoured at their bases with large blocks of natural rock, which prevent long shore drift. There are numerous drains along the frontage. To the east towards West Runton
the seawall ends just below Beeston Bump. From there a timber revetment
and groyne system, designed and constructed in 1976, runs eastwards for 2 km (just over a mile) to West Runton Gap. The shoreline management plans of the Department for Environment
include a policy of "managed retreat
" along this stretch of coast. The revetment between Sheringham and West Runton is no longer being maintained and is thus in a poor state of repair. Sections that become hazardous will be removed. The coastline will then be left to evolve naturally.
, in the region of Lower Saxony
, Germany. Otterndorf is at the mouth of the river Medem on part of the Elbe
delta in the district of Cuxhaven.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
(population 7,143) 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...
, England, west of 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...
.
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".
History
Historically, the parish of Sheringham comprised the two villages of Upper SheringhamUpper Sheringham
Upper Sheringham is a village and a civil parish in the English county of Norfolk . The village is North-north-west of Norwich, west of Cromer and north-north-east of London. The village is from the town of Sheringham. The nearest railway station is at Sheringham for the Bittern Line which...
, a farming community, and Lower Sheringham, which combined farming with fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
.
The fishing industry was at its peak in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as the coming of the railways made it possible for fish to be transported more efficiently to market. Through the 1900s the focus of the fishing, as all along the north Norfolk coast, began to be on crabs, lobsters and whelk
Whelk
Whelk, also spelled welk or even "wilks", is a common name used to mean one or more kinds of sea snail. The species, genera and families referred to using this common name vary a great deal from one geographic area to another...
s. The local fishermen were major suppliers of crabs and lobsters to the London fish markets. Long lining
Long-line fishing
Longline fishing is a commercial fishing technique. It uses a long line, called the main line, with baited hooks attached at intervals by means of branch lines called "snoods". A snood is a short length of line, attached to the main line using a clip or swivel, with the hook at the other end....
for cod
Cod
Cod is the common name for genus Gadus, belonging to the family Gadidae, and is also used in the common name for various other fishes. Cod is a popular food with a mild flavor, low fat content and a dense, flaky white flesh. Cod livers are processed to make cod liver oil, an important source of...
and the catching of herring
Herring
Herring is an oily fish of the genus Clupea, found in the shallow, temperate waters of the North Pacific and the North Atlantic oceans, including the Baltic Sea. Three species of Clupea are recognized. The main taxa, the Atlantic herring and the Pacific herring may each be divided into subspecies...
began to become less important in the second half of the century, as did whelking. Today, from a peak of maybe 200 boats, Sheringham has eight boats operated single-handed.
The current town of Sheringham was once Lower Sheringham, a fishing station for the main village, now known as Upper Sheringham. It is a railway town
Railway town
A railway town is a settlement that originated or was greatly developed because of a railway station or junction at its site.In Victorian Britain, the spread of railways greatly affected the fate of many small towns...
that was developed with the coming of the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway
Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway
The Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway, was a joint railway owned by the Midland Railway and the Great Northern Railway in eastern England, affectionately known as the 'Muddle and Get Nowhere' to generations of passengers, enthusiasts, and other users.The main line ran from Peterborough to...
line in the late 19th century. Most of Sheringham's range of buildings and shops come from this period and the early 20th century. It has a particularly interesting range of buildings using flint, not normally in the traditional Norfolk style but in a variety of techniques.
The town today
Sheringham today has a thriving town centre centred around a traditional high streetHigh Street
High Street, or the High Street, is a metonym for the generic name of the primary business street of towns or cities, especially in the United Kingdom. It is usually a focal point for shops and retailers in city centres, and is most often used in reference to retailing...
with a wide range of privately-owned shops. On Saturdays throughout the year there is a popular market in the car park next to the railway station which attracts large crowds even out of the holiday season. The town also has a good selection of specialist shops such as second-hand books, antiques
Antiques
An antique is an old collectible item. It is collected or desirable because of its age , beauty, rarity, condition, utility, personal emotional connection, and/or other unique features...
and bric-a-brac
Bric-a-brac
Bric-à-brac , first used in the Victorian era, refers to collections of curios such as elaborately decorated teacups and small vases, feathers, wax flowers under glass domes, eggshells, statuettes, painted miniatures or photographs, and so on...
, fishing tackle
Fishing tackle
Fishing tackle, is a general term that refers to the equipment used by fishermen when fishing. Almost any equipment or gear used for fishing can be called fishing tackle. Some examples are hooks, lines, sinkers, floats, rods, reels, baits, lures, spears, nets, gaffs, traps, waders and tackle...
and bait, a computer shop, a model shop, and arts and craft shops. The Sheringham Little Theatre
Sheringham Little Theatre
Sheringham Little Theatre is in Sheringham, Norfolk. It is in the centre of the town and offers a large range of entertainment throughout the year, notably its summer repertory season which runs from July to September every year.-External links:...
has a wide range of productions on throughout the year including a well-established summer repertory
Repertory
Repertory or rep, also called stock in the United States, is a term used in Western theatre and opera.A repertory theatre can be a theatre in which a resident company presents works from a specified repertoire, usually in alternation or rotation...
season running from July to September, and a popular pantomime
Pantomime
Pantomime — not to be confused with a mime artist, a theatrical performer of mime—is a musical-comedy theatrical production traditionally found in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Jamaica, South Africa, India, Ireland, Gibraltar and Malta, and is mostly performed during the...
at Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
; in the foyer
Foyer
A foyer or lobby is a large, vast room or complex of rooms adjacent to the auditorium...
is a coffee shop with display of art by local artists. There is a selection of food outlets, pubs, restaurants, and a youth hostel.
On the 15 October 2010, Tesco won a 14 year battle to open a store in the town. In a split vote North Norfolk District Council development committee chairman Simon Partridge used his casting vote in favour of the scheme
Otterndorf Green is a small green space between the town's railway stations. It commemorates Sheringham's twinning
Twin Town
Twin Town is a 1997 revenge comedy film made and set in South West Wales. It was directed by Kevin Allen and had a working title of Hot Dog; a hot dog van features in a number of scenes in the film. It stars real-life brothers Rhys Ifans and Llŷr Ifans and also features Dougray Scott...
with the German town of Otterndorf
Otterndorf
Otterndorf is a town on the coast of the North Sea in the region of Lower Saxony, Germany, and is part of the Samtgemeinde Land Hadeln . The town is at the mouth of the river Medem on part of the Elbe delta in the district Cuxhaven...
.
Sheringham Museum
The town's museum now known as The Mo includes a collection of old lifeboats, various displays, a viewing tower and houses the Sheringham Shoal Offshore Wind FarmSheringham Shoal Offshore Wind Farm
Sheringham Shoal Offshore Wind Farm is an offshore wind farm under construction in the United Kingdom by Scira, owned by Statoil and Statkraft with 50% each. Scira has leased the area from The Crown Estate for 40 years. The first turbine was connected to the grid in August 2011. The nearest turbine...
visitor centre.
Lifeboats
Sheringham is reputed to be the only place in the world to have four of its original lifeboats. The Sheringham Museum Trust owns three of these:JC Madge (1904–36) pulling and sailing.
Foresters Centenary (1936–61) the towns first motorised lifeboat.
Manchester Unity of Oddfellows (1961–90) an Oakley Class lifeboat, Sheringham’s last offshore boat. Within the next two to three years Sheringham Museum Trust plans to have an extended museum to house this unique collection together with three crab boats and general lifeboat and fishing industry ephemera. The town has no harbour, so the lifeboat has to be launched by tractor, and the fishing boats are hauled up the beach. An old sail-powered lifeboat is preserved in the former lifeboat shed and the three other preserved RNLI lifeboats are kept in another centre.
Railway
The railway line to Cromer and NorwichNorwich
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...
remains open as 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...
. Beyond Sheringham station
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...
, the line has been preserved as the North Norfolk Railway
North Norfolk Railway
The North Norfolk Railway – also known as the "Poppy Line" – is a heritage steam railway in Norfolk, England, running between the coastal town of Sheringham and Holt, It cuts through the countryside to the east of Weybourne with views of its windmill and passes through the well preserved country...
also known as "The Poppy Line" to 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...
.
Schools
Sheringham has three schools. One being the Woodfields for disabled children, the other two being Sheringham High School and Sheringham Community Primary School.St Joseph Roman Catholic Church
Kelling Hall
Kelling Hall is a Grade II listed building situated in the civil parish of Kelling in the English county of Norfolk. It is 0.7 miles from the parish of Holt and overlooks the North Norfolk coastline at a height of 171 feet above sea level. The grounds consist of 1,600 acres and originally came with...
, the wife of the managing director and founder of the Shell Oil Company
Shell Oil Company
Shell Oil Company is the United States-based subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell, a multinational oil company of Anglo Dutch origins, which is amongst the largest oil companies in the world. Approximately 22,000 Shell employees are based in the U.S. The head office in the U.S. is in Houston, Texas...
, enabled the purchase of land around an existing chapel to build a new church. Work began in 1902 and the first section, St Joseph's chapel was completed in 1908. In 1910 the second section opened, which comprises the sanctuary
Sanctuary
A sanctuary is any place of safety. They may be categorized into human and non-human .- Religious sanctuary :A religious sanctuary can be a sacred place , or a consecrated area of a church or temple around its tabernacle or altar.- Sanctuary as a sacred place :#Sanctuary as a sacred place:#:In...
, nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
and the porch. Later the church was completed by extending the nave and adding a new porch. The complete building was consecrated on the 25 March 1935. From the outside it is possible to see the join between the northern two-thirds opened in 1910, and the southern extension completed in 1935. This large red-brick church towers over its neighbours. The north end, (the liturgical east), has a high rose window, while each long side is pierced by three vast Perpendicular-style windows. The church is entered through a porch and into a narthex
Narthex
The narthex of a church is the entrance or lobby area, located at the end of the nave, at the far end from the church's main altar. Traditionally the narthex was a part of the church building, but was not considered part of the church proper...
on the south west corner of the building. Behind a grilled area to the east there is a large framed icon
Icon
An icon is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, from Eastern Christianity and in certain Eastern Catholic churches...
of the Blessed Virgin. Inside the church the height and narrowness emphasizes the arcade
Arcade (architecture)
An arcade is a succession of arches, each counterthrusting the next, supported by columns or piers or a covered walk enclosed by a line of such arches on one or both sides. In warmer or wet climates, exterior arcades provide shelter for pedestrians....
s which are also of a good height and have arches of alternate sizes. The décor is a mixture of both the arts and crafts movement
Arts and Crafts movement
Arts and Crafts was an international design philosophy that originated in England and flourished between 1860 and 1910 , continuing its influence until the 1930s...
and industrial Gothic
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
, a signature of Gibert Scott’s style. The 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 a replica the seven sacraments font at Little Walsingham.There are some good pieces of early 20th century devotional art
Catholic devotions
A Roman Catholic devotion is a gift of oneself, or one's activities to God. It is a willingness and desire to dedicate oneself to serve God; either in terms of prayers or in terms of a set of pious acts such as the adoration of God or the veneration of the saints or the Virgin Mary.Roman Catholic...
much of which was imported from the studio and workshop of Ferdinand Stuflesser in the Austrian Tyrol
Tyrol (state)
Tyrol is a state or Bundesland, located in the west of Austria. It comprises the Austrian part of the historical region of Tyrol.The state is split into two parts–called North Tyrol and East Tyrol–by a -wide strip of land where the state of Salzburg borders directly on the Italian province of...
. There is a rood screen
Rood screen
The rood screen is a common feature in late medieval church architecture. It is typically an ornate partition between the chancel and nave, of more or less open tracery constructed of wood, stone, or wrought iron...
above the entrance to the sanctuary
Sanctuary
A sanctuary is any place of safety. They may be categorized into human and non-human .- Religious sanctuary :A religious sanctuary can be a sacred place , or a consecrated area of a church or temple around its tabernacle or altar.- Sanctuary as a sacred place :#Sanctuary as a sacred place:#:In...
. The Stations of the Cross
Stations of the Cross
Stations of the Cross refers to the depiction of the final hours of Jesus, and the devotion commemorating the Passion. The tradition as chapel devotion began with St...
, ordered from Stuflesser, spent the First World War in the hold of a German freighter impounded at Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
. In September 2008, Father Denys Lloyd arrived as the successor to Father Peter Brown, whom retired to Wells-next-the-Sea
Wells-next-the-Sea
Wells-next-the-Sea, known locally simply as Wells, is a town, civil parish and seaport situated on the North Norfolk coast in England.The civil parish has an area of and in the 2001 census had a population of 2,451 in 1,205 households...
.
War memorial
Beeston Regis
Beeston Regis is a village and civil parish in the North Norfolk district of Norfolk, England. It is about a mile east of Sheringham, Norfolk and near the coast. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 1,091...
who died in military service during the two World War
World war
A world war is a war affecting the majority of the world's most powerful and populous nations. World wars span multiple countries on multiple continents, with battles fought in multiple theaters....
s is located at on the traffic island at the intersection of The Boulevard, St Nicholas Place and The Esplanade. It was designed by Herbert Palmer somewhat in the style of an Eleanor cross
Eleanor cross
The Eleanor crosses were twelve originally wooden, but later lavishly decorated stone, monuments of which three survive intact in a line down part of the east of England. King Edward I had the crosses erected between 1291 and 1294 in memory of his wife Eleanor of Castile, marking the nightly...
. It is of Clipsham
Clipsham
Clipsham is a village in the county of Rutland in the East Midlands of England.The village is well-known for its limestone quarries. Clipsham stone, part of the Upper Lincolnshire Limestone Formation, can be found in many of Britain's most famous buildings including King's College Chapel , the...
stone and stands 26 feet (7.9 m) tall. It was unveiled on 1 January 1921. The names of the dead are on four panels that form the base of the cross. A recent addition to the memorial is a small wrought-iron fence around the base with poppy motifs. There are also further names on memorial boards in the nearby parish church of St Peter.
Sheringham Park and other prominent property
- In 1811, the Sheringham Estate was bought by Abbot and Charlotte Upcher. They asked Humphry ReptonHumphry ReptonHumphry Repton was the last great English landscape designer of the eighteenth century, often regarded as the successor to Capability Brown; he also sowed the seeds of the more intricate and eclectic styles of the 19th century...
to design Sheringham Hall. The Upcher family also built a school. The Hall is still privately occupied, but Sheringham ParkSheringham ParkSheringham Park is a landscape park and gardens near the town of Sheringham, Norfolk, England. The park surrounds Sheringham Hall and has a grid reference of . The Hall is privately occupied, but Sheringham Park is in the care of the National Trust and open to visitors.The park was designed by...
is in the care of the National TrustNational Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural BeautyThe National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
and open to visitors. - The Dales, formerly the residence of Henry Douglas King, M.P., and later Major William James Spurrell, D.S.O., M.C., is now a hotel (The Dales Country House).
- Sheringham watermill was mainly known as a papermill that operated from around 1750 to about 1865, although it quite possibly started life as a corn mill. It had an overshot waterwheel, which seems quite remarkable when considering the surrounding terrain and the fact that the mill was only supplied by the small Beeston BeckBeeston Beck (Norfolk)Beeston Beck is a minor watercourse in the north of the County Of Norfolk.-Source:This small short Beck rises in series of springs that feed into it at the northern end of Sheringham Wood. These springs are at the base of a valley below Pretty Corner and from this point the land becomes low lying....
. A blue plaque on the wall of a cottage marks the location of the mill in Beeston road which was then called Paper Mill Road.
The Oddfellows Hall
The Oddfellows hallOddfellows
The name Oddfellows refers to a number of friendly societies and fraternal organisations operating in the United Kingdom. It also refers to a number of Lodges with histories dating back to the 18th century. These various organisations were set up to protect and care for their members and...
on the Lifeboat Plain, built in 1867, was the original RNLI Lifeboat
Lifeboat (rescue)
A rescue lifeboat is a boat rescue craft which is used to attend a vessel in distress, or its survivors, to rescue crewmen and passengers. It can be hand pulled, sail powered or powered by an engine...
station and a gathering place for fishermen and boat builders, and has over the years been used as a Craft centre, used to exhibit a model railway, and to display a model village. The hall was also used as a shoe factory, amongst other things.
After years of standing idle, it re-opened in October 2007 having been completely refurbished at a cost of £250,000. A collection of Organizations such as EEDA
Quango
Quango or qango is an acronym used notably in the United Kingdom, Ireland and elsewhere to label an organisation to which government has devolved power...
, North Norfolk council
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:...
, Sheringham plus Community Partnership and other interested parties worked together to facilitate the refurbishment of the hall and bring it back into community use.
Beeston Bump
Sheringham nestles under the nearby hill of Beeston Bump which was the site of one of the World War IIWorld 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...
secret Y-stations
Y-stations
Y-stations were British Signals Intelligence collection sites initially established during World War I and later used during World War II. These sites were operated by a range of agencies including the Army, Navy and RAF plus the Foreign Office , General Post Office and Marconi Company receiving...
. The Bump can be climbed using the Norfolk Coast Path from either the east or west.
Sea defences
The northern frontage of Sheringham is protected by a concrete seawallSeawall
A seawall is a form of coastal defence constructed where the sea, and associated coastal processes, impact directly upon the landforms of the coast. The purpose of a seawall is to protect areas of human habitation, conservation and leisure activities from the action of tides and waves...
which also serves as the promenade. It is a vital part of the protection of the town against the natural 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...
that occurs along the 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:...
coast. The storm surge
Storm surge
A storm surge is an offshore rise of water associated with a low pressure weather system, typically tropical cyclones and strong extratropical cyclones. Storm surges are caused primarily by high winds pushing on the ocean's surface. The wind causes the water to pile up higher than the ordinary sea...
of 1953
North Sea flood of 1953
The 1953 North Sea flood was a major flood caused by a heavy storm, that occurred on the night of Saturday 31 January 1953 and morning of 1 February 1953. The floods struck the Netherlands, Belgium, England and Scotland.A combination of a high spring tide and a severe European windstorm caused a...
considerably damaged Sheringham's wooden sea defences. In front of the sea wall are groyne
Groyne
A groyne is a rigid hydraulic structure built from an ocean shore or from a bank that interrupts water flow and limits the movement of sediment. In the ocean, groynes create beaches, or avoid having them washed away by longshore drift. In a river, groynes prevent erosion and ice-jamming, which...
s, armoured at their bases with large blocks of natural rock, which prevent long shore drift. There are numerous drains along the frontage. To the east towards West Runton
West Runton
West Runton is a village in North Norfolk, England, approximately ¼ of a mile from the North Sea coast.-Overview:West Runton and East Runton together form the parish of Runton. The village straddles the A149 North Norfolk coast road and is 2½ miles west of Cromer and 1½ miles east of Sheringham...
the seawall ends just below Beeston Bump. From there a timber revetment
Revetment
Revetments, or revêtements , have a variety of meanings in architecture, engineering and art history. In stream restoration, river engineering or coastal management, they are sloping structures placed on banks or cliffs in such a way as to absorb the energy of incoming water...
and groyne system, designed and constructed in 1976, runs eastwards for 2 km (just over a mile) to West Runton Gap. The shoreline management plans of the Department for Environment
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is the government department responsible for environmental protection, food production and standards, agriculture, fisheries and rural communities in the United Kingdom...
include a policy of "managed retreat
Managed retreat
In the context of coastal erosion, managed retreat allows an area that was not previously exposed to flooding by the sea to become flooded by removing coastal protection...
" along this stretch of coast. The revetment between Sheringham and West Runton is no longer being maintained and is thus in a poor state of repair. Sections that become hazardous will be removed. The coastline will then be left to evolve naturally.
Notable people
- Allan SmethurstAllan SmethurstAllan Francis Smethurst , aka The Singing Postman was an English postman and singer.Born in Walshaw, Lancashire, the son of Allan and Gladys Mabel , Smethurst was raised in Sheringham, Norfolk. His mother came from the nearby village of Stiffkey...
(1927–2000), aka "The Singing Postman", raised in Sheringham although he may have been born in Lancashire - "King Nicholas I" changed his name by deed pollDeed pollA deed poll is a legal document binding only to a single person or several persons acting jointly to express an active intention...
from Nick CopemanNick CopemanHenry Michael King Nicholas, born January 6, 1979, is an author and micronational leader. He first attracted a cult following in 2003, after changing his name by deed poll to "HM King Nicholas I", and founding a new empire from his royal seat - a four-berth caravan trailer just outside Sheringham,...
and set up a new empire from his royal seat a caravan just outside town. His Royal Highness HM King Nicholas I often appeared on TV and radio around the time his book was launched. - Craig MurrayCraig MurrayCraig John Murray is a British political activist, former ambassador to Uzbekistan and former Rector of the University of Dundee....
, former British Ambassador, Rector of the University of DundeeRector of the University of DundeeThe Rector of the University of Dundee is elected by the matriculated students of the University. From 1967 to 2010 the Rector was automatically a full member of the University Court...
and author of Murder in SamarkandMurder in SamarkandMurder in Samarkand is a non-fiction book by British activist and former ambassador to Uzbekistan, Craig Murray. The book forms an account of Murray's controversial ambassadorship at the UK embassy in Tashkent in 2002–04...
, was born in neighbouring West RuntonWest RuntonWest Runton is a village in North Norfolk, England, approximately ¼ of a mile from the North Sea coast.-Overview:West Runton and East Runton together form the parish of Runton. The village straddles the A149 North Norfolk coast road and is 2½ miles west of Cromer and 1½ miles east of Sheringham...
and is Shannock on his mother's side. His mother is Poppy Murray née Grice and still lives in Sheringham. Murray was raised in Sheringham and attended Sheringham primary school and the Paston Grammar SchoolPaston Collegethumb|right|Sketch of the original Paston buildingPaston Sixth Form College is a sixth form college in North Walsham, Norfolk, England, United Kingdom....
. - Tony Colman, Labour MP for Putney 1997-2005, born Sheringham
Twin towns
Sheringham is twinned with the town of OtterndorfOtterndorf
Otterndorf is a town on the coast of the North Sea in the region of Lower Saxony, Germany, and is part of the Samtgemeinde Land Hadeln . The town is at the mouth of the river Medem on part of the Elbe delta in the district Cuxhaven...
, in the region of Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony is a German state situated in north-western Germany and is second in area and fourth in population among the sixteen states of Germany...
, Germany. Otterndorf is at the mouth of the river Medem on part of the Elbe
Elbe
The Elbe is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Krkonoše Mountains of the northwestern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia , then Germany and flowing into the North Sea at Cuxhaven, 110 km northwest of Hamburg...
delta in the district of Cuxhaven.
List of public houses in Sheringham
- The Crown, East Cliff
- The Lobster, 13 High Street
- The Robin Hood Tavern, Station Road
- The Two Lifeboats
- Dunstable Arms, Cromer Road
- Sherry 'n' Ham, Beech Avenue.(Closed)
- Windham Arms, Wyndham Street
- The Red Lion, Upper Sheringham.(Closed)