Beeston Regis
Encyclopedia
Beeston Regis is a village and civil parish
in the North Norfolk
district of Norfolk
, England
. It is about a mile (2 km) east of Sheringham
, Norfolk and near the coast. According to the 2001 census
it had a population of 1,091. Beeston Regis' public transport operates a frequent bus service on the coast road A149
and a rail service from the nearby stations of Sheringham
to the west and West Runton
to the east, where the Bittern Line
runs a frequent service between Norwich
, Cromer
and Sheringham. The nearest airport is Norwich International Airport
. The North Sea
is the northern boundary of the parish, and the wooded Beeston Heath rises up from the parish to form the southern boundary.
habitation was found on Beeston Regis Heath in 1859 when a complete set of quern-stone
s were found dating from Roman times. Quern-stones were used to grind materials, the most important of which was usually grain to make flour
for bread.
Up on Beeston Regis Heath there can be found circular pits called 'Hills and Holes' (from the first edition of the Ordnance Survey
map of the area). They are thought to date from prehistoric times. During the Saxon
-Norman
to Medieval periods these pits were dug to obtain iron ore, which was then smelted
in a furnace to produce iron.
of 1086, and within this survey it is called Besetune and Besetuna/tune.. The main landholders of the parish were William d’Ecouis and Hugh de Montfort. The main tenant was Ingulf, The survey also lists ½ a mill. In the Domesday survey fractions were used to indicate that the entry, in this case a mill, was on an estate that lay within more than one parish.
, became King Henry IV
, the name became Beeston Regis. Regis (Regius) means owned or appointed by the Crown
, and the living and manor
of Beeston became part of the Crown and the Lancaster Inheritance.
known as Beeston Regis Priory (St. Mary's). Founded in 1216, in 1535 it had only a prior
and four canons
, who served as parish priests for nearby churches, six boys and seven servants. The boys were in effect the boarders at the canons' school, and their number was increased by day boys. The priory had 40 acres (161,874.4 m²) of land with rights to wrecks and flotsam and jetsam
. Within the monastic precinct there were agricultural buildings and probably a smithy
, a brewery
, a guest-house, a wash-house, latrine
s and other buildings necessary for the running of the busy local community. The priory lasted until 1538 when King Henry VIII
banned the Catholic
religion and ordered the dissolution of the monasteries and priories. The ruins indicate that the church nave
was about 75 feet (22.9 m) long, having a chancel
later added. Beeston Priory was independent, unlike many small houses of the Augustinian Order
. A tunnel is said to run to the Dunstable Arms Inn from the ruins of the priory, but if it ever existed its whereabouts is a long-forgotten secret.
The suppression of the Priory and its school left a lack of any local provision for education. This is believed to have led Sir John Gresham
to found Gresham's School
at nearby Holt
in 1555.
church, is now part of the Priory Farm garden. To the east of the cloister
, still standing, are part of the walls of the chapter house
, and also some traces of the dormitory
. The refectory
and other domestic buildings probably are beneath or have been incorporated into the eighteenth century “Priory Farmhouse”, which itself was probably built from materials provided by the demolition
of the early buildings. Of the main priory church, much remains. The nave, from the west wall to the transept
, is 75 feet (22.9 m) long and 23 feet (7 m) wide. The north wall still stands practically to the roof level, although the divisions between the windows have long gone. The belfry
tower has gone, although the first steps can be seen in a doorway in the south wall. The south wall is only as high as the window-sill level. The west wall is standing almost intact to gable
height, although the lining of the original door has been replaced by modern brickwork. The north transept is 24 feet (7.3 m) long and 24 feet (7.3 m) wide. The east wall of the transept is entirely gone, except for traces of its junction with the north wall. At the south end of this wall once stood a pillar; the opposite pillar, west of the south door, is almost complete and in a good state of preservation. Also in the transept there is a doorway which leads to what is thought to be a sacristy
, and is the only doorway remaining in its original form. The architrave
is almost complete. West of the transept there is a small chapel 23 feet (7 m) long and 12 feet (3.7 m) wide. Most of the chapel's window mouldings survive. The chancel
at the eastern end of the ruin remains to roof height on the north and south side. The original eastern wall has been demolished, but a flint
wall has been built up to window-sill level. The north-east corner still has most of its window mouldings.
The last Prior and his four canons all subscribed to the Act of Supremacy 1534
and were granted pensions. Richard Hudson became Rector of Newton Flotman
, Norfolk.
, now a popular tourist attraction
that includes a cafe/restaurant and a garden
centre. The unique microclimate
in this part of Norfolk enables the owners to grow a collection of rare and exotic plants.
, heath
, marsh
, fen
and secondary woodland
. The common was made a Site of Special Scientific Interest/SA6
in the year 2000 and is habitat for a wide range of mammals, birds, and insects. There are some forty species of rare flowering plants, and fourteen species of British orchids have been recorded on the common due to its special soil conditions. With such a variety of flowers the site is attractive to butterflies
. Twenty-six species have been regularly recorded, including green hairstreak, brown argus and Essex skipper. Kingfisher
and heron
are also visitors to the pond, and no fewer than 19 species of dragonfly
/damselfly have been observed. The bird life of the common includes varieties such as chiffchaff
, willow warbler
, blackcap
, common whitethroat, lesser whitethroat
, reed warbler
and occasionally sedge and grasshopper warbler
s. Nightjar
s are occasionally heard. Fox
es and muntjac
deer along with smaller mammals such as water shrew
, field vole
s, and harvest mice are present. Adder
s, slow-worms and common lizard
s can also be found on the common.
was reinstated on the top common by Sheringham Town Council. Many years ago there were shallow ponds on this part of the common and in 1939 Natterjack Toads have been recorded on Beeston Common in and around the ponds along with Common and Great Crested Newt
s. The reinstatement is an attempt to attract more wildlife back to this part of the common. Upon till the second world war, goat
s, ponies and geese were a common site grazing in and around the ponds. The Back common, although not as species-rich as the Site of Special Scientific Interest
to the south of the Cromer Road (AI49)
is home to a great many plants and insects. Around the damper fringes Spotted Orchids
can be found and in some years Bee Orchid
s are present along with the occasionally appearance of the Southern Marsh Orchid
. In the late spring and early summer the common is as mass of buttercups. Along the edges of Beeston Beck
and Sheringham Loke, Monkey Musk
grows in abundance and up until to a few years ago Dittander a rare plant was present, although this may now have been lost due to the mowing regime. On the drier areas of the common, trefoils and clover
s are present which attract Common Blue
butterflies and the longer grass areas and buttercups are frequented by Meadow Brown
and Ringlet butterflies.
, with circular depressions on the uppermost surface. On each side is inscribed the names of the grave
's occupants. This is originally one of a pair which stood at either side of a pathway in the yard of the farmhouse, in the grounds of the ruined Beeston Priory
. The path itself led to what is now known as the Abbot's Freshwater
Spring
Pond
.
A local tale says that about 1938-41, when both boulder
s were in place, a farmer named James Reynolds often drove his horse and cart along this pathway. Several times, a hooded grey ghost
would hide behind two boulders and would leap out from behind one of the stones at sunset
, and try to grab the horse's reins before vanishing. This, although terrifying the animals, seems not to have perturbed the man unduly. However, he ordered that the stone in question be laid upon his grave after his death, in an attempt at 'laying' the apparition
. James Reynolds died in 1941 and, in accordance with his wishes, the boulder now lies atop his grave, his wife Ann Elizabeth also being interred
there in 1967. There is no record as to whether or not the 'exorcism
' was successful, and indeed, a local woman who knew the Reynolds could not confirm the story. The other stone of the pair can now be seen lying against the north wall of the churchyard.
of All Saints, dating from the latter part of the 11th century or early in the 12th. The tower arch opening into the nave
is 13th century, as are much of the chancel
and nave walls. Probably towards the end of the 13th century or early 14th century the church was reconstructed. The existing arcades
were inserted into the nave walls onto the aisle
s, which were constructed at this time, and the nave walls raised to provide for the clerestory
, the window arches of which are decorated on the outside with squared flints. The inventory of 1552 makes it clear that there were three bell
s in the tower, a fourth being added in 1610. The latter is the only one remaining, the others being sold to defray the cost of repairs in 1765.
Orben Beck is a tiny pond of half an acre located in a cliff-top caravan park and only yards from the sea. Depths range from six to twelve feet. The pond is popular with anglers and holds a variety of coarse fish
.
. Beeston Regis Hall was once one of the family homes of the Wyndham Ketton-Cremers on the Beeston Regis Estate, part of the much larger Felbrigg Estate, the family seat. In 1940 a German
bomb hit the school, causing slight damage. The Hall was leased to Mr Thomas Tapping and his wife Bessie, who opened the private Beeston Hall School in 1948. In 1967 the school became an incorporated trust, and in 1970, following the death of Robert Wyndham Ketton-Cremer, the last squire of Felbrigg
, the school acquired the freehold and approximately 14 acres (56,656 m²) of land. The school has an excellent reputation and attracts pupils throughout Norfolk
and beyond. Over the years the school has prospered and expanded and is the biggest employer in the parish and has a seat on the parish council. It has also acquired other surrounding land including Beeston Hall Common, which it purchased from the parish of Beeston Regis.
, was once two symmetrical round flat-topped hills in the shape of giant molehills; geological features known as kame
s. The two hills were left behind when glaciers retreated northwards at the end of the last Ice age
. This formation occurred between 15,000 and 10,000 years ago, a recent event in geological timescales. At the end of the last Ice age, most of what is now the North Sea
was dry land, with the Rhine and the Thames
combining to form a giant river estuary. As the ice melted, sea levels in this estuary rose and the North Sea was formed. Since the time the two hills were formed and the sea levels have risen, the forces of coastal erosion have been eating away at Beeston Bump. Almost the entire hill on the seaward side had been washed away by the 1930s. As for Beeston Bump, almost 90 yards (80m) of the cliff have now been lost to the sea, along with a brickworks which stood to the east of the summit and a football pitch. In recent times, the effects of coastal erosion have been slowed by building groynes and sea walls along the coast and below the hill.
vines, tended by the monks of the priory. The Bump can be climbed using the North Norfolk Coastal Path
from either the east or west, and is well worth the climb. From the top, wonderful views of the surrounding land and sea can be seen. Each Easter
, the combined churches in the area make a pilgrimage carrying a cross
to the top of Beeston Bump, and an open-air service takes place.
.jpg)
During the World War II
Beeston Bump was the location for one of the network of Signals Intelligence
collection sites: Y-stations
. These stations collected material to be passed to the War Office’s
Government Code & Cypher School at Bletchley Park
. There were several of these stations around the east coast and by triangulating the signals, the exact location of enemy shipping could be pinpointed. In an episode of the BBC1 series “Coast”, the technique was explained and demonstrated. In the same programme, Joy Hale was interviewed by the presenter, Hermione Cockburn
. Hale had been a WREN
during the war and had been an operator at the Y-station.
The concrete
remains of part of this facility can still be seen on the summit
of the hill. They consist of an octagonal concrete base that measures 3,850mm across, with a channel running west to east across the middle. On the southern edge of the octagon is a raised area of concrete, which is 225mm higher than the rest of the base. Around the edge of the octagon are the remnants of what was once a reinforced parapet
, which has long been removed. There are also signs of a Fletton brick
wall running westward away from the raised area.The octagonal shape of the base indicates that a direction-finding station operator's hut stood there. It would have consisted of a double-skinned wooden structure in which the cavity was filled with shingle designed to make them "splinter proof" or "bulletproof". Two Y stations were operated in Sheringham in World War II, one run by the RAF and the other by the Navy.
about a ghostly black hound from hell that is said to roam the coast and lonely lanes of Norfolk. The hound is said to be the size of a small horse
and appears from the depths of Beeston Bump with malevolent flaming red eyes. Anyone who is confronted with the Doom Dog, it is said, will be dead within one year of their encounter. Sometimes, Black Shuck
has appeared headless and, at other times, he appears to float on a carpet of mist
, rather than running. More often than not, the Black Shuck terrifies his victims out of their wits, although the apparition is said not to harm his victims. The legend was the inspiration behind Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes story, The Hound of the Baskervilles
. Conan Doyle had been on a golfing holiday at the nearby Links Hotel in West Runton
, and it was in the sitting room of the hotel that his friend, Bertram Fletcher Robinson, recounted the legend of the Black Hound from the Bump.
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 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:...
district 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...
, England
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...
. It is about a mile (2 km) east 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"....
, Norfolk and near the coast. According to 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....
it had a population of 1,091. Beeston Regis' public transport operates a frequent bus service on the coast road 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:...
and a rail service from the nearby stations of 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...
to the west and West Runton
West Runton railway station
West Runton railway station is a railway station in the village of West Runton in the English county of Norfolk. The station is served by local services operated by National Express East Anglia on the Bittern Line from Norwich to Cromer and Sheringham....
to the east, where 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...
runs a frequent service between Norwich
Norwich railway station
Norwich is a railway station serving the city of Norwich in the English county of Norfolk. The station is the northern terminus of the Great Eastern Main Line from London Liverpool Street. It is also the terminus of railway lines from Ely, Sheringham, Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft.-History:At one...
, Cromer
Cromer railway station
The fishing port and holiday resort of Cromer in the English county of Norfolk has had a rail service since 1877. It was served by three railway stations for many years, and is now served by two...
and Sheringham. 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 North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
is the northern boundary of the parish, and the wooded Beeston Heath rises up from the parish to form the southern boundary.
History
Evidence of early antiquity in Beeston Regis are few. However, evidence of RomanRoman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
habitation was found on Beeston Regis Heath in 1859 when a complete set of quern-stone
Quern-stone
Quern-stones are stone tools for hand grinding a wide variety of materials. They were used in pairs. The lower, stationary, stone is called a quern, whilst the upper, mobile, stone is called a handstone...
s were found dating from Roman times. Quern-stones were used to grind materials, the most important of which was usually grain to make flour
Flour
Flour is a powder which is made by grinding cereal grains, other seeds or roots . It is the main ingredient of bread, which is a staple food for many cultures, making the availability of adequate supplies of flour a major economic and political issue at various times throughout history...
for bread.
Up on Beeston Regis Heath there can be found circular pits called 'Hills and Holes' (from the first edition of the Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey , an executive agency and non-ministerial government department of the Government of the United Kingdom, is the national mapping agency for Great Britain, producing maps of Great Britain , and one of the world's largest producers of maps.The name reflects its creation together with...
map of the area). They are thought to date from prehistoric times. During the Saxon
Saxons
The Saxons were a confederation of Germanic tribes originating on the North German plain. The Saxons earliest known area of settlement is Northern Albingia, an area approximately that of modern Holstein...
-Norman
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
to Medieval periods these pits were dug to obtain iron ore, which was then smelted
Smelting
Smelting is a form of extractive metallurgy; its main use is to produce a metal from its ore. This includes iron extraction from iron ore, and copper extraction and other base metals from their ores...
in a furnace to produce iron.
Domesday Book
Beeston Regis is mentioned in the Domesday BookDomesday 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, and within this survey it is called Besetune and Besetuna/tune.. The main landholders of the parish were William d’Ecouis and Hugh de Montfort. The main tenant was Ingulf, The survey also lists ½ a mill. In the Domesday survey fractions were used to indicate that the entry, in this case a mill, was on an estate that lay within more than one parish.
Regis
Beeston Regis was once known as Beeston-next-the-Sea, but from the year 1399 when Henry Bolingbroke, Earl of LancasterEarl of Lancaster
The title of Earl of Lancaster was created in the Peerage of England in 1267, merging in the crown in 1399. See also Duke of Lancaster.-Earls of Lancaster :...
, became King Henry IV
Henry IV of England
Henry IV was King of England and Lord of Ireland . He was the ninth King of England of the House of Plantagenet and also asserted his grandfather's claim to the title King of France. He was born at Bolingbroke Castle in Lincolnshire, hence his other name, Henry Bolingbroke...
, the name became Beeston Regis. Regis (Regius) means owned or appointed by the Crown
The Crown
The Crown is a corporation sole that in the Commonwealth realms and any provincial or state sub-divisions thereof represents the legal embodiment of governance, whether executive, legislative, or judicial...
, and the living and manor
Manorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
of Beeston became part of the Crown and the Lancaster Inheritance.
| Population from 1801 to 2001 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Beeston Regis | ||
| Census year | Beeston Regis Civil Parish | Ecclesiastical Parish |
| 1801 | 167 | Same |
| 1821 | 238 | |
| 1831 | 246 | Same |
| 1841 | 265 | Same |
| 1851 | 236 | Same |
| 1861 | 196 | Same |
| 1871 | 206 | Same |
| 1881 | 193 | Same |
| 1891 | 183 | Same |
| 1901 | 338 | Same |
| 1901 after adjustment | 69 | Same |
| 1911 | 85 | Same |
| 1921 | 120 | 1,293 |
| 1931 | 178 | 974 |
| 1931 after adjustment | 151 | Same |
| 1951 | 353 | 1,281 |
| 1951 after adjustment | 401 | 1,281 |
| 1961 | 472 | 1,365 |
| 1971 | 827 | Unknown |
| 1981 | 842 | Unknown |
| 1991 | 1,087 | Unknown |
| 2001 | 1,091 | Unknown |
St Mary's Priory and Beeston Common
Beeston Regis has the remains of an Augustinian prioryPriory
A priory is a house of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. Priories may be houses of mendicant friars or religious sisters , or monasteries of monks or nuns .The Benedictines and their offshoots , the Premonstratensians, and the...
known as Beeston Regis Priory (St. Mary's). Founded in 1216, in 1535 it had only a prior
Prior
Prior is an ecclesiastical title, derived from the Latin adjective for 'earlier, first', with several notable uses.-Monastic superiors:A Prior is a monastic superior, usually lower in rank than an Abbot. In the Rule of St...
and four canons
Canon (priest)
A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....
, who served as parish priests for nearby churches, six boys and seven servants. The boys were in effect the boarders at the canons' school, and their number was increased by day boys. The priory had 40 acres (161,874.4 m²) of land with rights to wrecks and flotsam and jetsam
Flotsam and jetsam
In maritime law, flotsam, jetsam, lagan and derelict describe specific kinds of wreck.The words have specific nautical meanings, with legal consequences in the law of admiralty and marine salvage....
. Within the monastic precinct there were agricultural buildings and probably a smithy
Forge
A forge is a hearth used for forging. The term "forge" can also refer to the workplace of a smith or a blacksmith, although the term smithy is then more commonly used.The basic smithy contains a forge, also known as a hearth, for heating metals...
, a brewery
Brewery
A brewery is a dedicated building for the making of beer, though beer can be made at home, and has been for much of beer's history. A company which makes beer is called either a brewery or a brewing company....
, a guest-house, a wash-house, latrine
Latrine
A latrine is a communal facility containing one or more commonly many toilets which may be simple pit toilets or in the case of the United States Armed Forces any toilet including modern flush toilets...
s and other buildings necessary for the running of the busy local community. The priory lasted until 1538 when King Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
banned the Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
religion and ordered the dissolution of the monasteries and priories. The ruins indicate that the church 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...
was about 75 feet (22.9 m) long, having a chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
later added. Beeston Priory was independent, unlike many small houses of the Augustinian Order
Augustinians
The term Augustinians, named after Saint Augustine of Hippo , applies to two separate and unrelated types of Catholic religious orders:...
. A tunnel is said to run to the Dunstable Arms Inn from the ruins of the priory, but if it ever existed its whereabouts is a long-forgotten secret.
The suppression of the Priory and its school left a lack of any local provision for education. This is believed to have led Sir John Gresham
John Gresham
Sir John Gresham was an English merchant, courtier and financier who worked for King Henry VIII of England, Cardinal Wolsey and Thomas Cromwell. He was Lord Mayor of London and founded Gresham's School.-Life:...
to found Gresham's School
Gresham's School
Gresham’s School is an independent coeducational boarding school in Holt in North Norfolk, England, a member of the HMC.The school was founded in 1555 by Sir John Gresham as a free grammar school for forty boys, following King Henry VIII's dissolution of the Augustinian priory at Beeston Regis...
at nearby 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...
in 1555.
The Priory ruins today
The cloister, to the south of the nave of the prioryPriory
A priory is a house of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. Priories may be houses of mendicant friars or religious sisters , or monasteries of monks or nuns .The Benedictines and their offshoots , the Premonstratensians, and the...
church, is now part of the Priory Farm garden. To the east of the cloister
Cloister
A cloister is a rectangular open space surrounded by covered walks or open galleries, with open arcades on the inner side, running along the walls of buildings and forming a quadrangle or garth...
, still standing, are part of the walls of the chapter house
Chapter house
A chapter house or chapterhouse is a building or room attached to a cathedral or collegiate church in which meetings are held. They can also be found in medieval monasteries....
, and also some traces of the dormitory
Dormitory
A dormitory, often shortened to dorm, in the United States is a residence hall consisting of sleeping quarters or entire buildings primarily providing sleeping and residential quarters for large numbers of people, often boarding school, college or university students...
. The refectory
Refectory
A refectory is a dining room, especially in monasteries, boarding schools and academic institutions. One of the places the term is most often used today is in graduate seminaries...
and other domestic buildings probably are beneath or have been incorporated into the eighteenth century “Priory Farmhouse”, which itself was probably built from materials provided by the demolition
Demolition
Demolition is the tearing-down of buildings and other structures, the opposite of construction. Demolition contrasts with deconstruction, which involves taking a building apart while carefully preserving valuable elements for re-use....
of the early buildings. Of the main priory church, much remains. The nave, from the west wall to the transept
Transept
For the periodical go to The Transept.A transept is a transverse section, of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In Christian churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform building in Romanesque and Gothic Christian church architecture...
, is 75 feet (22.9 m) long and 23 feet (7 m) wide. The north wall still stands practically to the roof level, although the divisions between the windows have long gone. The belfry
Bell tower
A bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in...
tower has gone, although the first steps can be seen in a doorway in the south wall. The south wall is only as high as the window-sill level. The west wall is standing almost intact to gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
height, although the lining of the original door has been replaced by modern brickwork. The north transept is 24 feet (7.3 m) long and 24 feet (7.3 m) wide. The east wall of the transept is entirely gone, except for traces of its junction with the north wall. At the south end of this wall once stood a pillar; the opposite pillar, west of the south door, is almost complete and in a good state of preservation. Also in the transept there is a doorway which leads to what is thought to be a sacristy
Sacristy
A sacristy is a room for keeping vestments and other church furnishings, sacred vessels, and parish records.The sacristy is usually located inside the church, but in some cases it is an annex or separate building...
, and is the only doorway remaining in its original form. The architrave
Architrave
An architrave is the lintel or beam that rests on the capitals of the columns. It is an architectural element in Classical architecture.-Classical architecture:...
is almost complete. West of the transept there is a small chapel 23 feet (7 m) long and 12 feet (3.7 m) wide. Most of the chapel's window mouldings survive. The chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
at the eastern end of the ruin remains to roof height on the north and south side. The original eastern wall has been demolished, but a flint
Flint
Flint is a hard, sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as a variety of chert. It occurs chiefly as nodules and masses in sedimentary rocks, such as chalks and limestones. Inside the nodule, flint is usually dark grey, black, green, white, or brown in colour, and...
wall has been built up to window-sill level. The north-east corner still has most of its window mouldings.
Priors of Saint Mary's Beeston Regis
- Roger, occurs 1267
- Thomas, occurs 1297
- William de Beston, elected 1314
- Geoffrey de Hoton, elected 1325
- Simon de Calthorpe, elected 1390
- Laurence de Beeston, elected 1409
- Geoffrey de Runton, elected 1416 & 1435
- John Catteson, 1461
- John Wykmer, 1468
- John Poty, 1444
- Simon Robyns, 1531
- Richard Hudson, 1532
The last Prior and his four canons all subscribed to the Act of Supremacy 1534
Acts of Supremacy
The first Act of Supremacy was a piece of legislation that granted King Henry VIII of England Royal Supremacy, which means that he was declared the supreme head of the Church of England. It is still the legal authority of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom...
and were granted pensions. Richard Hudson became Rector of Newton Flotman
Newton Flotman
Newton Flotman is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It lies north of Tasburgh and south of Swainsthorpe, and the River Tas flows through it.It covers an area of and had a population of 1,197 in 497 households as of the 2001 census....
, Norfolk.
The Priory Maze
Near to the priory is the Priory MazeMaze
A maze is a tour puzzle in the form of a complex branching passage through which the solver must find a route. In everyday speech, both maze and labyrinth denote a complex and confusing series of pathways, but technically the maze is distinguished from the labyrinth, as the labyrinth has a single...
, now a popular tourist attraction
Tourist attraction
A tourist attraction is a place of interest where tourists visit, typically for its inherent or exhibited cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, or amusement opportunities....
that includes a cafe/restaurant and a garden
Garden
A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the display, cultivation, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The garden can incorporate both natural and man-made materials. The most common form today is known as a residential garden, but the term garden has...
centre. The unique microclimate
Microclimate
A microclimate is a local atmospheric zone where the climate differs from the surrounding area. The term may refer to areas as small as a few square feet or as large as many square miles...
in this part of Norfolk enables the owners to grow a collection of rare and exotic plants.
The common
Also nearby is Beeston Common, consisting of 24.7 hectares/61 acres of grasslandGrassland
Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica...
, heath
Heath (habitat)
A heath or heathland is a dwarf-shrub habitat found on mainly low quality acidic soils, characterised by open, low growing woody vegetation, often dominated by plants of the Ericaceae. There are some clear differences between heath and moorland...
, marsh
Marsh
In geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of wetland that is subject to frequent or continuous flood. Typically the water is shallow and features grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, other herbaceous plants, and moss....
, fen
Fen
A fen is a type of wetland fed by mineral-rich surface water or groundwater. Fens are characterised by their water chemistry, which is neutral or alkaline, with relatively high dissolved mineral levels but few other plant nutrients...
and secondary 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...
. The common was made a Site of Special Scientific Interest/SA6
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
in the year 2000 and is habitat for a wide range of mammals, birds, and insects. There are some forty species of rare flowering plants, and fourteen species of British orchids have been recorded on the common due to its special soil conditions. With such a variety of flowers the site is attractive to butterflies
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
. Twenty-six species have been regularly recorded, including green hairstreak, brown argus and Essex skipper. Kingfisher
Kingfisher
Kingfishers are a group of small to medium sized brightly coloured birds in the order Coraciiformes. They have a cosmopolitan distribution, with most species being found in the Old World and Australia...
and heron
Heron
The herons are long-legged freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae. There are 64 recognised species in this family. Some are called "egrets" or "bitterns" instead of "heron"....
are also visitors to the pond, and no fewer than 19 species of dragonfly
Dragonfly
A dragonfly is a winged insect belonging to the order Odonata, the suborder Epiprocta or, in the strict sense, the infraorder Anisoptera . It is characterized by large multifaceted eyes, two pairs of strong transparent wings, and an elongated body...
/damselfly have been observed. The bird life of the common includes varieties such as chiffchaff
Chiffchaff
The Common Chiffchaff, or simply the Chiffchaff, is a common and widespread leaf-warbler which breeds in open woodlands throughout northern and temperate Europe and Asia....
, willow warbler
Willow Warbler
The Willow Warbler is a very common and widespread leaf warbler which breeds throughout northern and temperate Europe and Asia, from Ireland east to the Anadyr River basin in eastern Siberia...
, blackcap
Blackcap
The Blackcap is a common and widespread sylviid warbler which breeds throughout temperate Europe, western Asia and northwestern Africa, and winters from northwestern Europe south to tropical Africa...
, common whitethroat, lesser whitethroat
Lesser Whitethroat
The Lesser Whitethroat is a common and widespread typical warbler which breeds in temperate Europe, except the southwest, and in western and central Asia. This small passerine bird is strongly migratory, wintering in Africa just south of the Sahara, Arabia and India.Unlike many typical warblers,...
, reed warbler
Reed Warbler
The Eurasian Reed Warbler, or just Reed Warbler, Acrocephalus scirpaceus, is an Old World warbler in the genus Acrocephalus. It breeds across Europe into temperate western Asia. It is migratory, wintering in sub-Saharan Africa....
and occasionally sedge and grasshopper warbler
Grasshopper Warbler
The Grasshopper Warbler, Locustella naevia, is an Old World warbler in the grass warbler genus Locustella. It breeds across much of temperate Europe and Asia. It is migratory, wintering from northwest Africa to India....
s. 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 are occasionally heard. Fox
Fox
Fox is a common name for many species of omnivorous mammals belonging to the Canidae family. Foxes are small to medium-sized canids , characterized by possessing a long narrow snout, and a bushy tail .Members of about 37 species are referred to as foxes, of which only 12 species actually belong to...
es and muntjac
Muntjac
Muntjac, also known as Barking Deer and Mastreani Deer, are small deer of the genus Muntiacus. Muntjac are the oldest known deer, appearing 15–35 million years ago, with remains found in Miocene deposits in France, Germany and Poland....
deer along with smaller mammals such as water shrew
Eurasian Water Shrew
The Eurasian Water Shrew, Neomys fodiens, known in the United Kingdom as the Water Shrew, is a relatively large shrew, up to long, with a tail up to three-quarters as long again. It has short dark fur, often with a few white tufts, a white belly, and a few stiff hairs around the feet and tail...
, field vole
Vole
A vole is a small rodent resembling a mouse but with a stouter body, a shorter hairy tail, a slightly rounder head, smaller ears and eyes, and differently formed molars . There are approximately 155 species of voles. They are sometimes known as meadow mice or field mice in North America...
s, and harvest mice are present. Adder
Vipera berus
Vipera berus, the common European adder or common European viper, is a venomous viper species that is extremely widespread and can be found throughout most of Western Europe and all the way to Far East Asia. Known by a host of common names including Common adder and Common viper, adders have been...
s, slow-worms and common lizard
Lizard
Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with nearly 3800 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica as well as most oceanic island chains...
s can also be found on the common.
The Dew Pond and the Back and Top common
In November 2007 the Dew pondDew pond
A dew pond is an artificial pond usually sited on the top of a hill, intended for watering livestock. Dew ponds are used in areas where a natural supply of surface water may not be readily available. The name dew pond is first found in the Journal of the Royal Agricultural Society in 1865...
was reinstated on the top common by Sheringham Town Council. Many years ago there were shallow ponds on this part of the common and in 1939 Natterjack Toads have been recorded on Beeston Common in and around the ponds along with Common and Great Crested Newt
Great Crested Newt
The Great Crested Newt, also called Northern Crested Newt or Warty Newt is a newt in the family Salamandridae, found across Europe and parts of Asia.-Distribution:...
s. The reinstatement is an attempt to attract more wildlife back to this part of the common. Upon till the second world war, goat
Goat
The domestic goat is a subspecies of goat domesticated from the wild goat of southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the Bovidae family and is closely related to the sheep as both are in the goat-antelope subfamily Caprinae. There are over three hundred distinct breeds of...
s, ponies and geese were a common site grazing in and around the ponds. The Back common, although not as species-rich as the Site of Special Scientific Interest
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
to the south of the Cromer Road (AI49)
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:...
is home to a great many plants and insects. Around the damper fringes Spotted Orchids
Common spotted orchid
The Common Spotted-orchid is acommonly occurring species of European orchid. It is widely variable in colour and height, ranging from 15 to 60 cm in height. The flower colour can vary from white to pale purple with purple spots. The lip has three lobes...
can be found and in some years Bee Orchid
Bee Orchid
The Bee Orchid is an herbaceous perennial plant belonging to the family Orchidaceae.-Etymology:The name "Ophrys" derives from the Greek word "ophrys", meaning "eyebrow", while the Latin name of the species "apifera" refers to the bee-shaped lip.-Description: The Bee Orchid grows to a height of ....
s are present along with the occasionally appearance of the Southern Marsh Orchid
Southern Marsh-orchid
The Southern Marsh Orchid or Leopard Marsh Orchid is acommonly occurring species of European orchid....
. In the late spring and early summer the common is as mass of buttercups. Along the edges of Beeston Beck
Beeston 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....
and Sheringham Loke, Monkey Musk
Mimulus
Mimulus is a diverse plant genus, the monkey-flowers and musk-flowers. The about 150 species are currently placed in the family Phrymaceae. The genus has traditionally been placed in Scrophulariaceae. The removal of Mimulus from that family has been supported by studies of chloroplast DNA first...
grows in abundance and up until to a few years ago Dittander a rare plant was present, although this may now have been lost due to the mowing regime. On the drier areas of the common, trefoils and clover
Clover
Clover , or trefoil, is a genus of about 300 species of plants in the leguminous pea family Fabaceae. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution; the highest diversity is found in the temperate Northern Hemisphere, but many species also occur in South America and Africa, including at high altitudes...
s are present which attract Common Blue
Common Blue
The Common Blue is a small butterfly in the family Lycaenidae, widespread over much of the Palaearctic. Recently, Polyommatus icarus was discovered in Mirabel, Quebec, Canada by Ara Sarafian, an amateur entomologist who observed the butterfly from 2005 to 2008...
butterflies and the longer grass areas and buttercups are frequented by Meadow Brown
Meadow Brown
The Meadow Brown, Maniola jurtina, is a butterfly found in European meadows, where its larvae feed on grasses, such as Sheep's Fescue.Similar species are Gatekeeper and Small Heath ....
and Ringlet butterflies.
The strange story of Farmer Reynolds' stone
Within the churchyard is a large stone being used to cover a grave. It is approximately 4 feet (1.2 m) long x 2 foot (0.6096 m) x 18 inches (457.2 mm) high, being a rectangular block of graniteGranite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
, with circular depressions on the uppermost surface. On each side is inscribed the names of the grave
Grave (burial)
A grave is a location where a dead body is buried. Graves are usually located in special areas set aside for the purpose of burial, such as graveyards or cemeteries....
's occupants. This is originally one of a pair which stood at either side of a pathway in the yard of the farmhouse, in the grounds of the ruined Beeston Priory
Priory
A priory is a house of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. Priories may be houses of mendicant friars or religious sisters , or monasteries of monks or nuns .The Benedictines and their offshoots , the Premonstratensians, and the...
. The path itself led to what is now known as the Abbot's Freshwater
Spring
Spring (hydrosphere)
A spring—also known as a rising or resurgence—is a component of the hydrosphere. Specifically, it is any natural situation where water flows to the surface of the earth from underground...
Pond
Pond
A pond is a body of standing water, either natural or man-made, that is usually smaller than a lake. A wide variety of man-made bodies of water are classified as ponds, including water gardens, water features and koi ponds; all designed for aesthetic ornamentation as landscape or architectural...
.
A local tale says that about 1938-41, when both boulder
Boulder
In geology, a boulder is a rock with grain size of usually no less than 256 mm diameter. While a boulder may be small enough to move or roll manually, others are extremely massive....
s were in place, a farmer named James Reynolds often drove his horse and cart along this pathway. Several times, a hooded grey ghost
Ghost
In traditional belief and fiction, a ghost is the soul or spirit of a deceased person or animal that can appear, in visible form or other manifestation, to the living. Descriptions of the apparition of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to...
would hide behind two boulders and would leap out from behind one of the stones at sunset
Sunset
Sunset or sundown is the daily disappearance of the Sun below the horizon in the west as a result of Earth's rotation.The time of sunset is defined in astronomy as the moment the trailing edge of the Sun's disk disappears below the horizon in the west...
, and try to grab the horse's reins before vanishing. This, although terrifying the animals, seems not to have perturbed the man unduly. However, he ordered that the stone in question be laid upon his grave after his death, in an attempt at 'laying' the apparition
Apparitional experience
In psychology and parapsychology, an apparitional experience is an anomalous, quasi-perceptual experience.It is characterized by the apparent perception of either a living being or an inanimate object without there being any material stimulus for such a perception...
. James Reynolds died in 1941 and, in accordance with his wishes, the boulder now lies atop his grave, his wife Ann Elizabeth also being interred
Burial
Burial is the act of placing a person or object into the ground. This is accomplished by excavating a pit or trench, placing an object in it, and covering it over.-History:...
there in 1967. There is no record as to whether or not the 'exorcism
Exorcism
Exorcism is the religious practice of evicting demons or other spiritual entities from a person or place which they are believed to have possessed...
' was successful, and indeed, a local woman who knew the Reynolds could not confirm the story. The other stone of the pair can now be seen lying against the north wall of the churchyard.
All Saints Church and other features
Other features of the village are the cliff-top Parish ChurchParish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
of All Saints, dating from the latter part of the 11th century or early in the 12th. The tower arch opening into the 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...
is 13th century, as are much of the chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
and nave walls. Probably towards the end of the 13th century or early 14th century the church was reconstructed. The existing arcades
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....
were inserted into the nave walls onto the aisle
Aisle
An aisle is, in general, a space for walking with rows of seats on both sides or with rows of seats on one side and a wall on the other...
s, which were constructed at this time, and the nave walls raised to provide for the clerestory
Clerestory
Clerestory is an architectural term that historically denoted an upper level of a Roman basilica or of the nave of a Romanesque or Gothic church, the walls of which rise above the rooflines of the lower aisles and are pierced with windows. In modern usage, clerestory refers to any high windows...
, the window arches of which are decorated on the outside with squared flints. The inventory of 1552 makes it clear that there were three bell
Church bell
A church bell is a bell which is rung in a church either to signify the hour or the time for worshippers to go to church, perhaps to attend a wedding, funeral, or other service...
s in the tower, a fourth being added in 1610. The latter is the only one remaining, the others being sold to defray the cost of repairs in 1765.
Orben Beck is a tiny pond of half an acre located in a cliff-top caravan park and only yards from the sea. Depths range from six to twelve feet. The pond is popular with anglers and holds a variety of coarse fish
Coarse fishing
Coarse fishing is a term used in the United Kingdom and Ireland for angling for coarse fish, which are those types of freshwater fish other than game fish . The sport and the techniques used are particularly popular in the United Kingdom and mainland Europe.-History:The term "coarse fishing"...
.
Village facilities
The village has a shop which is located on the coast road near the junction with Britons Lane. Next to the shop is a unisex hairdresser's. Also on the coast road there is a motor repair shop. At the top of Britons Lane there is a quarry owned and operated by Carter Concrete . Across the lane from the quarry there is a lawn-mower sales and repair business called Anglia Mowers.Beeston Hall School
Within the parish is Beeston Hall School, which is the largest boarding preparatory school in East AngliaEast Anglia
East Anglia is a traditional name for a region of eastern England, named after an ancient Anglo-Saxon kingdom, the Kingdom of the East Angles. The Angles took their name from their homeland Angeln, in northern Germany. East Anglia initially consisted of Norfolk and Suffolk, but upon the marriage of...
. Beeston Regis Hall was once one of the family homes of the Wyndham Ketton-Cremers on the Beeston Regis Estate, part of the much larger Felbrigg Estate, the family seat. In 1940 a German
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
bomb hit the school, causing slight damage. The Hall was leased to Mr Thomas Tapping and his wife Bessie, who opened the private Beeston Hall School in 1948. In 1967 the school became an incorporated trust, and in 1970, following the death of Robert Wyndham Ketton-Cremer, the last squire of Felbrigg
Felbrigg Hall
Felbrigg Hall is a 17th-century country house located in Felbrigg, Norfolk, England. Part of a National Trust property, the unaltered 17th-century house is noted for its Jacobean architecture and fine Georgian interior...
, the school acquired the freehold and approximately 14 acres (56,656 m²) of land. The school has an excellent reputation and attracts pupils throughout 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...
and beyond. Over the years the school has prospered and expanded and is the biggest employer in the parish and has a seat on the parish council. It has also acquired other surrounding land including Beeston Hall Common, which it purchased from the parish of Beeston Regis.
Beeston Hill (Beeston Bump)
Beeston Hill, or Beeston Bump as it is called locally, is a cliff-top hill which overlooks the sea and the village. At 207 feet (63m) high, it is the dominating feature of the parish. The hill, part of 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...
, was once two symmetrical round flat-topped hills in the shape of giant molehills; geological features known as kame
Kame
A kame is a geological feature, an irregularly shaped hill or mound composed of sand, gravel and till that accumulates in a depression on a retreating glacier, and is then deposited on the land surface with further melting of the glacier...
s. The two hills were left behind when glaciers retreated northwards at the end of the last Ice age
Ice age
An ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...
. This formation occurred between 15,000 and 10,000 years ago, a recent event in geological timescales. At the end of the last Ice age, most of what is now the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
was dry land, with the Rhine and the Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
combining to form a giant river estuary. As the ice melted, sea levels in this estuary rose and the North Sea was formed. Since the time the two hills were formed and the sea levels have risen, the forces of coastal erosion have been eating away at Beeston Bump. Almost the entire hill on the seaward side had been washed away by the 1930s. As for Beeston Bump, almost 90 yards (80m) of the cliff have now been lost to the sea, along with a brickworks which stood to the east of the summit and a football pitch. In recent times, the effects of coastal erosion have been slowed by building groynes and sea walls along the coast and below the hill.
Beach flint circles and paramoudras (pot stones)
During low tides on the foreshore of the sandy beach beneath Beeston Bump, you can find the curious paramoudras and the even stranger flint circles. These are sometimes mixed in with the exposed "Beeston Chalk". In Norfolk, paramoudras are known as pot stones, due to the shape.Vineyards
Local folklore tells of the southern slopes of the ’Bump’ being festooned with grapeGrape
A grape is a non-climacteric fruit, specifically a berry, that grows on the perennial and deciduous woody vines of the genus Vitis. Grapes can be eaten raw or they can be used for making jam, juice, jelly, vinegar, wine, grape seed extracts, raisins, molasses and grape seed oil. Grapes are also...
vines, tended by the monks of the priory. The Bump can be climbed using the North Norfolk Coastal Path
North Norfolk Coastal Path
The Norfolk Coast Path is a long distance footpath in Norfolk, running 45 miles from Hunstanton to Cromer. It was opened in 1986 and covers the North Norfolk Coast AONB ....
from either the east or west, and is well worth the climb. From the top, wonderful views of the surrounding land and sea can be seen. Each Easter
Easter
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
, the combined churches in the area make a pilgrimage carrying a cross
Christian cross
The Christian cross, seen as a representation of the instrument of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, is the best-known religious symbol of Christianity...
to the top of Beeston Bump, and an open-air service takes place.
Beeston Bump Y-Station
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...
Beeston Bump was the location for one of the network of Signals Intelligence
SIGINT
Signals intelligence is intelligence-gathering by interception of signals, whether between people , whether involving electronic signals not directly used in communication , or combinations of the two...
collection sites: 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...
. These stations collected material to be passed to the War Office’s
War Office
The War Office was a department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the Ministry of Defence...
Government Code & Cypher School at Bletchley Park
Bletchley Park
Bletchley Park is an estate located in the town of Bletchley, in Buckinghamshire, England, which currently houses the National Museum of Computing...
. There were several of these stations around the east coast and by triangulating the signals, the exact location of enemy shipping could be pinpointed. In an episode of the BBC1 series “Coast”, the technique was explained and demonstrated. In the same programme, Joy Hale was interviewed by the presenter, Hermione Cockburn
Hermione Cockburn
Hermione Cockburn is a British television and radio presenter specialising in scientific and educational programmes.-Biography:...
. Hale had been a WREN
Women's Royal Naval Service
The Women's Royal Naval Service was the women's branch of the Royal Navy.Members included cooks, clerks, wireless telegraphists, radar plotters, weapons analysts, range assessors, electricians and air mechanics...
during the war and had been an operator at the Y-station.
The concrete
Concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
remains of part of this facility can still be seen on the summit
Summit (topography)
In topography, a summit is a point on a surface that is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it. Mathematically, a summit is a local maximum in elevation...
of the hill. They consist of an octagonal concrete base that measures 3,850mm across, with a channel running west to east across the middle. On the southern edge of the octagon is a raised area of concrete, which is 225mm higher than the rest of the base. Around the edge of the octagon are the remnants of what was once a reinforced parapet
Parapet
A parapet is a wall-like barrier at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony or other structure. Where extending above a roof, it may simply be the portion of an exterior wall that continues above the line of the roof surface, or may be a continuation of a vertical feature beneath the roof such as a...
, which has long been removed. There are also signs of a Fletton brick
The London Brick Company
The London Brick Company is a leading British manufactuer of bricks. It is owned by Hanson plc.- History :The London Brick Company owes its origins to John Cathles Hill, a developer-architect who built houses in both London and Peterborough...
wall running westward away from the raised area.The octagonal shape of the base indicates that a direction-finding station operator's hut stood there. It would have consisted of a double-skinned wooden structure in which the cavity was filled with shingle designed to make them "splinter proof" or "bulletproof". Two Y stations were operated in Sheringham in World War II, one run by the RAF and the other by the Navy.
The legend of Black Shuck
There is a legend told in East AngliaEast Anglia
East Anglia is a traditional name for a region of eastern England, named after an ancient Anglo-Saxon kingdom, the Kingdom of the East Angles. The Angles took their name from their homeland Angeln, in northern Germany. East Anglia initially consisted of Norfolk and Suffolk, but upon the marriage of...
about a ghostly black hound from hell that is said to roam the coast and lonely lanes of Norfolk. The hound is said to be the size of a small horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
and appears from the depths of Beeston Bump with malevolent flaming red eyes. Anyone who is confronted with the Doom Dog, it is said, will be dead within one year of their encounter. Sometimes, Black Shuck
Black Shuck
Black Shuck, Old Shuck, Old Shock or simply Shuck is the name given to a ghostly black dog which is said to roam the coastline and countryside of East Anglia...
has appeared headless and, at other times, he appears to float on a carpet of mist
Mist
Mist is a phenomenon of small droplets suspended in air. It can occur as part of natural weather or volcanic activity, and is common in cold air above warmer water, in exhaled air in the cold, and in a steam room of a sauna. It can also be created artificially with aerosol canisters if the...
, rather than running. More often than not, the Black Shuck terrifies his victims out of their wits, although the apparition is said not to harm his victims. The legend was the inspiration behind Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes story, The Hound of the Baskervilles
The Hound of the Baskervilles
The Hound of the Baskervilles is the third of four crime novels by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle featuring the detective Sherlock Holmes. Originally serialised in The Strand Magazine from August 1901 to April 1902, it is set largely on Dartmoor in Devon in England's West Country and tells the story of an...
. Conan Doyle had been on a golfing holiday at the nearby Links Hotel in 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...
, and it was in the sitting room of the hotel that his friend, Bertram Fletcher Robinson, recounted the legend of the Black Hound from the Bump.
Destinations from Beeston Regis
See also
- Regis (Place)Regis (Place)Regis, Latin for "of the king", occurs in numerous English place names. The name usually recalls the historical ownership of lands or manors by the Crown. - in other places it honours Royal associations rather than ownership...
- List of place names with royal patronage in the United Kingdom
- Sheringham War Memorial which records people from Beeston Regis
- Weybourne
- Peddars WayPeddars WayThe Peddars Way is a long distance footpath in Norfolk, England. It is 46 miles long and follows the route of a Roman road. It has been suggested by more than one writer that it was not created by the Romans but was an ancient trackway, a branch or extension of the Icknield Way, used and...
- 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....