Brandiston
Encyclopedia
Brandiston is a small village
and civil parish
in the county of Norfolk
, England
, about two miles south-east of the small market town of Reepham, five miles south-west of the larger town of Aylsham
and 10 miles north-west of the city of Norwich
. For the purposes of local government, it falls within Broadland district
. The hamlet
of Guton lies within the parish. The 2001 census recorded a population for Brandiston of just 44.
Brandiston's Church of St Nicholas
is one of 124 existing round-tower church
es in Norfolk
. It is redundant
and in the care of the Churches Conservation Trust
.
The south-east quadrant of the parish was occupied by a Second World War
airfield, RAF Swannington
. Although the airfield closed after the war and returned to agricultural use, substantial evidence of it remains, notably on the road to the east of the church and along the Brandiston-Swannington
road. Parts of both roads still run over remains of the concrete runways.
A small common
lies in the west of the parish.
There are four almshouses
, built in the 1850s and owned by the Brandiston Gurney Charity, established from a 16th century bequest by William Gurney.
The remains of a stump cross are on the eastern boundary of the parish, on the Cawston
-Norwich road.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
and civil parish
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 county of Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
, 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...
, about two miles south-east of the small market town of Reepham, five miles south-west of the larger town of Aylsham
Aylsham
Aylsham is a historic market town and civil parish on the River Bure in north Norfolk, England, about north of Norwich. The river rises near Melton Constable, upstream from Aylsham and continues to Great Yarmouth and the North Sea, although it was only made navigable after 1779, allowing grain,...
and 10 miles north-west of the city of Norwich
Norwich
Norwich is a city in England. It is the regional administrative centre and county town of Norfolk. During the 11th century, Norwich was the largest city in England after London, and one of the most important places in the kingdom...
. For the purposes of local government, it falls within Broadland district
Broadland
Broadland is a local government district in Norfolk, England, named after the Norfolk Broads. Its council is based in Thorpe St Andrew, which is a suburb of the City of Norwich.-History:The district was formed on April 1, 1974 by the merger of St...
. The hamlet
Hamlet
The Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, or more simply Hamlet, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601...
of Guton lies within the parish. The 2001 census recorded a population for Brandiston of just 44.
Brandiston's Church of St Nicholas
St Nicholas' Church, Brandiston
St Nicholas' Church, Brandiston, is a redundant Anglican church in the village of Brandiston, Norfolk, England. It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade II* listed building, and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust...
is one of 124 existing round-tower church
Round-tower church
Round-tower churches are a type of church found mainly in England, almost solely in East Anglia; of about 185 surviving examples in the country, 124 are in Norfolk, 38 in Suffolk, 6 in Essex, 3 in Sussex and 2 each in Cambridgeshire and Berkshire. There is evidence of about twenty round-tower...
es in Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
. It is redundant
Redundant church
A redundant church is a church building that is no longer required for regular public worship. The phrase is particularly used to refer to former Anglican buildings in the United Kingdom, but may refer to any disused church building around the world...
and in the care of the Churches Conservation Trust
Churches Conservation Trust
The Churches Conservation Trust, which was initially known as the Redundant Churches Fund, is a charity whose purpose is to protect historic churches at risk, those that have been made redundant by the Church of England. The Trust was established by the Pastoral Measure of 1968...
.
The south-east quadrant of the parish was occupied by a Second World War
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...
airfield, RAF Swannington
RAF Swannington
RAF Swannington was a World War II era airfield located just to the north of the Norfolk village of Swannington, England, also occupying a substantial part of the neighbouring parish of Brandiston. It was opened in April 1944 and sold in 1957, though the RAF left in November 1947. The site is now...
. Although the airfield closed after the war and returned to agricultural use, substantial evidence of it remains, notably on the road to the east of the church and along the Brandiston-Swannington
Swannington, Norfolk
Swannington is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The village is located approximately north of Norwich between the villages of Taverham, Felthorpe, Brandiston and Cawston....
road. Parts of both roads still run over remains of the concrete runways.
A small common
Common land
Common land is land owned collectively or by one person, but over which other people have certain traditional rights, such as to allow their livestock to graze upon it, to collect firewood, or to cut turf for fuel...
lies in the west of the parish.
There are four almshouses
Almshouse
Almshouses are charitable housing provided to enable people to live in a particular community...
, built in the 1850s and owned by the Brandiston Gurney Charity, established from a 16th century bequest by William Gurney.
The remains of a stump cross are on the eastern boundary of the parish, on the Cawston
Cawston, Norfolk
Cawston is a small village located approximately North of Norwich, off the B1149 main road to Holt. Nearby villages are Reepham and Aylsham.-Church of St Agnes:...
-Norwich road.