Downham Market
Encyclopedia
Downham Market is a town
and civil parish in Norfolk
, England
. It lies on the edge of the Fens
, on the River Great Ouse
, some 20 km
south of the town of King's Lynn
, 60 km
west of the city of Norwich and the same distance north of the city of Cambridge
.
The civil parish has an area of 5.2 km²
and in the 2001 census
had a population of 6,730 in 3,258 households. For the purposes of local government, the parish falls within the district
of King's Lynn and West Norfolk
. It is part of South West Norfolk parliamentary constituency.
It was an agricultural centre, developing as a market for the produce of the Fens with a bridge across the Ouse. During the Middle Ages, it was famed for its butter
market and also hosted a notable horse fair.
Notable buildings in the town include its mediaeval parish church
, dedicated to St Edmund
, and Victorian
clock tower
, constructed in 1878. The town is also known as the place where Charles I
hid after the Battle of Naseby
. The town has recently undergone a regeneration project on the Market Place, moving the market to the town hall car park. The decorative town sign
depicts the crown and arrows of St Edmund with horses to show the importance of the horse fairs in the town's history.
Downham Market railway station
, which serves the town, is on the Fen Line
from London to King's Lynn.
and a sixth form college, Downham Market College.
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...
and civil parish 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
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 lies on the edge of the Fens
The Fens
The Fens, also known as the , are a naturally marshy region in eastern England. Most of the fens were drained several centuries ago, resulting in a flat, damp, low-lying agricultural region....
, on the River Great Ouse
River Great Ouse
The Great Ouse is a river in the east of England. At long, it is the fourth-longest river in the United Kingdom. The river has been important for navigation, and for draining the low-lying region through which it flows. Its course has been modified several times, with the first recorded being in...
, some 20 km
1 E4 m
To help compare different orders of magnitude this page lists lengths between 10 and 100 kilometres . The myriametre is a deprecated unit name; the prefix myria- is obsolete, not included among the prefixes when the International System of Units was introduced in 1960.Distances shorter than 10...
south of the town of King's Lynn
King's Lynn
King's Lynn is a sea port and market town in the ceremonial county of Norfolk in the East of England. It is situated north of London and west of Norwich. The population of the town is 42,800....
, 60 km
1 E4 m
To help compare different orders of magnitude this page lists lengths between 10 and 100 kilometres . The myriametre is a deprecated unit name; the prefix myria- is obsolete, not included among the prefixes when the International System of Units was introduced in 1960.Distances shorter than 10...
west of the city of Norwich and the same distance north of the city of Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
.
The civil parish has an area of 5.2 km²
1 E6 m²
To aid in the comparison of sizes of different geographic regions, areas between 1 km2 and 10 km2 are listed below. See also areas of other orders of magnitude.* Areas smaller than 1 km2...
and in the 2001 census
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
had a population of 6,730 in 3,258 households. For the purposes of local government, the parish falls within the district
Non-metropolitan district
Non-metropolitan districts, or colloquially shire districts, are a type of local government district in England. As created, they are sub-divisions of non-metropolitan counties in a so-called "two-tier" arrangement...
of King's Lynn and West Norfolk
King's Lynn and West Norfolk
King's Lynn and West Norfolk is a local government district and borough in Norfolk, England. Its council is based in the town of King's Lynn.-History:...
. It is part of South West Norfolk parliamentary constituency.
It was an agricultural centre, developing as a market for the produce of the Fens with a bridge across the Ouse. During the Middle Ages, it was famed for its butter
Butter
Butter is a dairy product made by churning fresh or fermented cream or milk. It is generally used as a spread and a condiment, as well as in cooking applications, such as baking, sauce making, and pan frying...
market and also hosted a notable horse fair.
Notable buildings in the town include its mediaeval parish church
Parish 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....
, dedicated to St Edmund
Edmund the Martyr
St Edmund the Martyr was a king of East Anglia, an Anglo-Saxon kingdom which today includes the English counties of Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire.D'Evelyn, Charlotte, and Mill, Anna J., , 1956. Reprinted 1967...
, and Victorian
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
clock tower
Clock tower
A clock tower is a tower specifically built with one or more clock faces. Clock towers can be either freestanding or part of a church or municipal building such as a town hall. Some clock towers are not true clock towers having had their clock faces added to an already existing building...
, constructed in 1878. The town is also known as the place where Charles I
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
hid after the Battle of Naseby
Battle of Naseby
The Battle of Naseby was the key battle of the first English Civil War. On 14 June 1645, the main army of King Charles I was destroyed by the Parliamentarian New Model Army commanded by Sir Thomas Fairfax and Oliver Cromwell.-The Campaign:...
. The town has recently undergone a regeneration project on the Market Place, moving the market to the town hall car park. The decorative town sign
Village sign
A village sign in some areas of England is a symbol of a village's history, heritage, or culture. They differ from regular road signs in that they are decorative, with the designs usually depicting some aspect of the history of the village...
depicts the crown and arrows of St Edmund with horses to show the importance of the horse fairs in the town's history.
Transport
Downham Market railway station
Downham Market railway station serves the town of Downham Market in the English county of Norfolk. The station lies on Fen Line from Cambridge to King's Lynn, which is electrified at 25 kV AC overhead...
, which serves the town, is on the Fen Line
Fen Line
The Fen Line is a railway in the United Kingdom that runs between the cities of Cambridge, Cambridgeshire and King's Lynn, Norfolk; the line is so called because it runs through The Fens. The line is part of the Network Rail Strategic Route 5 and comprises SRS 05.06 and part of 05.05...
from London to King's Lynn.
Education
There are two primary schools in Downham Market: Hillcrest and Clackclose. The town has one High School, Downham Market High SchoolDownham Market High School
Downham Market High School is a state high school situated in Downham Market, Norfolk, England. The School has been awarded specialist Technology College status by the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust. The Bexwell and Ryston sites have a combined student population of approximately 2,000 pupils...
and a sixth form college, Downham Market College.
Notable residents
- Isaac CasaubonIsaac CasaubonIsaac Casaubon was a classical scholar and philologist, first in France and then later in England, regarded by many of his time as the most learned in Europe.-Early life:...
(1559–1614), classical scholar and philologist, spent time in the town. - George William ManbyGeorge William ManbyCaptain George William Manby FRS , was an English author and inventor. He designed an apparatus for saving life from shipwrecks and also the first modern form of fire extinguisher.-Life:Manby went to school at Downham Market...
(1765–1854), inventor of a lifesaving rocket and the first modern form of fire extinguisher, was educated in the town. - George Henry DashwoodGeorge Henry Dashwood (antiquary)George Henry Dashwood was a British antiquary.Dashwood, son of the Rev. James Dashwood, rector of Doddington, Isle of Ely, by his second wife, Sarah, daughter of the Rev. David Lloyd, LL.D., was born at Downham Market, Norfolk, 21 Oct. 1801. After spending five terms at Christ's College,...
(1801–1869), antiquary, was born in the town. - Father Oswald BakerOswald BakerOswald Charles Baker was a controversial Catholic priest who lived in Downham Market in Norfolk. He was Parish Priest at Saint Dominic's Church between 1951 and 1975. He made headlines in the 1970s when he refused to say the new vernacular Mass and insisted on saying the traditional Latin Mass. ...
(1915–2004), controversial Catholic priest, lived in the town. - Patrick HolmanPatrick HolmanPatrick Holman was an English cricketer. He was a right-handed batsman who played for Cambridgeshire. He was born in Downham Market....
(1945-), cricketCricketCricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er, was born in the town.
External links
- Information from Genuki Norfolk on Downham Market.
- Downham Market Town Council