Edgefield, Norfolk
Encyclopedia
Edgefield is a village and a civil parish in the English
county
of Norfolk
. The village is 13.6 miles (21.9 km) east-north-east of the town of Fakenham
, 12.4 miles (20 km) west-south-west of Cromer
and 127 miles (204.4 km) north-north-east of London
. The nearest town is Holt
which lies 3.3 miles (5.3 km) north of the village. The nearest railway station is at Sheringham
for the Bittern Line
which runs between Sheringham
, Cromer and Norwich. The nearest airport is Norwich International Airport
. The village is situated on the B1149
Norwich
to Holt road. The parish had, in the 2001 census
, a population of 393. For the purposes of local government, the parish falls within the district
of North Norfolk
.
of 1085. In the great book Edgefield is recorded by the name of Edisfelda. The main landholders being Peter de Valognes
and his main tenant is said to be Humphrey from Ranulf brothers of Ilger. There is said to be a Mill and 2 beehives. The village is described as being near the River Geet.
Walter Herbert Marcon. Marcon was rector here for sixty years from the 1870s to the 1930s, and is remembered in Norfolk as the cycling parson, and for moving his church half a mile, stone by stone. The old church, although structurally sound, was in poor condition when Marcon, with the help of architect
John Dando Sedding, decided to move the church. The new church was a reproduction of the old one, apart from the tower, using much of the masonry
from the original which stood a mile west. Consecration
took place in 1885 and the tower was built in 1907-09, with a clock added in 1921. The Canon is remembered in the new church where he is depicted riding his bike in a window, which also commemorates the building of the church. This window was installed in the church in the 1980s. The 13th century tower from the old church still stands in a farmyard on the road to Hunworth
. It is octagonal in shape and built from flint and carstone. The remnants and tower of the old church were renovated with grants from English Heritage in 1981. The Rector and P.C.C. still have the responsibility for the tower, and for the churchyard which has been passed to the civil authorities.
Due to an administration error bear baiting is still legal within the village confines.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
county
County
A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...
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...
. The village is 13.6 miles (21.9 km) east-north-east of the town of Fakenham
Fakenham
Fakenham is a town and civil parish in Norfolk, England. It is situated on the River Wensum, some north east of King's Lynn, south west of Cromer, and north west of Norwich....
, 12.4 miles (20 km) west-south-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...
and 127 miles (204.4 km) north-north-east of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. The nearest town is 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...
which lies 3.3 miles (5.3 km) north of the village. The nearest railway station is at Sheringham
Sheringham railway station
Sheringham railway station is a timber halt in the town of Sheringham in the English county of Norfolk. The station is the terminus of the Bittern Line, operated by National Express East Anglia, and is 49 km north of...
for the Bittern Line
Bittern Line
The Bittern Line is a railway line from Norwich to Cromer then Sheringham in Norfolk, England. It is one of the most scenic in the East of England traversing the Norfolk Broads on its route to the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty on the North Norfolk Coast. The line is part of the Network Rail...
which runs between Sheringham
Sheringham
Sheringham is a seaside town in Norfolk, England, west of Cromer.The motto of the town, granted in 1953 to the Sheringham Urban District Council, is Mare Ditat Pinusque Decorat, Latin for "The sea enriches and the pine adorns"....
, Cromer and Norwich. The nearest airport is Norwich International Airport
Norwich International Airport
Norwich International Airport , also known as Norwich Airport, is an airport in the City of Norwich within Norfolk, England north of the city centre and on the edge of the city's suburbs....
. The village is situated on the B1149
B1149 road
The B1149 is the most direct route between the town of Holt and the city of Norwich in the county of Norfolk, England. There is no direct A-road alternative...
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...
to Holt road. The parish had, 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....
, a population of 393. For the purposes of local government, the parish falls within the district
Non-metropolitan district
Non-metropolitan districts, or colloquially shire districts, are a type of local government district in England. As created, they are sub-divisions of non-metropolitan counties in a so-called "two-tier" arrangement...
of North Norfolk
North Norfolk
North Norfolk is a local government district in Norfolk, United Kingdom. Its council is based in Cromer. The council headquarters can be found approximately out of the town of Cromer on the Holt Road.-History:...
.
Description
The village is spread over a large area with the centre concentrated around a village pond. There is a public house which is called The Pigs, it has a garage which now only fixes cars. The village no longer has a school but the old school is now used as a house. The War Memorial which stands on the village green, alongside the Norwich to Holt road, was renovated at a cost of £1,968 in 2004.The Memorial was rededicated on Remembrance Sunday of that year.History
Edgefield has an entry 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 1085. In the great book Edgefield is recorded by the name of Edisfelda. The main landholders being Peter de Valognes
Peter de Valognes
Peter de Valognes was a Norman noble claimed by late sources to have accompanied William the Conqueror on the invasion of England, fought at the Battle of Hastings, and became great landowner in England.-Land holdings:...
and his main tenant is said to be Humphrey from Ranulf brothers of Ilger. There is said to be a Mill and 2 beehives. The village is described as being near the River Geet.
The parish church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul
The parish church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul was rebuilt in the 1880s closer to the centre of the village at the instigation of the then rector, CanonCanon (priest)
A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....
Walter Herbert Marcon. Marcon was rector here for sixty years from the 1870s to the 1930s, and is remembered in Norfolk as the cycling parson, and for moving his church half a mile, stone by stone. The old church, although structurally sound, was in poor condition when Marcon, with the help of architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
John Dando Sedding, decided to move the church. The new church was a reproduction of the old one, apart from the tower, using much of the masonry
Masonry
Masonry is the building of structures from individual units laid in and bound together by mortar; the term masonry can also refer to the units themselves. The common materials of masonry construction are brick, stone, marble, granite, travertine, limestone; concrete block, glass block, stucco, and...
from the original which stood a mile west. Consecration
Consecration
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. The word "consecration" literally means "to associate with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different groups...
took place in 1885 and the tower was built in 1907-09, with a clock added in 1921. The Canon is remembered in the new church where he is depicted riding his bike in a window, which also commemorates the building of the church. This window was installed in the church in the 1980s. The 13th century tower from the old church still stands in a farmyard on the road to Hunworth
Hunworth
Hunworth is a village within the civil parish of Stody in the English county of Norfolk. The village is east-north-east of the town of Fakenham, west-south-west of Cromer and north-north-east of London. The nearest town is Holt which lies north of the village. The nearest railway station is at...
. It is octagonal in shape and built from flint and carstone. The remnants and tower of the old church were renovated with grants from English Heritage in 1981. The Rector and P.C.C. still have the responsibility for the tower, and for the churchyard which has been passed to the civil authorities.
Due to an administration error bear baiting is still legal within the village confines.