Lammas, Norfolk
Encyclopedia
Lammas is a village in Broadland
, Norfolk
, England
. Administratively it falls within the civil parish
of Buxton with Lammas.
and Aylsham
, Lammas lies down between RAF Coltishall
on the Bure Valley Railway
, and there is a railway halt called Buxton Lammas
. Lammas is separated by the River Bure
from the larger village of Buxton
, and where the two meet is Buxton Mill. The two otherwise run into each other and appear to be the same village.
). There are four 'big houses' located within the village, Lammas Hall, which is located in a park, and not visible from the road, the Tudor Manor House, which Pevsner
describes as having formed part of a larger structure (today this is two houses), Bure House, which stands on the other side of the churchyard from the Manor, and the Rectory
, which is located on the Little Hautbois Road. A house opposite Bure House describes itself as 'The Old Smithy'. Early photographs of the village show that the house called 'The Old Anchor of Hope' by the river Bure
was once a pub.
In earlier centuries, agriculture was the main industry. Today, Lammas serves mainly as a dormitory for the city of Norwich.
and Norfolk County Council. Lammas and Buxton together have a population of 1,695. Although Lammas is the smaller of the two places, it is historically a parish in its own right, and for centuries had its own Rector. Lammas has been united with the neighbouring hamlet of Little Hautbois
since the 15th century. The village is a part of the Buxton Division of the district of Broadland
, and the Aylsham
Division of the County Council.
. Much restored
in the 19th century, the church nevertheless still displays some traces of Anglo-Saxon
work in the walls of the nave
. The chancel
slants away from the nave, probably due to the marshy nature of the riverside site. Inside, there is a finely-painted organ decorated with images of St. George
and St. Michael
. Two RAF
standards hang in the chancel. A late nineteenth-century writer reports that, prior to the restoration, the old church possessed some fine medieval figurative stained-glass, but that this had vanished during the restoration. Today, the church possesses a ring of five bells, and the ringing chamber was extensively restored by Peggy Anne Williamson of Lammas Hall, a former tower Captain. The writer Anna Sewell
is buried in the graveyard of the old Quaker Meeting-House
on The Street. The meeting house itself has now been converted into a house, but Anna Sewell's gravestone is set in a wall fronting the Street. The other stones commemorate local benefactors John Wright and Phillip Sewell, of Dudwick Park, Buxton
. The burial ground was partially destroyed in 1984, when a large part was bulldozed without permission.
In the 19th century, Lammas had a small Baptist Chapel, but this has long since vanished.
The Rector of Lammas from 1738 to 1754, the Reverend William Lubbock
, was the ancestor of the Lubbock family, Lords Avebury
.
One of the former Rectors of the Parish is named simply as 'Roger' on the board in the Church. Local legend says this is because he murdered a man shortly after he had been inducted to the benefice
and fled. It is said that the man's body still lies under the Church porch.
The current Rector is the Revd Dr Peter Hansell, who was instituted as Rector of the Bure Valley Benefice in September 2010.
. The Hall was an old people's home for a time, before returning to private ownership.
The Manor House was built in several sections over the centuries. It was begun by three sheep farming brothers, the Allens circa the reign of Henry VII with subsequent extensions - the east gable was said by Pevsner to bear the date of 1525 on the east gable. It was extended to the West circa 1600. There appears to be a Georgian addition to the west gable and there was one final modern alteration/extension carried out in the late 1980s. The Manor became the home of the Dammant family between the 17th century to the early 19th century. They were a family of doctors who had a private gate to the adjacent church through the brick wall which partly bounds the property. After their departure, the house was subdivided into five homes, chiefly for workers at Lammas Hall. It was bought and restored by Canon and Mary Boston in the 1960s.
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...
, 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...
. Administratively it falls within the 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...
of Buxton with Lammas.
Location
Located between NorwichNorwich
Norwich is a city in England. It is the regional administrative centre and county town of Norfolk. During the 11th century, Norwich was the largest city in England after London, and one of the most important places in the kingdom...
and 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,...
, Lammas lies down between RAF Coltishall
RAF Coltishall
The former Royal Air Force Station Coltishall, more commonly known as RAF Coltishall , was a Royal Air Force station, a military airbase, North-North-East of Norwich, in the English county of Norfolk, East Anglia, from 1938 to 2006....
on the Bure Valley Railway
Bure Valley Railway
The Bure Valley Railway is a minimum gauge heritage railway in Norfolk, within The Broads National Park.The railway runs from Wroxham to Aylsham and is Norfolk's longest railway of less than standard gauge. It uses both steam and diesel locomotives. There are intermediate halts at Brampton,...
, and there is a railway halt called Buxton Lammas
Buxton Lammas
Buxton with Lammas is a civil parish in Broadland in the English county of Norfolk. It comprises the villages of Buxton lying to the west of the River Bure and Lammas on the eastern side of the river. At this point the River Bure is crossed by the Bure Valley Railway on a long girder bridge. ...
. Lammas is separated by the River Bure
River Bure
The River Bure is a river in the county of Norfolk, England, most of it in The Broads. The Bure rises near Melton Constable, upstream of Aylsham, which was the original head of navigation. Nowadays, the head of navigation is downstream at Coltishall Bridge...
from the larger village of Buxton
Buxton, Norfolk
Buxton is a village in Norfolk, located between Norwich and Aylsham. The village is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1085. Buxton is adjacent to the village of Lammas. The two villages are separated by the River Bure at Buxton Mill but are otherwise indistinguishable...
, and where the two meet is Buxton Mill. The two otherwise run into each other and appear to be the same village.
Description
Lammas gives the impression of being a sleepy, rural place. Today it has no pubs or shops, being served by Buxton. The village's two main roads are called The Street and Scottow Road (which is the continuation of The Street leading to RAF ColtishallRAF Coltishall
The former Royal Air Force Station Coltishall, more commonly known as RAF Coltishall , was a Royal Air Force station, a military airbase, North-North-East of Norwich, in the English county of Norfolk, East Anglia, from 1938 to 2006....
). There are four 'big houses' located within the village, Lammas Hall, which is located in a park, and not visible from the road, the Tudor Manor House, which Pevsner
Pevsner
Pevsner is a surname, and may refer to:* Antoine Pevsner , a Russian sculptor* Sir Nikolaus Pevsner , a German-born British scholar of the history of architecture;** ....
describes as having formed part of a larger structure (today this is two houses), Bure House, which stands on the other side of the churchyard from the Manor, and the Rectory
Rectory
A rectory is the residence, or former residence, of a rector, most often a Christian cleric, but in some cases an academic rector or other person with that title...
, which is located on the Little Hautbois Road. A house opposite Bure House describes itself as 'The Old Smithy'. Early photographs of the village show that the house called 'The Old Anchor of Hope' by the river Bure
River Bure
The River Bure is a river in the county of Norfolk, England, most of it in The Broads. The Bure rises near Melton Constable, upstream of Aylsham, which was the original head of navigation. Nowadays, the head of navigation is downstream at Coltishall Bridge...
was once a pub.
In earlier centuries, agriculture was the main industry. Today, Lammas serves mainly as a dormitory for the city of Norwich.
Local government
For local government purposes, the two villages jointly elect the Buxton with Lammas Parish Council, and both fall within the area covered by Broadland District CouncilBroadland
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...
and Norfolk County Council. Lammas and Buxton together have a population of 1,695. Although Lammas is the smaller of the two places, it is historically a parish in its own right, and for centuries had its own Rector. Lammas has been united with the neighbouring hamlet of Little Hautbois
Little Hautbois
Little Hautbois is a small hamlet in Broadland, England, part of the parish of Lamas. The name is pronounced 'Hobbis', and can be seen thus spelled on a memorial on the outside of nearby Lamas Church. In the Middle Ages, the settlement of Great Hautbois was the head of the navigation on the river...
since the 15th century. The village is a part of the Buxton Division of the district of Broadland
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...
, and the 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,...
Division of the County Council.
Places of worship
The village church is dedicated to St. AndrewSaint Andrew
Saint Andrew , called in the Orthodox tradition Prōtoklētos, or the First-called, is a Christian Apostle and the brother of Saint Peter. The name "Andrew" , like other Greek names, appears to have been common among the Jews from the 3rd or 2nd century BC. No Hebrew or Aramaic name is recorded for him...
. Much restored
Victorian restoration
Victorian restoration is the term commonly used to refer to the widespread and extensive refurbishment and rebuilding of Church of England churches and cathedrals that took place in England and Wales during the 19th-century reign of Queen Victoria...
in the 19th century, the church nevertheless still displays some traces of Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
work in the walls of 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...
. 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...
slants away from the nave, probably due to the marshy nature of the riverside site. Inside, there is a finely-painted organ decorated with images of St. George
Saint George
Saint George was, according to tradition, a Roman soldier from Syria Palaestina and a priest in the Guard of Diocletian, who is venerated as a Christian martyr. In hagiography Saint George is one of the most venerated saints in the Catholic , Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, and the Oriental Orthodox...
and St. Michael
Michael (archangel)
Michael , Micha'el or Mîkhā'ēl; , Mikhaḗl; or Míchaël; , Mīkhā'īl) is an archangel in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic teachings. Roman Catholics, Anglicans, and Lutherans refer to him as Saint Michael the Archangel and also simply as Saint Michael...
. Two RAF
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
standards hang in the chancel. A late nineteenth-century writer reports that, prior to the restoration, the old church possessed some fine medieval figurative stained-glass, but that this had vanished during the restoration. Today, the church possesses a ring of five bells, and the ringing chamber was extensively restored by Peggy Anne Williamson of Lammas Hall, a former tower Captain. The writer Anna Sewell
Anna Sewell
Anna Sewell was an English novelist, best known as the author of the classic novel Black Beauty.-Biography:Anna Mary Sewell was born in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England into a devoutly Quaker family...
is buried in the graveyard of the old Quaker Meeting-House
Friends meeting house
A Friends meeting house is a meeting house of the Religious Society of Friends , where meeting for worship may be held.-History:Quakers do not believe that meeting for worship should take place in any special place. They believe that "where two or three meet together in my name, I am there among...
on The Street. The meeting house itself has now been converted into a house, but Anna Sewell's gravestone is set in a wall fronting the Street. The other stones commemorate local benefactors John Wright and Phillip Sewell, of Dudwick Park, Buxton
Buxton
Buxton is a spa town in Derbyshire, England. It has the highest elevation of any market town in England. Located close to the county boundary with Cheshire to the west and Staffordshire to the south, Buxton is described as "the gateway to the Peak District National Park"...
. The burial ground was partially destroyed in 1984, when a large part was bulldozed without permission.
In the 19th century, Lammas had a small Baptist Chapel, but this has long since vanished.
The Rector of Lammas from 1738 to 1754, the Reverend William Lubbock
William Lubbock
The Reverend William Lubbock MA BD was an English divine, Fellow of Caius College, Cambridge, and Church of England clergyman...
, was the ancestor of the Lubbock family, Lords Avebury
John Lubbock, 1st Baron Avebury
John Lubbock, 1st Baron Avebury PC , FRS , known as Sir John Lubbock, 4th Baronet from 1865 until 1900, was a polymath and Liberal Member of Parliament....
.
One of the former Rectors of the Parish is named simply as 'Roger' on the board in the Church. Local legend says this is because he murdered a man shortly after he had been inducted to the benefice
Benefice
A benefice is a reward received in exchange for services rendered and as a retainer for future services. The term is now almost obsolete.-Church of England:...
and fled. It is said that the man's body still lies under the Church porch.
The current Rector is the Revd Dr Peter Hansell, who was instituted as Rector of the Bure Valley Benefice in September 2010.
Historic Houses
Lammas Hall, a large building of uncertain date, lies in a small park, concealed from the road. The building possesses a seventeenth century porch, a doorcase with stone quoins contained within a nineteenth century single storey brick porch. The North wing is of the same date as the porch. The shaped gable above the entrance is one of the few surviving traces of architecture. Limewash has been applied to the exterior in an attempt to create an impression of architectural unity. Among the notable inhabitants of the Hall was Wallace White Williamson, Actuary, of Norwich UnionNorwich Union
Norwich Union was the name given to insurance company Aviva's British arm before June 2009. It was originally established in 1797. It is the biggest life insurance provider in the United Kingdom, and has a strong position in motor insurance...
. The Hall was an old people's home for a time, before returning to private ownership.
The Manor House was built in several sections over the centuries. It was begun by three sheep farming brothers, the Allens circa the reign of Henry VII with subsequent extensions - the east gable was said by Pevsner to bear the date of 1525 on the east gable. It was extended to the West circa 1600. There appears to be a Georgian addition to the west gable and there was one final modern alteration/extension carried out in the late 1980s. The Manor became the home of the Dammant family between the 17th century to the early 19th century. They were a family of doctors who had a private gate to the adjacent church through the brick wall which partly bounds the property. After their departure, the house was subdivided into five homes, chiefly for workers at Lammas Hall. It was bought and restored by Canon and Mary Boston in the 1960s.
Lammas in 1845
William White's History, Gazetteer, and Directory of Norfolk, 1845 says of Lammas:External links
- http://www.buxton-norfolk.co.uk
- http://www.norfolkmills.co.uk/Watermills/buxton.html
- http://www.buxtonmill.com
- http://www.buxtonmill.co.uk
- http://www.buxtonwithlamas.co.uk