Ringland, Norfolk
Encyclopedia
Ringland is a rural village
(population 217) in Norfolk
, England
, situated in the valley of the River Wensum
, approximately 7 miles (11.3 km) north-west of Norwich
. Parts of the Wensum valley within Ringland parish constitute a Site of Special Scientific Interest
.
The parish
church of St Peter's has a 13th century tower and a 14th-15th century nave
and chancel
.
Some notably hilly terrain (Ringland Hills) lies within the parish to the east of the village and north of the Wensum. The hills are thought to be a glacial terminal moraine
, much the same as Cromer
ridge. The soil here is exremely sandy and full of smooth flint
pebbles. Painter Alfred Munnings
produced a work entitled Ponies on Ringland Hills.
The village has extensive common land
: a lower area on the river Wensum and an upper area with the remains of a Beaker
pit in the direction of Weston Longville
.
The river was originally crossed by a wooden footbridge (and a ford
for horse-drawn traffic). This was replaced in the 1920s with a concrete structure which remains today. Rare concrete 'tank traps' from World War II
still exist by the banks of the Wensum.
The village originally had two public houses, the King of Prussia and the Swan Inn. The King of Prussia was renamed to the Union Jack during World War I, and finally closed in the 1960s. The Swan remains to this day. Attached to The Swan is now a restaurant called The Taste of Oz that serves Australian food and is run by the owners of The Swan.
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...
(population 217) 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...
, situated in the valley of the River Wensum
River Wensum
The River Wensum is a chalk fed river in Norfolk, England and a tributary of the River Yare despite being the larger of the two rivers. The complete river is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest and Special Area of Conservation ....
, approximately 7 miles (11.3 km) north-west 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...
. Parts of the Wensum valley within Ringland parish constitute a Site of Special Scientific Interest
River Wensum SSSI
The River Wensum SSSI is a 'whole river' Site of Special Scientific Interest located on the River Wensum that flows through the English county of Norfolk. The river was designated a SSSI in 1993 and a Special Area of Conservation SAC in 2000...
.
The parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
church of St Peter's has a 13th century tower and a 14th-15th century 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...
and 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...
.
Some notably hilly terrain (Ringland Hills) lies within the parish to the east of the village and north of the Wensum. The hills are thought to be a glacial terminal moraine
Terminal moraine
A terminal moraine, also called end moraine, is a moraine that forms at the end of the glacier called the snout.Terminal moraines mark the maximum advance of the glacier. An end moraine is at the present boundary of the glacier....
, much the same as 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...
ridge. The soil here is exremely sandy and full of smooth 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...
pebbles. Painter Alfred Munnings
Alfred Munnings
Sir Alfred James Munnings KCVO, PRA was known as one of England's finest painters of horses, and as an outspoken enemy of Modernism...
produced a work entitled Ponies on Ringland Hills.
The village has extensive common land
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...
: a lower area on the river Wensum and an upper area with the remains of a Beaker
Beaker culture
The Bell-Beaker culture , ca. 2400 – 1800 BC, is the term for a widely scattered cultural phenomenon of prehistoric western Europe starting in the late Neolithic or Chalcolithic running into the early Bronze Age...
pit in the direction of Weston Longville
Weston Longville
Weston Longville is a civil parish in the English county of Norfolk, approximately north-west of Norwich. Its name is derived from the Manor of Longaville in Normandy, France, which owned the local land in the 12th century....
.
The river was originally crossed by a wooden footbridge (and a ford
Ford (crossing)
A ford is a shallow place with good footing where a river or stream may be crossed by wading or in a vehicle. A ford is mostly a natural phenomenon, in contrast to a low water crossing, which is an artificial bridge that allows crossing a river or stream when water is low.The names of many towns...
for horse-drawn traffic). This was replaced in the 1920s with a concrete structure which remains today. Rare concrete 'tank traps' from World War II
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...
still exist by the banks of the Wensum.
The village originally had two public houses, the King of Prussia and the Swan Inn. The King of Prussia was renamed to the Union Jack during World War I, and finally closed in the 1960s. The Swan remains to this day. Attached to The Swan is now a restaurant called The Taste of Oz that serves Australian food and is run by the owners of The Swan.