Stoke Ferry
Encyclopedia
Stoke Ferry is a civil parish
in the English county of Norfolk
, 6.5 miles south-east of Downham Market
. The village lies on the River Wissey
which has also been known as the River Stoke.
It covers an area of 9.15 km² (3.5 sq mi) and had a population of 896 in 358 households as of the 2001 census
.
For the purposes of local government, it falls within the district
of King's Lynn and West Norfolk
.
All Saints' Church is no longer used for church services. It is now owned by Kit Hesketh-Harvey
.
, which is navigable to this place from the Ouse
. Fair, December 6...on the right, 5 m is the seat of Robert Wilson, esq. Inn, Crown."
The village was serving as a post town (under the name 'Stoke') by 1775; the name had been changed to 'Stoke Ferry' by 1816. A type of postmark
known as an undated circle was issued to the village in 1828, and it had a Penny Post
service, under Brandon
(in Suffolk), between 1835 and 1840.
Many photographs of the village can be found in a collection published in 2007.
It once had its own Stoke Ferry railway station
, the terminus of the Downham and Stoke Ferry Railway
, a branch from the main line between and .
There is still a thriving Blacksmith's shop, Thomas B. Bonnett in the heart of the village that has been trading over 100 years.
As well as Bespoke Ironwork, they also sell hardware, plumbing supplies, timber and steel.
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 English 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...
, 6.5 miles south-east of Downham Market
Downham Market
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 village lies on the River Wissey
River Wissey
The River Wissey is a river in Norfolk, eastern England. It rises near Bradenham, and flows for nearly to join the River Great Ouse at Fordham...
which has also been known as the River Stoke.
It covers an area of 9.15 km² (3.5 sq mi) and had a population of 896 in 358 households as of 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....
.
For the purposes of local government, it 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:...
.
All Saints' Church is no longer used for church services. It is now owned by Kit Hesketh-Harvey
Kit Hesketh-Harvey
Christopher John "Kit" Hesketh Harvey is a British musical comic performer, translator, composer and scriptwriter.Born in Nyasaland , he was educated as senior chorister at Canterbury Cathedral and then Tonbridge School in Kent before moving on as a choral scholar under John Rutter to Clare...
.
Historical references
In 1805, Stoke Ferry is described as being "distant from London 88 miles 2 furlongs; on the Stoke riverRiver Wissey
The River Wissey is a river in Norfolk, eastern England. It rises near Bradenham, and flows for nearly to join the River Great Ouse at Fordham...
, which is navigable to this place from the 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...
. Fair, December 6...on the right, 5 m is the seat of Robert Wilson, esq. Inn, Crown."
The village was serving as a post town (under the name 'Stoke') by 1775; the name had been changed to 'Stoke Ferry' by 1816. A type of postmark
Postmark
thumb|USS TexasA postmark is a postal marking made on a letter, package, postcard or the like indicating the date and time that the item was delivered into the care of the postal service...
known as an undated circle was issued to the village in 1828, and it had a Penny Post
Penny Post
The Penny Post is any one of several postal systems in which normal letters could be sent for one penny.-London Penny Post:In England, the Post Office had a monopoly on the collection and carriage of letters between post towns but there was no delivery system until the London Penny Post was...
service, under Brandon
Brandon, Suffolk
Brandon is a small town and civil parish in the English county of Suffolk. It is in the Forest Heath local government district.Brandon is located in the Breckland area on the border of Suffolk with the adjoining county of Norfolk...
(in Suffolk), between 1835 and 1840.
Many photographs of the village can be found in a collection published in 2007.
It once had its own Stoke Ferry railway station
Stoke Ferry railway station
Stoke Ferry is a closed railway station in Norfolk. It was the terminus of a 7¼ mile branch line from Denver which opened on 1 August 1882 and finally closed to all traffic in 1965.-History:...
, the terminus of the Downham and Stoke Ferry Railway
Downham and Stoke Ferry Railway
The Downham and Stoke Ferry Railway was a branch line in western Norfolk, England.-History:The Downham and Stoke Ferry Railway was just over long. It was authorised on 24 July 1879, and opened on 1 August 1882, being worked by the Great Eastern Railway . It ran from a junction with the GER at...
, a branch from the main line between and .
There is still a thriving Blacksmith's shop, Thomas B. Bonnett in the heart of the village that has been trading over 100 years.
As well as Bespoke Ironwork, they also sell hardware, plumbing supplies, timber and steel.
Further reading
- Stoke Ferry: the Story of a Norfolk Village, by Doris E. Coates, Harpsden Press, 1980, ISBN 0-950-68710-3