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 Tharston and Hapton lies in the south of the 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...

, England. It encompasses the two villages of Tharston and Hapton, covering a total area of 9.26 km² (3.6 sq mi). The parish had a population of 599 in 231 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....

.

, the parish has a population of more than six hundred people in 282 households. This is a recent increase, attributed to a new housing development in the area. However, affordable housing is becoming more of a problem, which is seen to be leading to young people moving away.

Facilities

A church is located in each of the villages: St. Mary's in Hapton

Hapton, Norfolk

Hapton is a village in Norfolk, England, located about nine miles south of Norwich. It is in the parish of Tharston and Hapton.-Description:The local church is dedicated to St...

 and St Mary's in Tharston. A Church of England

Church of England

The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...

 primary school is also located in the village of Hapton.

Redwings Horse Sanctuary

Redwings Horse Sanctuary

Redwings Horse Sanctuary is a registered charity that provides a home for rescued horses, based in Norfolk, England.-Aims:According to RHS, their "primary purpose is to provide and promote the welfare, protection and care of horses, ponies, donkeys, and mules that have suffered from maltreatment,...

 purchased Hapton Hall several years ago and now own a large area of land surrounding the farm.

A small industrial estate is located in Tharston.

Railways

During the Victorian era

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...

, a small loop line was constructed from nearby Forncett village to the town of Wymondham

Wymondham

Wymondham is a historic market town and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It lies 9.5 miles to the south west of the city of Norwich, on the A11 road to Thetford and London.- Before The Great Fire :...

. The line crossed the River Tas

River Tas

The River Tas is a river which flows northwards through South Norfolk in England - towards Norwich. The area is named the Tas Valley after the river. The origin of the name of the river is uncertain - it may have taken it from the village of Tasburgh or vice versa.Tributaries which have their...

 at Tharston, and a viaduct

Viaduct

A viaduct is a bridge composed of several small spans. The term viaduct is derived from the Latin via for road and ducere to lead something. However, the Ancient Romans did not use that term per se; it is a modern derivation from an analogy with aqueduct. Like the Roman aqueducts, many early...

 was built. Remains of the line are still visible.

Julia Thomas Memorial Concert

In July 2008, the Tharston Jubilee Events Committee organised a "Proms in the Park" just for Tharston. All profits made went to the Priscilla Bacon Lodge at Coleman Hospital in 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...

. There was music from the Newton Flotman

Newton Flotman

Newton Flotman is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It lies north of Tasburgh and south of Swainsthorpe, and the River Tas flows through it.It covers an area of and had a population of 1,197 in 497 households as of the 2001 census....

 ARTS Choir, South Norfolk Youth Symphonic Orchestra conducted by Mike Booty and many other solo artists. There was an auction, and a Mustang and Spitfire

Supermarine Spitfire

The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...

flyover. A flight in the mustang was a prize up for auction.

The concert was also broadcast live on British Atlantic Radio, an internet radio station (now defunct) run from the village.

External links

• Tharston Village Website "Tharston Village Online."
• Office for National Statistics & Norfolk County Council, 2001. "Census population and household counts for unparished urban areas and all parishes."

External links