Watton, Norfolk
Encyclopedia
Watton is a market town
in the district
of Breckland
within the English
county of Norfolk
. It is situated on the crossroads of the A1075 Dereham
-Thetford
road and the B1108 Brandon
-Norwich
Road, about 25 miles (40.2 km) west of Norwich
.
The civil parish covers an area of 7.2 km² (2.8 sq mi) with about 6,800 inhabitants in 3,000 households.
The Domesday Book
records that Watton (or Wadetuna) featured a church, manor house and Anglo-Saxon
settlement.
In 1984 Watton was twinned
with the Lower Rhine
(Niederrhein
) town of Weeze
, Germany
, with the subsequent twinning charter being formally signed in 1987.A History of Watton. http://www.watton-norfolk.org.uk/ahistoryofwatton.html
A market
is currently held every Wednesday, between 0900 and 1300 although stalls are often seen on the high street well after this time. Like many Norfolk markets Watton market always has a wide variety of fresh sea produce available usually caught the previous day, and often has available such regional delicacies as samphire
and fresh water crayfish. The Lord of Watton Hall, John de Vaux, obtained a charter
for a market to be held on Fridays. However the people of nearby Saham Toney
complained to the King that the market was harming their own held on the same day. Their complaints were upheld and the charter was withdrawn. John de Vaux conveyed the manor to his brother Oliver, who was evidently on better terms with the King since he immediately obtained a new charter for a Wednesday market. The market centred on Market Square in front of Wayland Hall, and as it grew it spread westwards along High Street
. A market cross
stood in the square supported by eight oak pillars. This cross was demolished in 1820 and replaced by a milestone
showing the distances to neighbouring towns.
The Babes in the Wood
. First published in 1595, it tells the tale of two Norfolk children abandoned and left to die in the woods by their uncle. The legend is depicted on the town sign, which occupies a prominent position in High Street in front of the clock tower.
Wayland wood is a popular dog walking and relaxation spot (although dogs are banned this rule is unenforced). The wood is now a nature reserve, owned by the Norfolk Wildlife Trust
.
The clock tower of Watton was built in 1679 by Christopher Hey, a wealthy mercer. The tower was built to hold a fire warning bell following the 'Great Fire of Watton' that destroyed more than sixty properties in 1674. This early warning bell, known as 'Ting-Tang' sits in an ornate cupola on top of the tower. The brick tower was rendered with cement and a new clock, donated by a local citizen, was installed in 1827. To commemorate the silver jubilee
of King George V
and Queen Mary
in 1935, a new clock face was installed.
The clock is still working today and the building is now home to a tourist and local information centre.
Watton hosted a large RAF station
for many years namely RAF Watton, and this had a major effect on the town. The RAF station ended its days as a transport command base and as a radar station, as well as providing housing for many RAF personnel and their families. It is now only used for gliders. Part of the old military land became the location for Wayland Prison.
It is also used by the USAF from RAF Mildenhall
for training, using C130
s for refuelling exercises and parachute
training. It is also part of the Stanford Training Area (STANTA) and used for army training purposes.
's oldest agricultural events having been held for over 130 years. Held in August the show attracts crowds of more than 5,000 people to see displays of livestock, fur and feathers. The event also features displays of classic car
s, vintage tractor
s, gun dog
s, falconry
and horse and carriage rides amongst others and is held at the western side of Watton, with the show ground being accessed off Brandon Road.
in 1974, and consisted of a main games hall, bar area, committee rooms, changing rooms and a car park. The second stage contained two squash courts and a meeting room and was opened by the chairman of the National Playing Fields Association
in 1976. The third phase was completed in 1983 using profits generated from stages one and two and provided facilities for five-a-side football
, cricket nets, badminton
and basketball
. The centre is home to Watton United F.C.
.
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
in 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 Breckland
Breckland (district)
Breckland District is a local government district in Norfolk, England. Its council is based in East Dereham.Breckland District derives its name from the Breckland landscape region, a gorse covered sandy heath of south Norfolk and north Suffolk...
within the English
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 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...
. It is situated on the crossroads of the A1075 Dereham
Dereham
Dereham, also known as East Dereham, is a town and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It is situated on the A47 road, some 15 miles west of the city of Norwich and 25 miles east of King's Lynn. The civil parish has an area of and in the 2001 census had a population of...
-Thetford
Thetford
Thetford is a market town and civil parish in the Breckland district of Norfolk, England. It is on the A11 road between Norwich and London, just south of Thetford Forest. The civil parish, covering an area of , has a population of 21,588.-History:...
road and the B1108 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...
-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...
Road, about 25 miles (40.2 km) 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...
.
The civil parish covers an area of 7.2 km² (2.8 sq mi) with about 6,800 inhabitants in 3,000 households.
The Domesday Book
Domesday 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...
records that Watton (or Wadetuna) featured a church, manor house and 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...
settlement.
In 1984 Watton was twinned
Town twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with the Lower Rhine
Lower Rhine
The Lower Rhine flows from Bonn, Germany, to the North Sea at Hoek van Holland, Netherlands.Almost immediately after entering the Netherlands, the Rhine splits into many branches. The main branch is called the Waal which flows from Nijmegen to meet the river Meuse; after which it is called Merwede...
(Niederrhein
Niederrhein
Niederrhein could refer to:* The northernmost German section of the river Rhine, see: Lower Rhine * The Lower Rhine region* Airport Weeze, also known as Airport Niederrhein*Niederrhein , a song by Austrian musician Herwig Mitteregger...
) town of Weeze
Weeze
Weeze is a municipality in the Lower Rhine region, in the north-western part of North Rhine-Westphalia in the district of Kleve in the region of Düsseldorf....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, with the subsequent twinning charter being formally signed in 1987.A History of Watton. http://www.watton-norfolk.org.uk/ahistoryofwatton.html
Wednesday market
Market
A market is one of many varieties of systems, institutions, procedures, social relations and infrastructures whereby parties engage in exchange. While parties may exchange goods and services by barter, most markets rely on sellers offering their goods or services in exchange for money from buyers...
is currently held every Wednesday, between 0900 and 1300 although stalls are often seen on the high street well after this time. Like many Norfolk markets Watton market always has a wide variety of fresh sea produce available usually caught the previous day, and often has available such regional delicacies as samphire
Samphire
Samphire is a name given to a number of very different edible plants that happen to grow in coastal areas.*Rock samphire, Crithmum maritimum is a coastal species with white flowers that grows in the United Kingdom...
and fresh water crayfish. The Lord of Watton Hall, John de Vaux, obtained a charter
Charter
A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified...
for a market to be held on Fridays. However the people of nearby Saham Toney
Saham Toney
Saham Toney is a village and a civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The village is North of Thetford, west of Norwich and north-east of London. The village lies west of the town of Attleborough.The nearest railway station is at Attleborough for the Breckland Line which runs between...
complained to the King that the market was harming their own held on the same day. Their complaints were upheld and the charter was withdrawn. John de Vaux conveyed the manor to his brother Oliver, who was evidently on better terms with the King since he immediately obtained a new charter for a Wednesday market. The market centred on Market Square in front of Wayland Hall, and as it grew it spread westwards along High Street
High Street
High Street, or the High Street, is a metonym for the generic name of the primary business street of towns or cities, especially in the United Kingdom. It is usually a focal point for shops and retailers in city centres, and is most often used in reference to retailing...
. A market cross
Market cross
A market cross is a structure used to mark a market square in market towns, originally from the distinctive tradition in Early Medieval Insular art of free-standing stone standing or high crosses, often elaborately carved, which goes back to the 7th century. Market crosses can be found in most...
stood in the square supported by eight oak pillars. This cross was demolished in 1820 and replaced by a milestone
Milestone
A milestone is one of a series of numbered markers placed along a road or boundary at intervals of one mile or occasionally, parts of a mile. They are typically located at the side of the road or in a median. They are alternatively known as mile markers, mileposts or mile posts...
showing the distances to neighbouring towns.
Wayland Wood
The nearby Wayland Wood is the setting of the old English balladBallad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
The Babes in the Wood
Babes in the Wood
Babes in the Wood is a traditional children's tale, as well as a popular pantomime subject. It has also been the name of some other unrelated works. The expression has passed into common language, referring to inexperienced innocents entering unawares into any potentially dangerous or hostile...
. First published in 1595, it tells the tale of two Norfolk children abandoned and left to die in the woods by their uncle. The legend is depicted on the town sign, which occupies a prominent position in High Street in front of the clock tower.
Wayland wood is a popular dog walking and relaxation spot (although dogs are banned this rule is unenforced). The wood is now a nature reserve, owned by the Norfolk Wildlife Trust
Norfolk Wildlife Trust
The Norfolk Wildlife Trust, Norfolk, England, formerly known as the Norfolk Naturalists' Trust, is one of almost 50 wildlife trusts throughout the United Kingdom.Founded in 1926, it is the oldest of all the trusts....
.
Clock Tower
Silver Jubilee
A Silver Jubilee is a celebration held to mark a 25th anniversary. The anniversary celebrations can be of a wedding anniversary, ruling anniversary or anything that has completed a 25 year mark...
of King George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
and Queen Mary
Mary of Teck
Mary of Teck was the queen consort of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, as the wife of King-Emperor George V....
in 1935, a new clock face was installed.
The clock is still working today and the building is now home to a tourist and local information centre.
Watton Airfield
Watton hosted a large RAF station
RAF station
A Royal Air Force station is a permanent Royal Air Force operations location. Many RAF stations are aerodromes, or airbases, being the home to one or more flying squadrons. Other RAF stations are training units, administrative units, headquarters , or carry out ground-based operational tasks...
for many years namely RAF Watton, and this had a major effect on the town. The RAF station ended its days as a transport command base and as a radar station, as well as providing housing for many RAF personnel and their families. It is now only used for gliders. Part of the old military land became the location for Wayland Prison.
It is also used by the USAF from RAF Mildenhall
RAF Mildenhall
RAF Mildenhall is a Royal Air Force station located at Mildenhall in Suffolk, England. Despite its status as an RAF station, it primarily supports United States Air Force operations and is currently the home of the 100th Air Refueling Wing...
for training, using C130
C130
C130 or C-130 may refer to :* Bombardier CSeries-130, a 130-seat variant of the Bombardier CSeries aircraft family* C-130 Hercules, an aircraft* Medical Care and Sickness Benefits Convention, 1969 code...
s for refuelling exercises and parachute
Parachute
A parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag, or in the case of ram-air parachutes, aerodynamic lift. Parachutes are usually made out of light, strong cloth, originally silk, now most commonly nylon...
training. It is also part of the Stanford Training Area (STANTA) and used for army training purposes.
Wayland Show
The annual Wayland Show is one of NorfolkNorfolk
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...
's oldest agricultural events having been held for over 130 years. Held in August the show attracts crowds of more than 5,000 people to see displays of livestock, fur and feathers. The event also features displays of classic car
Classic car
A classic car is an older car; the exact meaning is variable. The Classic Car Club of America maintains that a car must be between 20 and 40 years old to be a classic, while cars over 45 years fall into the Antique Class.- Classic Car Club of America :...
s, vintage tractor
Tractor
A tractor is a vehicle specifically designed to deliver a high tractive effort at slow speeds, for the purposes of hauling a trailer or machinery used in agriculture or construction...
s, gun dog
Gun dog
thumb|right|A group of Gun dogs as printed in Dogs of All Nations by W.E. Mason in 1915Gun dogs, also gundogs or bird dogs, are types of dogs developed to assist hunters in finding and retrieving game, usually birds. Gun dogs are divided into three primary types: Retrievers, flushing dogs, and...
s, falconry
Falconry
Falconry is "the taking of wild quarry in its natural state and habitat by means of a trained raptor". There are two traditional terms used to describe a person involved in falconry: a falconer flies a falcon; an austringer flies a hawk or an eagle...
and horse and carriage rides amongst others and is held at the western side of Watton, with the show ground being accessed off Brandon Road.
Sports & Social Club
Watton's Sports Centre was built in three separate stages between 1973 and 1984. The first stage was officially opened by Sir Edmund Bacon, Lord Lieutenant of NorfolkLord Lieutenant of Norfolk
This is an incomplete list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Norfolk. Since 1689, all Lord Lieutenants have also been Custos Rotulorum of Norfolk.*Thomas Radclyffe, 3rd Earl of Sussex 1557–1559*Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk 1559–1572...
in 1974, and consisted of a main games hall, bar area, committee rooms, changing rooms and a car park. The second stage contained two squash courts and a meeting room and was opened by the chairman of the National Playing Fields Association
National Playing Fields Association
The National Playing Fields Association , from 2007 rebranded as Fields in Trust , was founded in 1925 and granted a Royal Charter in 1933...
in 1976. The third phase was completed in 1983 using profits generated from stages one and two and provided facilities for five-a-side football
Five-a-side football
thumb|240px|alt=Men playing football on artificial grass pitch.|Five-a-side game on astroturf pitch.Five-a-side football is a variation of association football in which each team fields five players , rather than the usual eleven on each team. Other differences from football include a smaller...
, cricket nets, badminton
Badminton
Badminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players or two opposing pairs , who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their...
and basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
. The centre is home to Watton United F.C.
Watton United F.C.
Watton United F.C. is an English football club based in Watton, Norfolk. The club are currently members of the Anglian Combination Division One and play at Watton Sports Centre.-History:...
.