West Runton
Encyclopedia
West Runton is a village in North Norfolk
, England
, approximately ¼ of a mile from the North Sea
coast.
together form the parish
of Runton
. The village straddles the A149
North Norfolk coast road and is 2½ miles west of Cromer
and 1½ miles east of Sheringham
. The village is served by several public transport routes, with a bus service to Norwich
, Cromer
and Sheringham, and a rail service from its station
, where the Bittern Line
runs a frequent service between Norwich, Cromer and Sheringham. There are several shops in the village which include a butcher
, newsagent/general store, a post office
/village store, café
, furniture upholsterer, garage and a fancy dress/costume shop.
A notable resident of this sleepy village is the infamous Thee of Thieves, a mythical entity that appears in some of the traditional folk tales passed down through generations by the residents. Thee is just one of the many examples of ancient Norfolk charm imortalised in the literature of the county.
The pub, called the "Village Inn", has a blue plaque
on the wall that recalls a concert played at the now-demolished pavilion by the Punk
band the Sex Pistols
. There are two restaurants in the inn, but it does not offer accommodation. However, facilities are available for camping
and caravan
ning. A noteworthy attraction of the village is "The Links", a famous golf course
designed by J.H. Taylor around the turn of the 20th century. Another amenity of the village is Kingswood, situated in a former girls' private boarding school
set in pine-fringed grounds. Kingswood is an educational activity centre which hosts residential school trips and educational visits throughout the year, and a variety of programmes are available for key stage 2 and 3 students.
Sea defences at West Runton consist of revetments, angled sea wall and a rather prominent wooden groyne
stretching out to sea. This does slow down the process of longshore drift
but is used mainly as a wave break so the boats can enter the sea more easily.
. Then, as punk
became popular, The Sex Pistols, The Damned, the Clash
, Joy Division
, Iggy Pop
and the Jam
appeared, as well as New Wave British Heavy Metal
bands such as Saxon
, Iron Maiden
and Magnum
. Veteran performers such as Motörhead, Ian Gillan
, Ozzy Osbourne
, Slade
and many more continued to appear until 1983, when the last gig took place.
Memories of performances at the two Pavilions, together with details of dates, set-lists, line-ups, hit records and 48 pages of photos, have been brought together in a book written by Julie Fielder entitled 'What Flo Said' - a reference to the pot-bellied rock monster (designed by Ian Foster) which appeared for many years in the adverts for Cromer Links.
The Norfolk Shire Horse
Centre is a visitor attraction in West Runton. Established in 1982, the centre brings together a collection of different breeds of draught horse
s http://www.norfolk-shirehorse-centre.co.uk/about.htm Some originated in this country, others are European breeds. The shire horses are complemented by a number of breeds of ponies native to the UK, and some have foals which are also on display. The centre has assembled a unique collection of equine animals. On the site there is also a collection of pre-war horse-drawn machinery, including a mowing machine, binders, a toppler, wagons, and carts. The centre also offers shire-horse pulled rides. There is also a stable
and riding school where basic riding is taught and the dozen or so horses and ponies are worked throughout the year. There is also a covered riding school. Trekking is arranged through some of the local countryside on the North Norfolk
coast, through National Trust
property, Forestry Commission
pine woods and open undulating farmland with sea views.
s of animals, birds and insects are regularly exposed from the eroding cliffs on the beach. The cliffs of West Runton were once part of the Cromer Forest Bed
formation which is exposed at intervals along the coast of Norfolk and Suffolk
, from Weybourne
to Kessingland
. The forest bed was formed in the Quaternary Period and dates to between 700,000 to 500,000 years ago.
West Runton's most famous fossil from that period is the "*West Runton elephant
"http://www.museums.norfolk.gov.uk/default.asp?Document=400.500.05. In 1990 the fossilised remains were first discovered down on the beach after winter seas had eroded the cliff. By 1992 at least 25% of the elephant's skeleton had been recovered, and then in 1995 the Norfolk Archaeological unit, with a grant from the National Lottery
and some commercial sponsorship, managed to recover almost the entire skeleton
. The archaeologists were able to learn from the fossil
that the elephant was a Mammoth
(Mammuthus trogontherii) and male, stood about 4 metres high, and weighed about 10 tonnes. He was about 40 years old when he probably got stuck in a shallow swamp
y river channel. His carcass
was scavenged by Hyenas, as their teeth marks were found on some of his bones. The mammoth's remains have now been preserved and it is planned to return them to the village for future display. It is currently being prepared for display in Norwich Castle
Museum.
Evidence of early antiquity in West Runton is scant. However, evidence of Roman
habitation were found just south of the village up on Beeston Regis
Heath in 1859, when a complete set of quern-stone
s were found dating from Roman times. Quern-stones were used to grind materials, the most important of which was usually grain
to make flour
for bread
-making. Up on Beeston Regis
Heath there can be found circular pits called "Hills and Holes" (from the 1st edition of the Ordnance Survey
map of the area), which are thought to date from prehistoric times. During the Saxon
-Norman
to Medieval periods these pits were dug to obtain iron ore, which was then smelted in a furnace
to produce iron
. In the Domesday book
, the settlement of Runton is given the name of Rugutune and Runetune.
was a resident of East Runton around the early part of the 1800s. Leak was the local blacksmith
and renowned bare-knuckle prize fighter
. He lived in one of six thatched cottages that once stood on the cliff top near Runton gap. His blacksmith’s forge
was at West Runton. In 1827 Leak had a big problem. The story goes that he had developed a gangrenous
toe
and was in fear of it spreading and causing his death. In his desperation, Leak came up with his own solution to the problem. He went to his forge in West Runton, rested his foot on his anvil and with one mighty blow removed the infected toe with a hammer
and chisel
. He then cauterized
the stump with a red hot poker
from out of his forge. This desperate surgery had been as a consequence of Leak being unable to afford surgeon’s fees. He made a full recovery and his home surgery seems to have had little effect on the man as he continued his prize-fighting and lived to the ripe old age of 82.
Bledius filipes. This beetle is only known in the UK from a handful of Norfolk soft cliff sites, West Runton is thought to be a stronghold for this species. Other rare species recorded at West Runton cliffs include the cliff comber beetle Nebria livida, a nocturnal species found only on soft cliffs in Norfolk and Yorkshire.
and also flint circles. Paramoudras are large flint stones resembling a doughnut or a backbone
. In Norfolk paramoudras are better known as pot stones.
Flint circles are even stranger formations usually consisting of a large round flint rim or rind with chalk filling in the middle.
.jpg)
The War Memorial
is constructed of brick
and flint
and is built into the southern perimeter wall of the Parish Church of the Holy Trinity. There are three tablets set into the front. Three steps lead up to the memorial and flower troughs sit at the foot of the World War I
tablets. It stands right on the verge of the A149
and is quiet precarious for anyone taking a visit to the Memorial. The inscription above the Tablets reads "They were a wall unto us both by night and day" (Bible: 1 Kings, (1 Samuel), Chapter 25, verse 16) and also "To the Men of Runton who fell". There are a total of 37 names on the tablets.
North Norfolk
North Norfolk is a local government district in Norfolk, United Kingdom. Its council is based in Cromer. The council headquarters can be found approximately out of the town of Cromer on the Holt Road.-History:...
, 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...
, approximately ¼ of a mile from the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
coast.
Overview
West Runton and East RuntonEast Runton
East Runton is a small village in Norfolk, England situated close to the North Sea. It was once a traditional fishing village outside Cromer but is now a popular holiday destination for camping and caravan holidays. The village is within the parish of Runton that also includes West Runton. The...
together form the 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 Runton
Runton
Runton is a civil parish in the English county of Norfolk consisting of the villages of East Runton and West Runton.It covers an area of and had a population of 1,633 in 7.84 households as of the 2001 census....
. The village straddles the A149
A149 road
The A149 is a major route in Norfolk, linking Kings Lynn to Great Yarmouth. It runs via the coast rather than on a more direct route such as the A47. The eastern section runs through The Broads.-Kings Lynn to Wells next the Sea:...
North Norfolk coast road and is 2½ miles west of 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...
and 1½ miles east of Sheringham
Sheringham
Sheringham is a seaside town in Norfolk, England, west of Cromer.The motto of the town, granted in 1953 to the Sheringham Urban District Council, is Mare Ditat Pinusque Decorat, Latin for "The sea enriches and the pine adorns"....
. The village is served by several public transport routes, with a bus service to 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...
, 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...
and Sheringham, and a rail service from its station
West Runton railway station
West Runton railway station is a railway station in the village of West Runton in the English county of Norfolk. The station is served by local services operated by National Express East Anglia on the Bittern Line from Norwich to Cromer and Sheringham....
, where the Bittern Line
Bittern Line
The Bittern Line is a railway line from Norwich to Cromer then Sheringham in Norfolk, England. It is one of the most scenic in the East of England traversing the Norfolk Broads on its route to the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty on the North Norfolk Coast. The line is part of the Network Rail...
runs a frequent service between Norwich, Cromer and Sheringham. There are several shops in the village which include a butcher
Butcher
A butcher is a person who may slaughter animals, dress their flesh, sell their meat or any combination of these three tasks. They may prepare standard cuts of meat, poultry, fish and shellfish for sale in retail or wholesale food establishments...
, newsagent/general store, a post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
/village store, café
Café
A café , also spelled cafe, in most countries refers to an establishment which focuses on serving coffee, like an American coffeehouse. In the United States, it may refer to an informal restaurant, offering a range of hot meals and made-to-order sandwiches...
, furniture upholsterer, garage and a fancy dress/costume shop.
A notable resident of this sleepy village is the infamous Thee of Thieves, a mythical entity that appears in some of the traditional folk tales passed down through generations by the residents. Thee is just one of the many examples of ancient Norfolk charm imortalised in the literature of the county.
Blue plaque
A blue plaque is a permanent sign installed in a public place to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person or event, serving as a historical marker....
on the wall that recalls a concert played at the now-demolished pavilion by the Punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band the Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols
The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band that formed in London in 1975. They were responsible for initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and inspiring many later punk and alternative rock musicians...
. There are two restaurants in the inn, but it does not offer accommodation. However, facilities are available for camping
Camping
Camping is an outdoor recreational activity. The participants leave urban areas, their home region, or civilization and enjoy nature while spending one or several nights outdoors, usually at a campsite. Camping may involve the use of a tent, caravan, motorhome, cabin, a primitive structure, or no...
and caravan
Recreational vehicle
Recreational vehicle or RV is, in North America, the usual term for a Motor vehicle or trailer equipped with living space and amenities found in a home.-Features:...
ning. A noteworthy attraction of the village is "The Links", a famous golf course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
designed by J.H. Taylor around the turn of the 20th century. Another amenity of the village is Kingswood, situated in a former girls' private boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
set in pine-fringed grounds. Kingswood is an educational activity centre which hosts residential school trips and educational visits throughout the year, and a variety of programmes are available for key stage 2 and 3 students.
Sea defences at West Runton consist of revetments, angled sea wall and a rather prominent wooden groyne
Groyne
A groyne is a rigid hydraulic structure built from an ocean shore or from a bank that interrupts water flow and limits the movement of sediment. In the ocean, groynes create beaches, or avoid having them washed away by longshore drift. In a river, groynes prevent erosion and ice-jamming, which...
stretching out to sea. This does slow down the process of longshore drift
Longshore drift
Longshore drift consists of the transportation of sediments along a coast at an angle to the shoreline, which is dependent on prevailing wind direction, swash and backwash. This process occurs in the littoral zone, and in or within close proximity to the surf zone...
but is used mainly as a wave break so the boats can enter the sea more easily.
West Runton Pavilion
West Runton Pavilion and Cromer Royal Links Pavilion were two music venues on the North Norfolk coast. In their heyday they hosted concerts by many of the top rock bands and performers of the time. West Runton Pavilion in the mid-seventies hosted appearances by bands such as the Glitter Band and Kenny and the RubettesThe Rubettes
The Rubettes were an English pop band assembled in 1973 by the songwriting team of Wayne Bickerton, then the head of A&R at Polydor Records, and his co-songwriter, Tony Waddington, after their doo-wop and 1950s American pop-influenced songs had been rejected by a number of existing acts...
. Then, as punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
became popular, The Sex Pistols, The Damned, the Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
, Joy Division
Joy Division
Joy Division were an English rock band formed in 1976 in Salford, Greater Manchester. Originally named Warsaw, the band primarily consisted of Ian Curtis , Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris .Joy Division rapidly evolved from their initial punk rock influences...
, Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Though considered an innovator of punk rock, Pop's music has encompassed a number of styles over the years, including pop, metal, jazz and blues...
and the Jam
The Jam
The Jam were an English punk rock/New Wave/mod revival band active during the late 1970s and early 1980s. They were formed in Woking, Surrey. While they shared the "angry young men" outlook and fast tempos of their punk rock contemporaries, The Jam wore smartly tailored suits rather than ripped...
appeared, as well as New Wave British Heavy Metal
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
bands such as Saxon
Saxon (band)
Saxon are an English heavy metal band, formed in 1976 in Barnsley, Yorkshire. As front-runners of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, they had 8 UK Top 40 albums in the 1980s including 4 UK Top 10 albums. Saxon also had numerous singles in the Top 20 singles chart...
, Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
and Magnum
Magnum (band)
Magnum are a British progressive rock band from Birmingham, England. Formed as a four piece by Tony Clarkin , Bob Catley , Kex Gorin and Bob Doyle in order to appear as the resident band at The Rum Runner night club Birmingham...
. Veteran performers such as Motörhead, Ian Gillan
Ian Gillan
Ian Gillan is an English rock music vocalist and songwriter, best known as the lead singer and lyricist for Deep Purple. During his career Gillan also fronted his own band, had a year-long stint as the vocalist for Black Sabbath, and sang the role of Jesus in the original recording of Andrew Lloyd...
, Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English vocalist, whose musical career has spanned over 40 years. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead singer of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, whose radically different, intentionally dark, harder sound helped spawn the heavy metal...
, Slade
Slade
Slade are an English rock band from Wolverhampton, who rose to prominence during the glam rock era of the early 1970s. With 17 consecutive Top 20 hits and six number ones, the British Hit Singles & Albums names them as the most successful British group of the 1970s based on sales of singles...
and many more continued to appear until 1983, when the last gig took place.
Memories of performances at the two Pavilions, together with details of dates, set-lists, line-ups, hit records and 48 pages of photos, have been brought together in a book written by Julie Fielder entitled 'What Flo Said' - a reference to the pot-bellied rock monster (designed by Ian Foster) which appeared for many years in the adverts for Cromer Links.
The Shire Horse Centre
Shire horse
The Shire horse is a breed of draught horse or draft horse . The breed comes in many colours, including black, bay and grey. They are a tall breed, with mares standing and over and stallions standing and over. The breed has an enormous capacity for weight pulling, and Shires have held the world...
Centre is a visitor attraction in West Runton. Established in 1982, the centre brings together a collection of different breeds of draught horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
s http://www.norfolk-shirehorse-centre.co.uk/about.htm Some originated in this country, others are European breeds. The shire horses are complemented by a number of breeds of ponies native to the UK, and some have foals which are also on display. The centre has assembled a unique collection of equine animals. On the site there is also a collection of pre-war horse-drawn machinery, including a mowing machine, binders, a toppler, wagons, and carts. The centre also offers shire-horse pulled rides. There is also a stable
Stable
A stable is a building in which livestock, especially horses, are kept. It most commonly means a building that is divided into separate stalls for individual animals...
and riding school where basic riding is taught and the dozen or so horses and ponies are worked throughout the year. There is also a covered riding school. Trekking is arranged through some of the local countryside on the North Norfolk
North Norfolk
North Norfolk is a local government district in Norfolk, United Kingdom. Its council is based in Cromer. The council headquarters can be found approximately out of the town of Cromer on the Holt Road.-History:...
coast, through National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
property, Forestry Commission
Forestry Commission
The Forestry Commission is a non-ministerial government department responsible for forestry in Great Britain. Its mission is to protect and expand Britain's forests and woodlands and increase their value to society and the environment....
pine woods and open undulating farmland with sea views.
History
FossilFossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
s of animals, birds and insects are regularly exposed from the eroding cliffs on the beach. The cliffs of West Runton were once part of the Cromer Forest Bed
Cromer Forest Bed
The Cromer Forest Bed formation is exposed at intervals along the coast of Norfolk and Suffolk, from Weybourne to Kessingland. The forest bed was formed in the Quaternary Period and dates to between 780,000 to 450,000 years ago, within the Cromerian Stage of the Pleistocene...
formation which is exposed at intervals along the coast of Norfolk and Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
, from Weybourne
Weybourne
Weybourne is a fishing resort on the North Norfolk and has the postcode prefix of NR25. The village straddles the A149 coast road and is three miles west of Sheringham, within the Norfolk Coast AONB. Weybourne is mentioned in the Domesday book and in that survey it is called Wabrume...
to Kessingland
Kessingland
Kessingland is a large village in the Waveney District of the English county of Suffolk. It is located around south of Lowestoft. It is of interest to archaeologists as Palaeolithic and Neolithic implements have been found here; the remains of an ancient forest lie buried on the seabed.There has...
. The forest bed was formed in the Quaternary Period and dates to between 700,000 to 500,000 years ago.
West Runton elephant
The West Runton Elephant is a fossilized skeleton of a steppe mammoth found in the cliffs of West Runton in the county of Norfolk, England in 1990...
"http://www.museums.norfolk.gov.uk/default.asp?Document=400.500.05. In 1990 the fossilised remains were first discovered down on the beach after winter seas had eroded the cliff. By 1992 at least 25% of the elephant's skeleton had been recovered, and then in 1995 the Norfolk Archaeological unit, with a grant from the National Lottery
National Lottery (United Kingdom)
The National Lottery is the state-franchised national lottery in the United Kingdom and the Isle of Man.It is operated by Camelot Group, to whom the licence was granted in 1994, 2001 and again in 2007. The lottery is regulated by the National Lottery Commission, and was established by the then...
and some commercial sponsorship, managed to recover almost the entire skeleton
Skeleton
The skeleton is the body part that forms the supporting structure of an organism. There are two different skeletal types: the exoskeleton, which is the stable outer shell of an organism, and the endoskeleton, which forms the support structure inside the body.In a figurative sense, skeleton can...
. The archaeologists were able to learn from the fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
that the elephant was a Mammoth
Mammoth
A mammoth is any species of the extinct genus Mammuthus. These proboscideans are members of Elephantidae, the family of elephants and mammoths, and close relatives of modern elephants. They were often equipped with long curved tusks and, in northern species, a covering of long hair...
(Mammuthus trogontherii) and male, stood about 4 metres high, and weighed about 10 tonnes. He was about 40 years old when he probably got stuck in a shallow swamp
Swamp
A swamp is a wetland with some flooding of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water. A swamp generally has a large number of hammocks, or dry-land protrusions, covered by aquatic vegetation, or vegetation that tolerates periodical inundation. The two main types of swamp are "true" or swamp...
y river channel. His carcass
Body
With regard to living things, a body is the physical body of an individual. "Body" often is used in connection with appearance, health issues and death...
was scavenged by Hyenas, as their teeth marks were found on some of his bones. The mammoth's remains have now been preserved and it is planned to return them to the village for future display. It is currently being prepared for display in Norwich Castle
Norwich Castle
Norwich Castle is a medieval royal fortification in the city of Norwich, in the English county of Norfolk. It was founded in the aftermath of the Norman Conquest of England when William the Conqueror ordered its construction because he wished to have a fortified place in the important city of...
Museum.
Evidence of early antiquity in West Runton is scant. However, evidence of Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
habitation were found just south of the village up on Beeston Regis
Beeston Regis
Beeston Regis is a village and civil parish in the North Norfolk district of Norfolk, England. It is about a mile east of Sheringham, Norfolk and near the coast. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 1,091...
Heath in 1859, when a complete set of quern-stone
Quern-stone
Quern-stones are stone tools for hand grinding a wide variety of materials. They were used in pairs. The lower, stationary, stone is called a quern, whilst the upper, mobile, stone is called a handstone...
s were found dating from Roman times. Quern-stones were used to grind materials, the most important of which was usually grain
GRAIN
GRAIN is a small international non-profit organisation that works to support small farmers and social movements in their struggles for community-controlled and biodiversity-based food systems. Our support takes the form of independent research and analysis, networking at local, regional and...
to make flour
Flour
Flour is a powder which is made by grinding cereal grains, other seeds or roots . It is the main ingredient of bread, which is a staple food for many cultures, making the availability of adequate supplies of flour a major economic and political issue at various times throughout history...
for bread
Bread
Bread is a staple food prepared by cooking a dough of flour and water and often additional ingredients. Doughs are usually baked, but in some cuisines breads are steamed , fried , or baked on an unoiled frying pan . It may be leavened or unleavened...
-making. Up on Beeston Regis
Beeston Regis
Beeston Regis is a village and civil parish in the North Norfolk district of Norfolk, England. It is about a mile east of Sheringham, Norfolk and near the coast. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 1,091...
Heath there can be found circular pits called "Hills and Holes" (from the 1st edition of the Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey , an executive agency and non-ministerial government department of the Government of the United Kingdom, is the national mapping agency for Great Britain, producing maps of Great Britain , and one of the world's largest producers of maps.The name reflects its creation together with...
map of the area), which are thought to date from prehistoric times. During the 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...
-Norman
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
to Medieval periods these pits were dug to obtain iron ore, which was then smelted in a furnace
Furnace
A furnace is a device used for heating. The name derives from Latin fornax, oven.In American English and Canadian English, the term furnace on its own is generally used to describe household heating systems based on a central furnace , and sometimes as a synonym for kiln, a device used in the...
to produce iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
. In 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...
, the settlement of Runton is given the name of Rugutune and Runetune.
The story of James Leak
James LeakJames Leak
James Leak was a Bare-Knuckle prize fighter who was born in the county of Norfolk in the United Kingdom.James Leak was a resident of East Runton, Norfolk around the early part of the 19th century. Leak was the local blacksmith and renowned Bare-Knuckle prize fighter. He lived in one of six thatched...
was a resident of East Runton around the early part of the 1800s. Leak was the local blacksmith
Blacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
and renowned bare-knuckle prize fighter
Bare-knuckle boxing
Bare-knuckle boxing is the original form of boxing, closely related to ancient combat sports...
. He lived in one of six thatched cottages that once stood on the cliff top near Runton gap. His blacksmith’s forge
Forge
A forge is a hearth used for forging. The term "forge" can also refer to the workplace of a smith or a blacksmith, although the term smithy is then more commonly used.The basic smithy contains a forge, also known as a hearth, for heating metals...
was at West Runton. In 1827 Leak had a big problem. The story goes that he had developed a gangrenous
Gangrene
Gangrene is a serious and potentially life-threatening condition that arises when a considerable mass of body tissue dies . This may occur after an injury or infection, or in people suffering from any chronic health problem affecting blood circulation. The primary cause of gangrene is reduced blood...
toe
Toe
Toes are the digits of the foot of a tetrapod. Animal species such as cats that walk on their toes are described as being digitigrade. Humans, and other animals that walk on the soles of their feet, are described as being plantigrade; unguligrade animals are those that walk on hooves at the tips of...
and was in fear of it spreading and causing his death. In his desperation, Leak came up with his own solution to the problem. He went to his forge in West Runton, rested his foot on his anvil and with one mighty blow removed the infected toe with a hammer
Hammer
A hammer is a tool meant to deliver an impact to an object. The most common uses are for driving nails, fitting parts, forging metal and breaking up objects. Hammers are often designed for a specific purpose, and vary widely in their shape and structure. The usual features are a handle and a head,...
and chisel
Chisel
A chisel is a tool with a characteristically shaped cutting edge of blade on its end, for carving or cutting a hard material such as wood, stone, or metal. The handle and blade of some types of chisel are made of metal or wood with a sharp edge in it.In use, the chisel is forced into the material...
. He then cauterized
Cauterization
The medical practice or technique of cauterization is the burning of part of a body to remove or close off a part of it in a process called cautery, which destroys some tissue, in an attempt to mitigate damage, remove an undesired growth, or minimize other potential medical harmful possibilities...
the stump with a red hot poker
Poker
Poker is a family of card games that share betting rules and usually hand rankings. Poker games differ in how the cards are dealt, how hands may be formed, whether the high or low hand wins the pot in a showdown , limits on bet sizes, and how many rounds of betting are allowed.In most modern poker...
from out of his forge. This desperate surgery had been as a consequence of Leak being unable to afford surgeon’s fees. He made a full recovery and his home surgery seems to have had little effect on the man as he continued his prize-fighting and lived to the ripe old age of 82.
Wildlife
The soft cliffs at West Runton are of national importance for the conservation of rare beetles and other invertebrates. The soft geology of the cliffs is ideal for burrowing insects including the rare rove beetleRove beetle
The rove beetles are a large family of beetles, primarily distinguished by their short elytra that leave more than half of their abdomens exposed. With over 46,000 species in thousands of genera, the group is the second largest family of beetles after the Curculionidae...
Bledius filipes. This beetle is only known in the UK from a handful of Norfolk soft cliff sites, West Runton is thought to be a stronghold for this species. Other rare species recorded at West Runton cliffs include the cliff comber beetle Nebria livida, a nocturnal species found only on soft cliffs in Norfolk and Yorkshire.
Paramoudra and flint circles
On the beach near West Runton can be found giant flint formations known as paramoudraParamoudra
Paramoudras, Paramoudra flints, Pot stones or Potstones are flint nodules found mainly in parts of north-west Europe: Norfolk , Ireland, Denmark, Basque Country and Germany. In Norfolk they are known as Pot Stones and can be found on the beach below Beeston Bump just outside of Beeston Regis...
and also flint circles. Paramoudras are large flint stones resembling a doughnut or a backbone
Vertebral column
In human anatomy, the vertebral column is a column usually consisting of 24 articulating vertebrae, and 9 fused vertebrae in the sacrum and the coccyx. It is situated in the dorsal aspect of the torso, separated by intervertebral discs...
. In Norfolk paramoudras are better known as pot stones.
Flint circles are even stranger formations usually consisting of a large round flint rim or rind with chalk filling in the middle.
War Memorial
War memorial
A war memorial is a building, monument, statue or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or to commemorate those who died or were injured in war.-Historic usage:...
is constructed of brick
Brick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
and 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...
and is built into the southern perimeter wall of the Parish Church of the Holy Trinity. There are three tablets set into the front. Three steps lead up to the memorial and flower troughs sit at the foot of the World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
tablets. It stands right on the verge of the A149
A149 road
The A149 is a major route in Norfolk, linking Kings Lynn to Great Yarmouth. It runs via the coast rather than on a more direct route such as the A47. The eastern section runs through The Broads.-Kings Lynn to Wells next the Sea:...
and is quiet precarious for anyone taking a visit to the Memorial. The inscription above the Tablets reads "They were a wall unto us both by night and day" (Bible: 1 Kings, (1 Samuel), Chapter 25, verse 16) and also "To the Men of Runton who fell". There are a total of 37 names on the tablets.
Notable people
- Craig MurrayCraig MurrayCraig John Murray is a British political activist, former ambassador to Uzbekistan and former Rector of the University of Dundee....
, British Ambassador to UzbekistanUzbekistanUzbekistan , officially the Republic of Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia and one of the six independent Turkic states. It shares borders with Kazakhstan to the west and to the north, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to the east, and Afghanistan and Turkmenistan to the south....
and author was born in the village.
External links
- Parish Web-site
- West Runton Transmission Mast
- The Bittern Line
- West Runton Social Club
- Kingswood Activity Center
- Sex Pistols at the Links Pavilion
- http://www.museums.norfolk.gov.uk/Research/Collections/Geology_Collections/West_Runton_Elephant/index.htm
- http://www.northfolk.org.uk/geology/west%20runton-east%20runton.html
- Photographs and more details about West Runton
- Buglife - The Invertebrate Conservation Trust (more information about soft cliff wildlife)
- West Runton Guide and Photo Gallery