North Walsham
North Walsham is a
market town and
civil parish in the
English county of
Norfolk. It is situated some
12 km south of
Cromer and the same distance north of
Wroxham. The city of
Norwich lies
30 km to the south.
[Ordnance Survey (2002). OS Explorer Map 252 - Norfolk Coast East. ISBN 0319218880.]The civil parish has an area of
17.27 km² and in the
2001 census had a population of 11998 in 5245 households. For the purposes of local government, the parish falls within the
district of
North Norfolk.
[Office for National Statistics & Norfolk County Council (2001). Census population and household counts for unparished urban areas and all parishes. Retrieved December 2, 2005.]The town is served by
North Walsham railway station, on the
Bittern Line between
Norwich,
Cromer and
Sheringham.
North Walsham was an
Anglo-Saxon settlement. Both North Walsham and the neighbouring
Worstead became very prosperous from the 12th century through the arrival of
weavers from
Flanders. "Walsham" was a light-weight
cloth for summer, and "
Worsted" a heavier cloth. The 14th century "wool churches" are a testament to the prosperity of the local mill owners. North Walsham's Church of St Nicholas was originally dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary and is one of the UK's largest parish churches. It was also the site of a wayside shrine to St Thomas of Canterbury. This church had the second-largest steeple in Norfolk until its collapse in 1724. Plans for its rebuilding were abandoned at the outbreak of World War II. The 90ft tall ruined tower is now a famous landmark of the area.
North Walsham was involved in the
Peasants' Revolt of 1381. The peasants' leaders were defeated at the Battle of North Walsham and the site is marked by a wayside stone near the town's water towers.
The English naval hero,
Horatio (later, Lord) Nelson and his brother William were educated at
Paston Grammar School in North Walsham, founded by Sir William Paston (of
Paston Letters fame) in 1606. The school went on to become
Paston College in 1984.
The town is on the
North Walsham & Dilham Canal, still privately owned by the North Walsham Canal Company. The canal ran from Antingham Mill, largely following the course of the River Ant to a point below Honing. A short branch canal leaves the main navigation near Honing and terminates at the village of Dilham.
As part of the Millennium celebrations, ten
mosaics were commissioned, showing scenes from local history, including the Peasants' Revolt and the Great Fire of North Walsham, also a picture of a
Norfolk wherry - an allusion to the
canal.
.
*
Information from Genuki Norfolk on North Walsham.
*
North Walsham - A guided tour in pictures.*
North Walsham Biz - A local community website.*
North Walsham Town Council
