Ditchingham
Encyclopedia
Ditchingham is a village
and civil parish in the English
county
of Norfolk
. It is located across the River Waveney
from Bungay
, Suffolk
near to The Broads National Park.
had a population of 1614 in 695 households. For the purposes of local government, the parish falls within the district
of South Norfolk
.
The novelist Sir H. Rider Haggard
, author of King Solomon's Mines
, lived in Ditchingham and was churchwarden
there for several years. He was born in Kessingland
and had connections with the church in Bungay
.
Lilias Rider Haggard, daughter of the famous novelist, edited I walked by Night, being the life and history of the King of the Norfolk Poachers, published in 1935 by Nicholson and Watson, London.
She also edited The Rabbit Skin Cap, a tale of a Norfolk countryman's youth, first published in 1939 and reprinted by the Norfolk Library, 1974, 1975, 1976, which is the life story of George Baldry, a local inventor and poacher in the early C20. The picture on the front cover of the hardback edition was of a Ditchingham school boy, Douglas Walter Gower, taken from a painting by the artist Edward Seago
. The boy later in life found a mammoth
's tooth in a gravel pit near an ancient long barrow
on the Broome Heath. See Prehistoric Norfolk
, which is now in the Norwich Castle
museum.
In 1855 Lavinia Crosse
founded the Anglican Community of All Hallows
in Ditchingham.
Ditchingham is also the home of the "Chicken Roundabout", a traffic roundabout
inhabited by a colony of chickens which has survived the construction of a bypass
through their home. An attempt by the authorities to move them led to protests by local residents.
Much of the land surrounding the village belongs to the Ditchingham Hall
estate, the seat of Earl Ferrers
. The current owner is Robert Shirley, 13th Earl Ferrers
former Conservative
leader in the House of Lords
.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
and civil parish in 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
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...
. It is located across the River Waveney
River Waveney
The Waveney is a river which forms the border between Suffolk and Norfolk, England, for much of its length within The Broads.-Course:The source of the River Waveney is a ditch on the east side of the B1113 road between the villages of Redgrave, Suffolk and South Lopham, Norfolk...
from Bungay
Bungay, Suffolk
Bungay is a market town in the English county of Suffolk. It lies in the Waveney valley, west of Beccles on the edge of The Broads, and at the neck of a meander of the River Waveney.-Early history:...
, 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...
near to The Broads National Park.
Overview
The civil parish has an area of 8.56 km² (3.3 sq mi) and in the 2001 censusUnited 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....
had a population of 1614 in 695 households. For the purposes of local government, the parish 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 South Norfolk
South Norfolk
South Norfolk is a local government district in Norfolk, England. Its council is based in Long Stratton.-History:The district was formed on April 1, 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, as a merger of Diss Urban District, Wymondham Urban District, Depwade Rural District, Forehoe and Henstead...
.
The novelist Sir H. Rider Haggard
H. Rider Haggard
Sir Henry Rider Haggard, KBE was an English writer of adventure novels set in exotic locations, predominantly Africa, and a founder of the Lost World literary genre. He was also involved in agricultural reform around the British Empire...
, author of King Solomon's Mines
King Solomon's Mines
King Solomon's Mines is a popular novel by the Victorian adventure writer and fabulist Sir H. Rider Haggard. It tells of a search of an unexplored region of Africa by a group of adventurers led by Allan Quatermain for the missing brother of one of the party...
, lived in Ditchingham and was churchwarden
Churchwarden
A churchwarden is a lay official in a parish church or congregation of the Anglican Communion, usually working as a part-time volunteer. Holders of these positions are ex officio members of the parish board, usually called a vestry, parish council, parochial church council, or in the case of a...
there for several years. He was born in 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...
and had connections with the church in Bungay
Bungay, Suffolk
Bungay is a market town in the English county of Suffolk. It lies in the Waveney valley, west of Beccles on the edge of The Broads, and at the neck of a meander of the River Waveney.-Early history:...
.
Lilias Rider Haggard, daughter of the famous novelist, edited I walked by Night, being the life and history of the King of the Norfolk Poachers, published in 1935 by Nicholson and Watson, London.
She also edited The Rabbit Skin Cap, a tale of a Norfolk countryman's youth, first published in 1939 and reprinted by the Norfolk Library, 1974, 1975, 1976, which is the life story of George Baldry, a local inventor and poacher in the early C20. The picture on the front cover of the hardback edition was of a Ditchingham school boy, Douglas Walter Gower, taken from a painting by the artist Edward Seago
Edward Seago
Edward Brian Seago RBA ARWS RWS was an English artist who painted in both oils and watercolours.The son of a coal merchant, born in Norwich, Seago was a self-taught artist, , and enjoyed a wide range of admirers from the British Royal family and the Aga Khan to the common man...
. The boy later in life found 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...
's tooth in a gravel pit near an ancient long barrow
Long barrow
A long barrow is a prehistoric monument dating to the early Neolithic period. They are rectangular or trapezoidal tumuli or earth mounds traditionally interpreted as collective tombs...
on the Broome Heath. See Prehistoric Norfolk
Prehistoric Norfolk
This prehistory of the County of Norfolk, England is broken into specific time periods.Norfolk has a very rich prehistoric past, from the Palaeolithic era 950,000 years ago, to end of the Iron Age 2000 years ago...
, which is now in the 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.
In 1855 Lavinia Crosse
Lavinia Crosse
Lavinia Crosse founded the Community of All Hallows in Ditchingham in 1855. She was the daughter of the famous Norwich surgeon, John Green Crosse.- Sources :*...
founded the Anglican Community of All Hallows
Community of All Hallows
The Community of All Hallows is an Anglican religious order based in Ditchingham, near Bungay, Suffolk, under the jurisdiction of the Church of England. The religious Sisters lead an active life of prayer and service, providing hospitality and spiritual direction in two retreat houses...
in Ditchingham.
Ditchingham is also the home of the "Chicken Roundabout", a traffic roundabout
Roundabout
A roundabout is the name for a road junction in which traffic moves in one direction around a central island. The word dates from the early 20th century. Roundabouts are common in many countries around the world...
inhabited by a colony of chickens which has survived the construction of a bypass
Bypass (road)
A bypass is a road or highway that avoids or "bypasses" a built-up area, town, or village, to let through traffic flow without interference from local traffic, to reduce congestion in the built-up area, and to improve road safety....
through their home. An attempt by the authorities to move them led to protests by local residents.
Industry
Parravani's ice creams were established in the village in the early C20 and Lamberts Coaches are another long established local company.Much of the land surrounding the village belongs to the Ditchingham Hall
Ditchingham Hall
Ditchingham Hall is a country house and estate, near the village of Ditchingham in south Norfolk, England. It is the country house of Earl Ferrers. The current owner is Robert Shirley, 13th Earl Ferrers and former Conservative Party leader of the House of Lords...
estate, the seat of Earl Ferrers
Earl Ferrers
Earl Ferrers is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1711 for Robert Shirley, 13th Baron Ferrers of Chartley. The Shirley family descends from George Shirley of Astwell Castle, Northamptonshire....
. The current owner is Robert Shirley, 13th Earl Ferrers
Robert Shirley, 13th Earl Ferrers
Robert Washington Shirley, 13th Earl Ferrers PC , styled Viscount Tamworth between 1937 and 1954, is British Conservative politician and member of the House of Lords as one of the remaining hereditary peers...
former Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
leader in the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
.
External links
- Bath Hills Footpath — Bungay Tourism
- James Lambert — Roll of Honour
- The Ice Cream Man — Parravanis
- Information from Genuki Norfolk on Ditchingham.
- Information from NorfolkChurches.co.uk on St Mary's Church, Ditchingham
- Anglican Community of All Hallows information on the Anglican Community of All HallowsCommunity of All HallowsThe Community of All Hallows is an Anglican religious order based in Ditchingham, near Bungay, Suffolk, under the jurisdiction of the Church of England. The religious Sisters lead an active life of prayer and service, providing hospitality and spiritual direction in two retreat houses...
. - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2305557.stm