Quidenham
Encyclopedia
Quidenham is a small rural village
and civil parish
in the English county of Norfolk
.
It covers an area of 22.51 km² (8.7 sq mi) and had a population of 576 in 183 households as of the 2001 census
. For the purposes of local government, it falls within the district
of Breckland
.
It is situated 10 miles (16.1 km) north-east of the town of Thetford
and 24 miles (38.6 km) south-west of the city of Norwich
.
The place-name 'Quidenham' is first attested in the Domesday Book
of 1086, where it appears as 'Cuidenham', and means 'Cwida's ham or village'. The name 'Cwida' corresponds to the Old High German name 'Quito'.
There is a local tradition that Queen Boudica
or Boadicea is buried in Quidenham. Quidenham Hall, the former seat of the Earls of Albemarle
, is now a Carmelite
nunnery and hospice for children.
The church of Quidenham St Andrew is one of 124 existing round-tower church
es in Norfolk
.
Snetterton Motor Racing Circuit
is partially located in Quidenham parish, albeit 2 miles (3.2 km) to the north-west of the village. Eccles Road railway station
, on the Breckland Line
between Cambridge
and Norwich, is a similar distance to the north of the village.
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
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...
in the English 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 covers an area of 22.51 km² (8.7 sq mi) and had a population of 576 in 183 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....
. For the purposes of local government, it 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 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...
.
It is situated 10 miles (16.1 km) north-east of the town 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:...
and 24 miles (38.6 km) south-west of the city 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 place-name 'Quidenham' is first attested 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...
of 1086, where it appears as 'Cuidenham', and means 'Cwida's ham or village'. The name 'Cwida' corresponds to the Old High German name 'Quito'.
There is a local tradition that Queen Boudica
Boudica
Boudica , also known as Boadicea and known in Welsh as "Buddug" was queen of the British Iceni tribe who led an uprising against the occupying forces of the Roman Empire....
or Boadicea is buried in Quidenham. Quidenham Hall, the former seat of the Earls of Albemarle
Earl of Albemarle
Earl of Albemarle is a title created several times from Norman times onwards. The word Albemarle is the Latinised form of the French county of Aumale in Normandy , other forms being Aubemarle and Aumerle...
, is now a Carmelite
Carmelites
The Order of the Brothers of Our Lady of Mount Carmel or Carmelites is a Catholic religious order perhaps founded in the 12th century on Mount Carmel, hence its name. However, historical records about its origin remain uncertain...
nunnery and hospice for children.
The church of Quidenham St Andrew is one of 124 existing round-tower church
Round-tower church
Round-tower churches are a type of church found mainly in England, almost solely in East Anglia; of about 185 surviving examples in the country, 124 are in Norfolk, 38 in Suffolk, 6 in Essex, 3 in Sussex and 2 each in Cambridgeshire and Berkshire. There is evidence of about twenty round-tower...
es in 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...
.
Snetterton Motor Racing Circuit
Snetterton Motor Racing Circuit
Snetterton Motor Racing Circuit is a motor racing circuit in Norfolk, England. Owned by MotorSport Vision, it is situated on the A11 road some 20 km north-east of the town of Thetford and 30 km south-west of the city of Norwich...
is partially located in Quidenham parish, albeit 2 miles (3.2 km) to the north-west of the village. Eccles Road railway station
Eccles Road railway station
Eccles Road railway station is a rural railway station in the English county of Norfolk. It is served by local services operated by East Midlands Trains and National Express East Anglia on the Breckland Line from Norwich to Peterborough and Cambridge. The station is unstaffed and has two...
, on the Breckland Line
Breckland Line
The Breckland Line runs from Cambridge in Cambridgeshire to Norwich in Norfolk, in East Anglia, England. It is so called because it runs through the Breckland region of Norfolk. The line also passes through Thetford Forest. The line is part of the Network Rail Strategic Route 5, SRS 05.09 and part...
between Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
and Norwich, is a similar distance to the north of the village.
External links
- Information from Genuki Norfolk on Quidenham.
- 1854 description of Quidenham.
- 1883 description of Quidenham.
- Website with photos of Quidenham St Andrew, a round-tower churchRound-tower churchRound-tower churches are a type of church found mainly in England, almost solely in East Anglia; of about 185 surviving examples in the country, 124 are in Norfolk, 38 in Suffolk, 6 in Essex, 3 in Sussex and 2 each in Cambridgeshire and Berkshire. There is evidence of about twenty round-tower...