Testerton
Encyclopedia
Testerton is a small village
in the English county of Norfolk. It is located between the village of Great Ryburgh
and the market town of Fakenham
.
Testerton is one of a clutch of deserted villages and associated churches within a few kilometres of Fakenham
. Testerton currently has only a handful of inhabitants; the civil parish of Testerton was abolished in 1935 and the lands used to enlarge the civil parish of Pudding Norton
, another mostly deserted village.
was already very ruined, and at some point after this time the walls were completely removed.
The only surviving remnant of the medieval village is the church, which retains the western part of the west tower, and is believed to have had a rectangular nave and apsidal chancel. The tower dates to the late 14th or 15th centuries, though the rest of the church is likely to have dated to the 11th or 12th centuries.
Apart from the Church of St Remigius, Testerton Hall also presents some architectural interest. The present Grade II Listed house is only the rear service wing of what was once a much larger building, dating to 1802. With two storeys in seven bays, the building is constructed from red brick and has a south facade in the Georgian architecture
style.
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...
in the English county of Norfolk. It is located between the village of Great Ryburgh
Great Ryburgh
Great Ryburgh is a village in the English county of Norfolk. Administratively the village is within the civil parish of Ryburgh along with Little Ryburgh, in the district of North Norfolk....
and the market town of Fakenham
Fakenham
Fakenham is a town and civil parish in Norfolk, England. It is situated on the River Wensum, some north east of King's Lynn, south west of Cromer, and north west of Norwich....
.
Testerton is one of a clutch of deserted villages and associated churches within a few kilometres of Fakenham
Fakenham
Fakenham is a town and civil parish in Norfolk, England. It is situated on the River Wensum, some north east of King's Lynn, south west of Cromer, and north west of Norwich....
. Testerton currently has only a handful of inhabitants; the civil parish of Testerton was abolished in 1935 and the lands used to enlarge the civil parish of Pudding Norton
Pudding Norton
Pudding Norton is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk.It covers an area of and had a population of 267 in 126 households as of the 2001 census.For the purposes of local government, it falls within the district of North Norfolk....
, another mostly deserted village.
History
Although mentioned in the Domesday Book, Testerton appears to have decayed during the Medieval period, and by the beginning of the 17th century the parish had only 18 communicants. By the end of that century the parish church of Saint RemigiusSaint Remigius
Saint Remigius, Remy or Remi, , was Bishop of Reims and Apostle of the Franks, . On 24 December 496 he baptised Clovis I, King of the Franks...
was already very ruined, and at some point after this time the walls were completely removed.
The only surviving remnant of the medieval village is the church, which retains the western part of the west tower, and is believed to have had a rectangular nave and apsidal chancel. The tower dates to the late 14th or 15th centuries, though the rest of the church is likely to have dated to the 11th or 12th centuries.
Apart from the Church of St Remigius, Testerton Hall also presents some architectural interest. The present Grade II Listed house is only the rear service wing of what was once a much larger building, dating to 1802. With two storeys in seven bays, the building is constructed from red brick and has a south facade in the Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
style.