Wretham is a civil parish in the Breckland district[1] of Norfolk, England. The parish includes the village of East Wretham, which is about 6 miles (10 km) northeast of Thetford and 25 miles (40 km) southwest of Norwich.[2] It also includes the villages of Illington and Stonebridge. The parish has an area of 32.25 km2 (12.45 sq mi). The 2011 Census recorded a parish population of 374 people in 141 households.[3]
| Wretham | |
|---|---|
.jpg) St Ethelbert's parish church | |
  Wretham Location within Norfolk | |
| Area | 32.25 km2 (12.45 sq mi) |
| Population | 374 (2011 Census) |
| • Density | 12/km2 (31/sq mi) |
| OS grid reference | TL915905 |
| Civil parish |
|
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Thetford |
| Postcode district | IP24 |
| Dialling code | 01953 |
| Police | Norfolk |
| Fire | Norfolk |
| Ambulance | East of England |
| UK Parliament | |
| Website | Wretham Village Website |
History
editThe place-name "Wretham" is derived from Old English. It means "the hām (place) where crosswort grew".[4]
The Church of England parish church of St Ethelbert in East Wretham was built in the 12th century and rebuilt in 1865.[5] It is a Grade II* listed building.[6]
The former parish church of St Lawrence in West Wretham was built in the 14th century and is now a ruin.[7] It is a Scheduled Monument[8] and Grade II listed building.[9]
RAF East Wretham was a Royal Air Force air station. It was commissioned in 1940 and operational until November 1945. It was then a resettlement camp for Polish refugees until 1946. The former air station is now part of the British Army's Stanford Training Area (STANTA).
The licensee of the Dog and Partridge local pub opposed the smoking ban that was introduced in England in July 2007.[10]
1981 air crash
editOn Wednesday 4 February 1981 at 4pm, a F-111 aircraft of the 494th Tactical Fighter Squadron crashed. The aircrew were taken by helicopter to RAF Lakenheath. Firemen arrived from Thetford. The pilot was 31, and the weapon systems officer was 29.[11][12]
References
edit- ^ "Census population and household counts for unparished urban areas and all parishes". Office for National Statistics and Norfolk County Council. 2001. Retrieved 2 December 2005.Archived 11 February 2017 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Thetford in the Brecks (Map). OS Explorer. Ordnance Survey. 1999. § 229. ISBN 0-319-21861-9.
- ^ UK Census (2011). "Local Area Report – Wretham Parish (E04006195)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
- ^ Ekwall 1960, Wretham.
- ^ Pevsner 1962, p. 391.
- ^ Historic England. "Church of St Ethelbert (Grade II*) (1170650)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 28 June 2019.
- ^ Pevsner 1962, p. 392.
- ^ Historic England. "Ruins of St Lawrence's Church (1004015)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 28 June 2019.
- ^ Historic England. "Church of St Lawrence (Grade II) (1342773)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 28 June 2019.
- ^ Booker, Christopher (23 September 2007). "Smokers take a stand at the Dog and Partridge". London: Telegraph Newspapers. Retrieved 21 June 2009.
- ^ Diss Express Friday 6 February 1981, page 1
- ^ 1981 crash
Bibliography
edit- Ekwall, Eilert (1960) [1936]. Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Place-Names (4th ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. Wretham. ISBN 0198691033.
- Pevsner, Nikolaus (1962). North-West and South Norfolk. The Buildings of England. Vol. 2. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books. pp. 391–392. ISBN 0-14-071024-8.
External links
edit
- Map sources for Wretham
- Wretham Village Website
- "Norfolk: East Wretham". GENUKI.
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