Hindringham
| Hindringham | |
| Norfolk | |
|---|---|
 Hindringham Village Sign | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | TF983362 |
| Location: | 52°53’12"N, 0°56’53"E |
| Data | |
| Population: | 465 (2021) |
| Post town: | Fakenham |
| Postcode: | NR21 |
| Dialling code: | 01328 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | North Norfolk |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
North Norfolk |
Hindringham is a village in Norfolk, eight and a half miles north-east of Fakenham and 23 miles north-west of Norwich.
The 2021 census recorded Hindringham with a population of 465.
The village's name is of Anglo-Saxon origin and derives from the Old English for the settlement of the people living behind the hills.[1]
History
In the Domesday Book, Hindringham is listed as a settlement of 49 households in the North Greenhoe Hundred. In 1086, the village was divided between the East Anglian estates of William de Beaufeu, Osbern FitzOsbern and Drogo de la Beuvrière and the King.[2]
The Duke's Head pub was open in the village from 1784 to 1954 and was the scene of regular cockfights.[3]
Lower Green tower mill was built in the 19th century and closed in 1900, being converted into a private dwelling.[4]
St. Martin's Church
Hindringham's parish church, St Martin, dates from the 14th century. The church is within the village on 'The Street', and is a Grade I listed building.[5] The church is no longer open for Sunday services, but is part of the Waymarker Benefice and is in the care of the National Churches Trust.[6][7]
St. Martin's was heavily restored in the Victorian era and still holds a 15th century font and a stained-glass window designed by Ward and Hughes depicting the martyrdom of St. Martin of Tours. The church also holds a remarkable 12th century chest, which is generally considered to be one of the oldest in England.[8]
Hindringham Hall
Hindringham Hall is a 16th-century moated brick and flint house located roughly quarter of a mile to the north-west of the village centre. It was built by Martin Hastings, a courtier in the service of Henry FitzRoy, Duke of Richmond and Somerset, the illegitimate son of Henry VIII by his mistress Elizabeth Blount.[9] A lease written in 1562 refers to the house "now being builded and edified". It had fallen into decline until restored in 1900 by Gerald Gosselin from Bengeo Hall, Hertfordshire. The interior was completely refurbished, the exterior largely being retained.
The moat and associated fish ponds date from the 12th century. The raised ground within the moat originally provided a secure and dry location for farm buildings and storage.
The extensive gardens are the work of the current owners, and include a significant rose collection. They were shortlisted for the Historic Houses 2020 Garden of the Year award. They are open to the public on certain days during the summer months.
Hindringham Fish Ponds and Moat
The mediæval fish ponds on the Hindringham Estate cover 3 acres. Although somewhat silted up, they remain amongst the best preserved in East Anglia. The ponds and the moat are fed from the River Stiffkey, a chalk stream running through the grounds.
They were built, along with the moat, in around 1150 and their construction would have required moving around 1.7 million cubic feet of soil, an enterprise likely occupying 100 men for 3 years.
The ponds were managed by the monks of Norwich Priory, and comprised an important food source for the priory, as well as for the Benedictines at Binham Priory and the Augustinians and Friars at Walsingham (about three miles to the west), as well as for the thousands of pilgrims who came to Walsingham from all over Europe. Eel, perch and pike were farmed, with European carp introduced later.
It is likely that the ponds were abandoned following the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1534, but even if not, it is almost certain that they were finally abandoned in the Little Ice Age of the 17th century. However the shortage of labour following the Plague of 1349 may have resulted in their earlier decline.
Sport and recreation
Hindringham has a popular sports and social club and this acts as the clubhouse for Hindringham FC on matchdays.
- Football: Hindringham FC, formed in 1910 and re-formed in 1986
See also
Outside links
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("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Hindringham) |
References
- ↑ Place-Names
- ↑ Hindringham in the Domesday Book
- ↑ "DUKES HEAD - HINDRINGHAM". https://www.norfolkpubs.co.uk/norfolkh/hindringham/hindrdh.htm.
- ↑ "MNF2106 - Norfolk Heritage Explorer". https://www.heritage.norfolk.gov.uk/record-details?MNF2106.
- ↑ National Heritage List 1049373: Church of St Martin (Grade I listing)
- ↑ "Hindringham Church" (in en). 2025-06-11. https://www.achurchnearyou.com/church/10334/service-and-events/events-all/.
- ↑ "Hindringham St Martin | National Churches Trust" (in en). https://www.nationalchurchestrust.org/church/st-martin-hindringham.
- ↑ "Norfolk Churches". http://www.norfolkchurches.co.uk/hindringham/hindringham.htm.
- ↑ Letters and Papers Henry VIII, 11 (London, 1888), p. 72 no. 164 (2).