Thorpe St Andrew

Thorpe St Andrew
Norfolk
St Andrew, Thorpe St Andrew
Location
Grid reference:	TG263094
Location:	52°38’8"N, 1°20’35"E
Data
Population:	13,762  (2001)
Post town:	Norwich
Postcode:	NR7
Local Government
Council:	Broadland

Thorpe St Andrew is a small town and suburb of Norwich in Norfolk. It is about two miles east of the city centre, outside the city boundary, and commands a civil parish covering an area of 1,742 acres which had a population of 13,762 according to the 2001 census.

In recent years, Thorpe St Andrew has expanded eastwards in the shape of the Dussindale housing development, which includes Dussindale Primary School, which opened in 2007 and Broadland business park.

The name "Thorpe" appears to be Danish or Norse, in which Þorp means "village", although the same word, also meaning "village", is found in Old English. The town appears in the Domesday Book as Torp.

Churches

• Church of England:
  • St Andrew's, from which the village is named
  • Church of the Good Shepherd
• Baptist
• Independent: Hillcrest Chapel
• Messianic Jewish: Adat Yeshua Messianic Synagogue, which meets at Thorpe St Andrew Village Hall
• Methodist Church
• Norwich Vineyard
• Pentecostal: Redeemed Christian Church of God
• Salvation Army Church
• United Reformed Church
• Roman Catholic: Our Lady's R C Church

History

There is also evidence that Thorpe was occupied by the Romans as various Roman artefacts have been unearthed here. It was a village listed as a manor in the Domesday Book of 1086. Early references that relate to the parish are under the names of 'Thorpe Episcopi' ("Bishop's Thorpe") and 'Thorpe-next-Norwich'. In later years it has been known as 'Thorpe St Andrew'.

East Anglia's worst rail crash happened at Thorpe St Andrew in 1874, killing 25 people and injuring 75.

Parts of the original village can still be seen along the Yarmouth Road leading out of Norwich. Features here include St Andrew's parish church, the former parish infants school, the Rivergarden public house and the multi-gabled Buck public house.

Big Society

There are numerous leisure facilities, groups and organisations including the County Arts Club on Plumstead Road, Thorpe Kite Flyers, Starlight Express Majorettes and the Oasis Sports and Leisure Centre on Pound Lane.

Thorpe St Andrew is also the home of Norwich's recently founded radio station: 99.9 Radio Norwich. The studios are based near Thorpe River Green and the station started broadcasting on 29 June 2006.

Outside links

("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Thorpe St Andrew)

• Thorpe Players