Fakenham
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Town of Fakenham | |
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| Geography | |
| Status: | Town (1086) |
| Government Region: | East of England |
| Administrative County: | Norfolk |
| Admin. HQ: | Cromer (North Norfolk District Council) |
| Grid reference: | TF 918 296 |
| Demographics | |
| Population: | Total (2004 est.) 7357 |
| Post Office and Telephone | |
| Postcode: | NR21 |
| Dialling Code: | 01328 |
Fakenham is a town and civil parish in Norfolk, England. It situated on the River Wensum, some 30 km north-east of the larger town of King's Lynn, 30 km south-west of the seaside resort of Cromer, and 40 km north-west of the city of Norwich.[1]
The civil parish has an area of 9.04 km² and in the 2001 census had a population of 7357 in 3292 households. For the purposes of local government, the parish falls within the district of North Norfolk.[2]
The name Fakenham is Saxon, possibly meaning Fair Place or Place on a Fair River.
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[edit] History
In 1086 Fakenham had only 150 residents. Hempton, on the opposite side of the river, was the larger community and had an abbey that played host to pilgrims on their way to Walsingham. Fakenham became the dominant centre when the abbey was abolished by Henry VIII.
Its major industry in the 19th and 20th centuries was printing, but the printworks has now closed. A large number of printing blocks have been set into the surface of the market place as a memorial to this lost industry.
[edit] Railways
Historically, Fakenham had two railway stations. Fakenham West station was on the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway, and closed in 1959. The site is now a builders depot, although 20 feet of the platform has been preserved. Fakenham East station was on the Great Eastern Railway and closed in the 1960s, although freight carried on until the 1980s. This station site is now sheltered housing. Although now without a railway, the Mid-Norfolk Railway plans to return trains to the town, and intends to build a new station near the Gas Works. The line would link Fakenham to Dereham, Wymondham and Norwich. Another scheme, the Norfolk Orbital Railway plans to link the town to the coast at Sheringham.
[edit] Recent history
In the late 1990s the town was listed by a contributor to the knowhere guide as "the most boring place on Earth"[3]. The contribution was specifically referring to Wednesday afternoon which is 'early closing' in Fakenham. This comment, made by an individual, was taken and quoted out of context as "voted the most boring place on Earth" and very rapidly the story was running in national newspapers with the town council defending the town and spending considerable time, money and effort trying to prove that this was not the case.
Recent investment in Fakenham has seen the town centre being renovated and pedestrianised. It now enjoys an excellent Farmers' Market on the morning of the 4th Saturday of each month.
The town was the base for North Norfolk's very first independent commercial radio station (albeit temporary) in August 1997 (106.9 FTR FM). Other temporary services followed, between November 1998 and May 2001, including FCR 107.2 and Central Norfolk Radio.[4]
[edit] Attractions
Attractions in the town include a well respected national hunt racecourse, the Museum of Gas and Local History, a small Cinema, a vibrant Flea market held every Thursday and a Farmers Market held monthly. The town is well placed to act as a base for exploring North Norfolk being approximately 15 kilometres from the coast at Wells-next-the-Sea, 30 kilometres from King's Lynn and 35 kilometres from Norwich.
[edit] Notable People
Famous people from Fakenham include: Henry Buckenham, a Primitive Methodist missionary in South Africa; Thomas Miller, who set up the printing press; Edmund Peckover, a Cromwellian Puritan who established the first bank in the town; John Garrood, who improved the Penny Farthing bicycle; Sir George Edwards, farm workers' leader, and later local MP; and Sir Robert Seppings, a shipwright who was knighted on the Royal Yacht in 1819.
Other notable people from the town include footballers Ryan Jarvis and Rossi Jarvis of Norwich City.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Ordnance Survey (2002). OS Explorer Map 251 - Norfolk Coast Central. ISBN 0-319-21887-2.
- ^ Office for National Statistics & Norfolk County Council (2001). Census population and household counts for unparished urban areas and all parishes. Retrieved December 2, 2005.
- ^ "Inside Information in Fakenham" from The Knowhere Guide
- ^ Radio Authority/Office Of Communications (OFCOM)
[edit] External links
- Map sources for Fakenham.
- Information from Genuki Norfolk on Fakenham.
- Fakenham Town Council
- Towns 1st Radio Station
