Potter Heigham

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Potter Heigham's Medieval Bridge

Potter Heigham is a village and civil parish on the River Thurne in the English county of Norfolk. It is situated some 20 km north-east of the city of Norwich on the A149 road, and within The Broads National Park.^[1]

The civil parish has an area of 10.38 km² and in the 2001 census had a population of 961 in 425 households. For the purposes of local government, the parish falls within the district of North Norfolk.^[2]

Potter Heigham is famed for its medieval bridge, believed to date from 1385. The bridge is famous for being the most difficult to navigate in the Broads. The bridge opening is so narrow that only small cruisers can pass through it, and then only at low water, usually with the help of a pilot which is free for holiday craft in the summer. A modern roadbridge is close by.

The village is part of the Ludham - Potter Heigham NNR, a National Nature Reserve. The Weavers Way, a long distance footpath, passes through the village on its way from Cromer to Great Yarmouth.

1 Broads Haven
2 Church
3 Buildings of Note
4 Potter Heigham at War
5 Sidney Grapes
6 References
7 External links

[edit] Broads Haven

Broads Haven

One of Potter Heigham's biggest and most striking features is the Broads Haven building, which is located next to the bridge. The building currently houses offices for Waterside Estate Agents and Waterside Marine Sales.

[edit] Church

Potter Heigham St. Nicholas

Potter Heigham church is dedicated to Saint Nicholas, the patron saint of fishermen and children. The earliest surviving feature is the round tower, which dates back as early to the 12th century and has a 14th century octagonal extension, one of the best preserved in the country. ^[3]

Inside it is famed for its stunning hammerbeam roof and almost unique 15th century brick font.^[4] In addition, the church also contains a scheme of wall paintings dating back as early as the 14th century, the most readable of which depicts the Seven Works of Mercy.^[5] When the roof was re-thatched it required about 1850 bundles of reed. It is one of 124 existing round-tower churches in Norfolk.

[edit] Buildings of Note

In addition to the Church of Saint Nicholas, Potter Heigham also possesses a number of buildings of historic or architectural note. These include the perviously mentioned medieval bridge, as well as Heigham Holes Windpump to the east of the parish, High's Mill on the River Thurne^[6], and Sunways corn mill^[7], all of which are listed by English Heritage.

[edit] Potter Heigham at War

The parish of Potter Heigham also contains a number of features related to the World Wars. Hickling Broad, to the north of the parish, was used as a seaplane base during World War One. Part of Ludham Airstrip, a now shrunken remnant of a larger World War Two airbase, is also built on parish lands, and there were a number of defensive structures around the medieval bridge.

[edit] Sidney Grapes

The Norfolk humourist Sidney Grapes lived and worked in Potter Heigham. He was famous for his collection of Norfolk dialect letters written under the pseudonym of The Boy John - which were originally published in the Eastern Daily Press.

[edit] References

^ Ordnance Survey (2005). OS Explorer Map OL40 - The Broads. ISBN 0-319-23769-9.
^ Office for National Statistics & Norfolk County Council (2001). Census population and household counts for unparished urban areas and all parishes. Retrieved December 2, 2005.
^ Pevsner, N. and Wilson, B. (1991). The Buildings of England. Norfolk 2: North-West and South, London: Penguin Books.
^ Mortlock D. P. & Roberts, C. V. (1981) The Popular Guide to Norfolk Churches No. 1, North-East Norfolk . Acorn Editions.
^ Marshall, A. The Seven Works of Mercy, Potter Heigham, Norfolk. Retrieved December 08, 2006
^ Pevsner, N. and Wilson, B. (1991). The Buildings of England. Norfolk 2: North-West and South, London: Penguin Books.
^ Neville, J. (2004).Potter Heigham towermill, Retrieved December 08 2006.