Blo' Norton

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Blo' Norton is a village and civil parish in the Breckland district of Norfolk, England, on the River Little Ouse, not far from Diss. The parish had a population of 270 in approximately 100 households, according to the 2001 census.

The name reputedly derives from ‘Blae’, old Saxon/Viking meaning both ‘cold’ and ‘blue’. The ‘blue’ could refer to the woad plant that grows in wetter areas and is a source of traditional blue dye. ‘Norton’ is a settlement on the north side of the river. There is evidence of people living in the area from Saxon times, and perhaps from the Romano-British period. Aerial photographs show outlines of buildings and tracks that are possibly from the Romano-British period, near to Blo' Norton Hall.

Features of Blo' Norton include some attractive fen land and the village church. The unusual name of the village has earned it a reference in the Bill Bryson book "Notes From Small Island" and a brief mention on the Channel 4 TV show "So Graham Norton". The village is also the location of the Frogstock festival.