Dickleburgh

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Dickleburgh
Dickleburgh (Norfolk)
Dickleburgh

Dickleburgh shown within Norfolk
Population 2,623 (2001 census)
District South Norfolk
Shire county Norfolk
Region East
Constituent country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town DISS
Postcode district IP21
Dialling code 01379
Police Norfolk
Fire Norfolk
Ambulance East of England
European Parliament East of England
UK Parliament South Norfolk
List of places: UKEnglandNorfolk

Coordinates: 52°14′05″N 1°06′41″E / 52.2347, 1.1113

Dickleburgh is a village six miles north of the Suffolk/Norfolk border. It lies on the old Roman road to Caistor St Edmunds which was the main road until a bypass was built in the early 1990s. Dickleburgh comprises of the Norman "All Saints" Church, The Crown pub, village shop, two parks and is the HQ of the Chenery Bus Company.

Dickleburgh is seated in the parish of Dickleburgh and Rushall in the county of Norfolk and District of South Norfolk.


[edit] History

The village name derives from an Irish monk by the name of Dicul who had a brief settlement ("burgh") in the area in the late 6th century, nothing of which survives today. Although unconfirmed, this may be the same Dicul monk quoted by the Venerable Bede (673-735) in his "Ecclesiastical History of the Anglian Nation". He tells the story of the conversion of the South Saxons and mentions the Irish monk, Dicul, who had a small monastery in 'Boshanhamm', which today is Bosham in Chichester, West Sussex.

Throughout the 20th century, Dickleburgh had two pubs, two butchers and briefly a small zoo!

Dickleburgh was dominated by a mill with homes for the workers and their families from 1780 producing herbage seeds and grain. This became one of the country's first steam mills in 1834. In the 1920s and 30s the business included the provision of coal, coke, hay and straw and although materials come from all over the world, the mill always ground locally grown wheat, barley and oats.

After the Second World War the company carried on a programme of steady expansion despite needing to generate it’s own electricity until 1958.

The Mill was extended over a site originally occupied by old farm buildings and the new buildings designed to provide and facilitate bulk delivery, a weighbridge was installed, and storage arranged at Burston Station for direct transfer to rail trucks.

The Mill finally closed in 1988. After disposal of the plant, its machinery and storage buildings the land remained unused until purchased by Wimpey Homes in 1997 for a housing development which was completed within two years and remains today. The history of the land is remembered in the naming of the key cul-de-sac 'Millers Drive'.


[edit] Present

Dickleburgh boasts an active community including FODS (Friends of Dickleburgh School), The Village Society, The Luncheon club and The Sports & Social Club. The village also entertains regular annual events including The Dickleburgh May Fayre, Christmas Fayre and 'Dicklefest'.

The villages own website is managed voluntarily and updated regularly by its residents at http://www.dickleburgh.com