Kirby Bedon

Kirby Bedon is a small village in South Norfolk which lies approximately 3½ miles (5½ km) southeast of Norwich on the road to Bramerton. It covers an area of 7.82 km² (3.02 sq mi) and had a population of 186 in 77 households as of the 2001 census.^[1]

It has two churches, the ruined round-towered St Mary's Church and, standing opposite, St Andrew's church, which is still in use. St Andrew's contains a plaque erected by parishioners in memory of four crew members of "Broad and High", an American B-24 Liberator bomber who were killed when it crashed near the church on 18 August 1944 as it returned to Rackheath from a raid on Germany.^[2] Kirby Bedon Church Hall is the home venue for Kirby Bedon Short Mat Bowls Club, a very successful side who have won the Norfolk Summer League on many occasions as well as many other cups and titles. It once had a much loved village school which opened on 24 June 1878 and closed for the last time on 26 July 1978, another innocent victim of the drive to close small village schools in the belief that children would thrive better at larger schools. Kirby Bedon no longer has a pub; the Stracey Arms on the main road from Norwich to Bramerton closed in 1967,^[3] though is now a Caravan Club certified location.^[4]

Kirby Bedon is linked to Norwich by bus route 001 operated by Anglian Coaches providing six services a day into Norwich and to the neighbouring villages of Bramerton, Surlingham and Rockland St Mary.^[5]

References

External links

Media related to [//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Kirby_Bedon Kirby Bedon] at Wikimedia Commons

• Ordnance Survey Pathfinder (1:25000) map of Kirby Bedon
• St Andrew's Church, Kirby Bedon
• Kirby Bedon on GENUKI