Saham Toney

Saham Toney is a village and a civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The village is 14.5 miles (23.3 km) North of Thetford, 27.3 miles (43.9 km) west of Norwich and 101 miles (163 km) north-east of London. The village lies 13.1 miles (21.1 km) west of the town of Attleborough.The nearest railway station is at Attleborough for the Breckland Line which runs between Cambridge and Norwich. The nearest airport is Norwich International Airport. The civil parish has an area of 16.51 km² (6.37 sq mi) and in 2001 had a population of 1565 in 680 households. For the purposes of local government, the parish falls within the district of Breckland.^[1]

History

The village derives part of its name ^[1] from the 13-acre (53,000 m²) mere that is in the parish. The mere is well stocked with fish especially eels of two species, one noted for their delicious, and the other for their nauseous flavour, also one is of a peculiar shape. There are also pike in the mere of great size. The mere which is privately owned, is thought to be as old as the last Ice Age. The Toney part of the name comes from Roger de Toni, William the Conqueror’s standard bearer, and lord of the manor who added his name to the Saxon Saham which means town of the lake. The Mere is dangerous and access is by special permission of the owner only.

Village amenities

The village has a shop which also houses the post office. The public house is called the Old Bell and there is a hotel called the Broom Hall Country Hotel. There is a Church of England Primary school which is called Parker’s School and has just over 100 pupils.

The Parish Church of Saint George

The Parish Church of Saint George is constructed from flint and has a 15th century tower containing 6 bells and a clock.^[1] The Church has some very beautiful stained glass windows, the east window of the chancel portrays the Last Supper, this was a gift by the late Rev. W. H. Parker, who restored the whole building at considerable expense in 1864. The nave arcades, clerestory, and part of the chancel date from the 14th century.

Notable residents

Former British Prime Minister John Major lived in the town from 1943-45 as an infant to avoid the war.^[2]

References

• ^ Office for National Statistics & Norfolk County Council, 2001. Census population and household counts for unparished urban areas and all parishes. Retrieved December 2, 2005.