Docking, Norfolk

Docking

Signpost in Docking
Docking
 Docking shown within Norfolk
Area  25.79 km2 (9.96 sq mi)
Population 1,150 
   – density  45/km2 (120/sq mi)
OS grid referenceTF765370
Civil parishDocking
DistrictKing's Lynn and West Norfolk
Shire countyNorfolk
RegionEast
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post town KING'S LYNN
Postcode district PE31
Police Norfolk
Fire Norfolk
Ambulance East of England
EU Parliament East of England
List of places
UK
England
Norfolk

Coordinates: 52°54′07″N 0°37′27″E / 52.90197°N 0.6241°E

Docking is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk and contains the highest point in North West Norfolk. It covers an area of 25.79 km2 (9.96 sq mi) and had a population of 1,150 in 469 households at the 2001 census.[1] For the purposes of local government, it falls within the district of King's Lynn and West Norfolk.

Docking has many small businesses including a fish and chip shop. The blacksmith's forge is near the village pond but is now no longer active.

Docking Market is a local market bringing fresh and local produce to the village. The Market helps provide funding to maintain and service the village hall and was founded on April 25th, 2012. It is a lifeline to Docking and the surrounding villages attracting visitors every Wednesday at the Ripper Hall and closing for two weeks over the Christmas period.

Docking is close to the coastal resorts of Hunstanton, Heacham and Brancaster. Other surrounding villages include Bircham, Bircham Newton, Ringstead, Sedgeford, Stanhoe, Syderstone, and Burnham Market.

Docking church, St Mary, was built during the 15th century and is a large church with some interesting features that include a late medieval font.

In 1969 Docking had an unusual UFO sighting. Electrical Engineer, Robin Peck was driving through Docking at night when the electrical system in his car failed. He could sense static electricity in the air and then saw a bright blue inverted mushroom shape in the sky that was roughly 400 metres away and 40 metres above the trees. It suddenly disappeared in the direction of Norwich and his car strangely began working again.

The small inland village of Docking can trace its origin back to Roman times. In the past it used to be known as Dry Docking as it had no water supply of its own. In the 1760s a well was sunk some 230 feet down which provided domestic water for the village at a farthing per bucket. The use of this well continued until 1936 when water was eventually piped into the village..

The village church is St Mary the Virgin which is mostly 14th and 15th century in date with Victorian restorations.[2] There is currently a village archaeological project to locate the site of a lost priory believed to have been in the area during the 13th and 14th century. One theory is that the village church may have been the site of the former priory church.

Docking Well 1920s

One person to use this well was George Smith, the youngest son of a local shoemaker. He studied theology in Canterbury. After his studies he became a missionary and went to Natal in South Africa in 1871. When the Zulu wars started in 1878 George was attached to the British army as a temporary chaplain to the Central Column. So it was that on 22 January 1879 George Smith from Docking, Norfolk was one of the men present at the infamous Rorke’s Drift.

RAF Docking

RAF Docking was a former Royal Air Force airfield open from 1940 until 1958. During the war it was a satellite airfield of RAF Coastal Command and home to several Royal Air Force and Royal Canadian AIr Force squadrons. Aircraft carried out Coastal Command patrol duties and meteorological flights. RAF Bircham Newton and RAF Sculthorpe were also nearby but are also now inactive. Bircham Newton now houses the Construction Industry Training Board.

Transport

Until 1952 the village had its own Docking railway station, on the line between King's Lynn and Wells. It was closed along with the rest of line as part of cutbacks of Britain's railways.

Notable residents

Notes

  1. ↑ Census population and household counts for unparished urban areas and all parishes. Office for National Statistics & Norfolk County Council (2001). Retrieved 20 June 2009.
  2. ↑ St Mary the Virgin

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Docking, Norfolk.