Besthorpe, Norfolk

Besthorpe
All Saints Church, Besthorpe
Besthorpe Besthorpe shown within Norfolk
Area	8.87 km² (3.42 sq mi)
Population	561 (2001 census^[1]) 778 (2011)^[2]
– density	63/km² (160/sq mi)
OS grid reference	TM058953
Civil parish	Besthorpe, Norfolk
District	Breckland
Shire county	Norfolk
Region	East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	ATTLEBOROUGH
Postcode district	NR17
Police	Norfolk
Fire	Norfolk
Ambulance	East of England
EU Parliament	East of England
Website	https://web.archive.org/web/20081006105235/http://wimbotshampc.norfolkparishes.gov.uk/besthorpe/
List of places UK England Norfolk

Coordinates: 52°31′01″N 1°01′59″E / 52.517°N 1.033°E / 52.517; 1.033

Besthorpe is a village and civil parish in the Breckland district of Norfolk, England, about a mile east of Attleborough, on the A11 road. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 561, increasing to 778 at the 2011 Census.

The village school has long been closed and is now a private dwelling. The church is located in a remote part of the parish, giving rise to the belief that plague aka The 'Black Death' once decimated the original community, resulting in the destruction of many local dwellings. Although no factual evidence exists to support this theory, the plague hit Norfolk very badly.

The village possesses two Halls; the 'Old Hall' and 'New Hall'. The Old Hall is located close to Burgh Common and was also known as Plassing Hall. For many years it was a farm but has recently been converted into a private dwelling. It still possesses a section of moat and some original stained glass.

New Hall was built between 1560 and 1593 by the Drury family, who gave their name to Drury Lane in London. One of the daughters from this family was rumoured to have been drowned in the lake at Lord Byron's family home, Newstead Abbey. Many reference books on factual ghost stories claim that she was murdered along with a coachman with whom she formed a relationship; the 'phantom coach' is said to haunt the Abbey. The Hall possesses one of the few surviving 'tilting grounds' in England; tilting grounds were used for jousting by medieval knights.

Somewhat notoriously, the village possesses a road known as Sluts Hole Lane, although this is most likely a spelling mistake made by late Victorian census takers which has passed into relatively modern usage. Attempts to restore the original name - Slutch Hole Lane - have been opposed by local historians. 'Slutch' is an old English word meaning slushy or muddy, and as part of the road remains in its original state, it would seem to be the correct term. Furthermore, maps and census documents held at Norwich's Library 'The Forum' prove that it was originally known as Slutch Hole Lane. However, this has not stopped local historians and media from making capital out of the misnomer.

Notes

↑ Census population and household counts for unparished urban areas and all parishes. Office for National Statistics & Norfolk County Council (2001). Retrieved 20 June 2009.
↑ "Civil Parish population 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 29 July 2016.

Civil parishes of Breckland

Ashill Attleborough Banham Bawdeswell Beachamwell Beeston with Bittering Beetley Besthorpe Billingford Bintree Blo' Norton Bradenham Brettenham Bridgham Brisley Bylaugh Carbrooke Caston Cockley Cley Colkirk Cranwich Cranworth Croxton Didlington Dereham East Tuddenham Elsing Foulden Foxley Fransham Garboldisham Garvestone Gateley Gooderstone Great Cressingham Great Dunham Great Ellingham Gressenhall Griston Guist Hardingham Harling Hilborough Hockering Hockham Hoe Holme Hale Horningtoft Ickburgh Kempstone Kenninghall Kilverstone Lexham Litcham Little Cressingham Little Dunham Little Ellingham Longham Lynford Lyng Mattishall Merton Mileham Mundford Narborough Narford Necton New Buckenham Newton by Castle Acre North Elmham North Lopham North Pickenham North Tuddenham Old Buckenham Ovington Oxborough Quidenham Riddlesworth Rocklands Roudham and Larling Rougham Saham Toney Scarning Scoulton Shipdham Shropham Snetterton South Acre South Lopham South Pickenham Sparham Sporle with Palgrave Stanfield Stanford Stow Bedon Sturston Swaffham Swanton Morley Thetford Thompson Tittleshall Tottington Twyford Watton Weasenham All Saints Weasenham St Peter Weeting-with-Broomhill Wellingham Wendling Whinburgh and Westfield Whissonsett Wretham Yaxham

See also Broadland Great Yarmouth King's Lynn and West Norfolk North Norfolk South Norfolk

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Besthorpe, Norfolk.

https://web.archive.org/web/20110707230147/http://besthorpe.com/default.asp?id=12&mnu=12 Besthorpe New Hall history

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