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DEREHAM
The
traditional Norfolk town of Dereham is situated in the heart of the
county and has a history that can be traced back to Saxon times when
Withburga, the daughter of an Anglo Saxon king, set up a monastery in
the 7th century. On her death she was buried in the town but
her remains were later removed to Ely Cathedral. Legend has it that a
spring, whose waters had healing properties, formed at the mouth of the
empty tomb. Today there is still a spring to be found in the Churchyard,
although the original monastery formed by Withburga was destroyed by
marauding Danes. Dereham
is recorded in the Domesday Book in 1066 as being "A village with 3
Water Mills and 20 Pigs". It came under the jurisdiction of
the Abbot of Ely under whose care it remained for many years. In
1581 and again in 1659 the town was ravaged by a fire that destroyed
many of the buildings. One of the exceptions was Bishop Bonners
Cottage that stands near the church, a pretty little cottage with a
timber frame and reed thatch and a very unusual decoration under the
eaves known as 'Pargetting'. It is today a museum. Very little is known
about its history except that Edward Bonner was rector of the parish
from 1534 –1538 and he later became Bishop of London. However, he
never lived in the cottage. Although a plaque on the cottage dates it
1502 and it probably dates from around then,
it is not until 1904 on that its history can be traced. The
present church of St Nicholas was built by the Normans and then extended
and enlarged in the 13th and 14th centuries. There
is a separate bell tower standing in the church grounds built in the 16th
century. It was used as a prison during the Napoleonic wars and in
the churchyard there is the grave of a French soldier killed whilst
trying to escape from the tower. There
are many fine buildings in the narrow streets that surround the market
place and in the market place itself. Notably the Corn Exchange, built
in 1857. It originally had a statue of Coke of Norfolk on its roof
but this feature was destroyed by a lightening bolt in 1950. Other
buildings include the 18th century Guildhall, near the church.
The Assembly rooms date from 1755 and the War Memorial Hall in Norwich
Street was built in the early 1800’s. Originally a coach makers, it
has also been a cinema and a swimming pool and today it is used as a
function hall. Dereham
has its fair share of famous inhabitants apart from Withburga, William
Cowper the 18th century poet, settled in the town and
mentioned it in some of his poems. His impressive tomb is in the local
church. The Author George Borrow (1803-1881) was born in the nearby
village of Dumpling Green and mentions the town in his famed work “Lavengro”. On
the town's skyline, a most unusual feature which resembles a huge
mushroom can be seen. It is in fact a water tower, holding nearly half a
million gallons of water and was the first of its type in the country. Today
Dereham is a busy and bustling town with many shops both in the market
square and in the adjoining streets and courtyards. There is a market in
the town on Tuesdays and a larger one on Fridays, both very popular with
locals and visitors alike. To see more about Dereham, with its Shops, Businesses, Accommodation, Where to go and What do do, please go to:- |
