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HUNSTANTON This Norfolk coastal resort has the unusual distinction of being an east coast resort that faces west and as a result gets more than its fair share of sun and enjoys some lovely sunsets. The town is divided into the village of Old
Hunstanton and the newer resort town of Hunstanton St Edmund. The village, now Old Hunstanton, was recorded in
Domesday Book as “Hunstatunes” and it and the lands surrounding it
were gifted by William the Conqueror to the Le Strange family who
remained Lords of the Manor for over 800 years. In 1860 with the coming of the railway, Styleman
Le Strange, the then Lord of the Manor, envisaged a place where
gentlefolk could stroll and relax whilst taking in the sea air and so
built New Hunstanton or Hunstanton St Edmund. This is the Hunstanton
resort we know today. The name Hunstanton is believed to come from
either the Honeystone, which was the old name for the local stone or
more likely from the River Hunn which originates in the grounds of Old
Hunstanton Hall and forms a moat around the house, the home of the Le
Strange family. Although little more than a stream, locals are proud of
their own little river that flows around the village. On 31st January 1953 the worst floods
on record hit the Norfolk coast and Hunstanton sadly suffered worse than
most. 16 local people lost their lives and a further 16 temporarily
resident Americans also perished. Nearby Heacham lost 9 persons and
Snettisham a horrific 25. In 1978 further storms reduced the towns pier to
scrap metal but fortunately there was no loss of life.
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