Bridgham
| Bridgham | |
|---|---|
 Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Bridgham | |
  Bridgham Location within Norfolk | |
| Area | 11.06 km2 (4.27 sq mi) |
| Population | 373 (2021) |
| • Density | 34/km2 (88/sq mi) |
| OS grid reference | TL9585 |
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | NORWICH |
| Postcode district | NR16 |
| Dialling code | 01953 |
| Police | Norfolk |
| Fire | Norfolk |
| Ambulance | East of England |
| UK Parliament | |
Bridgham is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk.
Bridgham is located 6.2 miles (10.0 km) north-east of Thetford and 22 miles (35 km) south-west of Norwich.
History
[edit]Bridgham's name is of Anglo-Saxon origin and derives from the Old English for a homestead/village by a bridge.[1]
In the Domesday Book, Bridgham is recorded as a settlement of 11 households in the hundred of Shropham. In 1086, the village was part of the estates of St. Etheldreda's Abbey in Ely.[2]
Listed buildings within Bridgham include Orchard Cottage (Eighteenth Century)[3], Red House (Seventeenth Century)[4] with accompanying outbuildings[5], the Old School House (Eighteenth Century)[6] and The Rectory (c.1770).[7]
In 1940 during the Second World War, a concrete pillbox was built in Bridgham as part of the defences against a possible German invasion.[8]
Geography
[edit]According to the 2021 census, Bridgham has a population of 373 people which shows a slight increase from the 335 people recorded in the 2011 census.[9]
The course of the River Thet runs through the parish.
Church of St. Mary
[edit]Bridgham's parish church is dedicated to Saint Mary and dates from the Fourteenth Century. The church has been Grade II listed since 1958.[10] The church boasts a carved chalk font as well as stained-glass designed by A. L. Moore in 1900.[11]
Governance
[edit]Bridgham is part of the electoral ward of Harling & Heathlands for local elections and is part of the district of Breckland.
The village's national constituency is South West Norfolk which has been represented by Labour's Terry Jermy since 2024.
War Memorial
[edit]Bridgham's war memorial is granite, stone cross located in St. Mary's Churchyard. It was erected in 1920 and has been Grade II listed since 2018.[12] It lists the following names for the First World War:[13]
| Rank | Name | Unit | Date of Death | Other Commemoration / Burial |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St1C | George W. Stubbs | HMS Russell | 27 Apr. 1916 | Chatham Naval Memorial |
| LCpl. | William Kenny | 1st Battalion, Norfolk Regiment | 9 Jul. 1915 | Eastern Cemetery, Boulogne |
| LCpl. | William R. Waller | 6th Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment | 4 Nov. 1918 | Communal Cemetery, Preux-au-Bois |
| LCpl. | Ralph E. Downes | 1st Battalion, Queen's Royal Regiment | 23 Apr. 1917 | Arras Memorial |
| Pte. | A. Stanley Oakley | 1st Battalion, Norfolk Regiment | 27 Jul. 1916 | Thiepval Memorial |
| Pte. | Albert W. Greengrass | 1st Bn., Norfolk Rgt. | 27 Jul. 1916 | Thiepval Memorial |
| Pte. | Frederick G. Large | 1/4th Battalion, Norfolk Rgt. | 26 Aug. 1915 | St. Mary's Churchyard, Bridgham |
| Pte. | George Smith | 8th Battalion, Norfolk Rgt. | 19 Jul. 1916 | Thiepval Memorial |
| Pte. | E. Arthur Holmes | 8th Bn., Norfolk Rgt. | 17 Feb. 1917 | Thiepval Memorial |
| Pte. | Albert D. Hubbard | 8th Bn., Norfolk Rgt. | 28 Sep. 1916 | Thiepval Memorial |
| Pte. | Ernest A. Meek | 2nd Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment | 24 Sep. 1918 | Communal Cemetery, Berteaucourt |
And: J. Paul, A. Shaw, P. Shaw, J. Shaw, J. Ward, E. A. Holmes, W. Keeble, A. R. Kemp, E. C. W. Garnham.
The memorial also lists the name of Pte. Walter David Odey of 2nd Battalion, Parachute Regiment who was killed on 25 October 1947 fighting in the 1947-48 Palestinian Civil War. He is buried in the Khayat Beach War Cemetery, Haifa and left behind a wife, Rubie.[14]
References
[edit]- ^ "Key to English Place-names". kepn.nottingham.ac.uk. Retrieved 17 November 2024.
- ^ "Bridgham | Domesday Book". opendomesday.org. Retrieved 17 November 2024.
- ^ "ORCHARD COTTAGE, Bridgham - 1306056 | Historic England". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 17 November 2024.
- ^ "THE RED HOUSE, Bridgham - 1306061 | Historic England". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 17 November 2024.
- ^ "OUTBUILDINGS IN YARD OF THE RED HOUSE, Bridgham - 1076912 | Historic England". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 17 November 2024.
- ^ "OLD SCHOOL HOUSE, Bridgham - 1076911 | Historic England". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 17 November 2024.
- ^ "THE RECTORY, Bridgham - 1342785 | Historic England". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 17 November 2024.
- ^ "MNF32705 - Norfolk Heritage Explorer". www.heritage.norfolk.gov.uk. Retrieved 17 November 2024.
- ^ "Bridgham (Parish, United Kingdom) - Population Statistics, Charts, Map and Location". www.citypopulation.de. Retrieved 17 November 2024.
- ^ "CHURCH OF ST MARY, Bridgham - 1076909 | Historic England". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 17 November 2024.
- ^ "Norfolk Churches". www.norfolkchurches.co.uk. Retrieved 17 November 2024.
- ^ "Bridgham War Memorial, Bridgham - 1456189 | Historic England". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 17 November 2024.
- ^ "Bridgham with Roudham". www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk. Retrieved 17 November 2024.
- ^ "Roll of Honour - Databases - Palestine 1945-1948 - British Casualties - Search Results". www.roll-of-honour.com. Retrieved 17 November 2024.
External links
[edit]