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Blofield

For the cricketer, see Alex Blofield.

Blofield is a village and civil parish in the Broadland district of the English county of Norfolk. The parish includes the village of Blofield and the hamlets of Blofield Heath and Blofield Corner.

Blofield
Village
Blofield is located in Norfolk
Blofield
Blofield
Location within Norfolk
Area9.41 km2 (3.63 sq mi)
Population4,087 (Census 2021)
• Density434/km2 (1,120/sq mi)
OS grid referenceTG333097
Civil parish
  • Blofield
District
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townNORWICH
Postcode districtNR13
Dialling code01603
PoliceNorfolk
FireNorfolk
AmbulanceEast of England
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Norfolk
52°38′06″N 1°26′53″E / 52.635°N 1.448°E / 52.635; 1.448

Blofield is located five miles (8 km) east of Norwich and 14 miles (23 km) west of Great Yarmouth.

History

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Blofield's name is of either Anglo-Saxon or Viking origin and derives from either from the Old English for 'a blue field' or from the Old Norse for 'an exposed field.'[1]

Blofield is listed in the Domesday Book as a settlement of 61 households in the hundred of Blofield. In 1086, the village was divided between the estates of William, Bishop of Thetford and Ralph de Beaufour.[2]

There are two Seventeenth Century barns in Blofield: Church Farm Barn on Church Road[3] and Manor Farm Barn on Yarmouth Road.[4]

In the Eighteenth Century, Blofield was a centre for brick making[5] and the manufacturing of tiles.[6]

There are numerous historic, listed cottages in Blofield. These include the Eighteenth Century 'Little Timbers' on Danesblower Lane,[7] 'Beech House' on Church Road,[8] 'Owls Barn House' on Lingwood Road.[9] As well as the Nineteenth Century 'The Rookery' on Church Road,[10] 'Turrett House' on Yarmouth Road,[11] 'Hollybank' on Yarmouth Road,[12] 'The White House' on North Street[13] and Blofield Court House, built in 1905.[14]

Geography

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Blofield is bracketed by the courses of the River Bure to the north and the River Yare to the south. Though it no longer runs directly through the village, the A47, between Birmingham and Lowestoft, still runs through the parish.

According to the 2021 census, Blofield parish has a total population of 4,087 people which demonstrates a steep increase from the 3,316 people listed in the 2011 census.[15]

Church of St. Andrew and St. Peter

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Blofield's parish church is dedicated to Saint Andrew and Saint Peter, and was constructed in the Fourteenth Century.[16] The church has one of the largest towers in Norfolk and was significantly remodelled in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries, despite this an ornate, carved font survives dating from the Fifteenth Century. There is a stained glass memorial to Margaret Gordon Harker designed by Clayton and Bell with further designs by Hardman & Co., J. & J. King, Kempe & Co. and Ward and Hughes.[17] The Church of St. Andrew and St. Peter has been Grade I listed since 1962.[18]

Amenities

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Village amenities include the recently reopened and refurbished Kings Head public house, Blofield County Primary School, a doctors' surgery, a library, scout hut, newsagent, post office/convenience store, fish and chip shop, florist, hairdresser, an outdoor leisure and camping store, a farm shop and a solicitor's office.

Sporting and social facilities are also provided by Margaret Harker Hall and Blofield Court House constitute the meeting place for a number of village groups; these include the Women's Institute (which was formed in 1918 and claims to be the oldest in Norfolk), Guides, badminton club, slimming groups and playgroup for children of pre-school age. The Court House also hosts regular film shows showing recent releases, usually on the first or second Friday of every month.

Blofield Heath has one Indian restaurant, The Tamarind, and a post office/convenience store. Heathlands Community Centre is a focal point for social activities. The village has a primary school, Hemblington County Primary. A pre-school playgroup also operates from Heathlands.

Transport

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Blofield is served by the no. 15 Green Line bus route to Brundall, Norwich, Wymondham and Silfield; it is operated by First Eastern Counties. Buses operate hourly during the day; there is no service in the evenings, but there is a limited service as far as Norwich on Sundays.[19]

Brundall railway station is located about a mile away; there are regular services to Great Yarmouth, Lowestoft and Norwich, which are operated by Greater Anglia.[20]

Sport

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Blofield has a tennis Club founded in May 1924 with 3 grass courts and 2 hard court open to members. Tennis coaching and courses run by LTA licensed coaches for adults and juniors. Open club sessions and teams in mens, ladies and mixed leagues.

Blofield has two Non-League football clubs:

  • Norwich United F.C. who play at Plantation Park, just outside the village centre but within the parish
  • Blofield United F.C. who play in the Anglian Combination First Division, their home ground at the Margaret Harker Hall playing field in the centre of the village.[21]

Notable people

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  • Sir Arthur Borton – Governor of Malta 1878-1884 was born in Blofield in 1814.[22]
  • Darren Eadie – former football player who played for Norwich City and Leicester City.
  • John Edrich – England Test cricketer from 1963 to 1976, was born in Blofield in 1937.
  • John Emms- (1844-1912), English artist born in Blofield
  • Ken Brown – Norwich City manager from 1980 to 1987.
  • Robert McKelvie- (1912-1996), English cricketer, born in Blofield.
  • George Tuck- (1843-1920), English cricketer and lawyer, lived in Blofield
  • Roland Robertson- (1938-2022), Anglo-American sociologist, born in Blofield

Governance

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Blofield is part of the electoral ward of Blofield with South Walsham for local elections and is part of the district of Broadland.

The village's national constituency is Broadland and Fakenham which has been represented by the Conservative Party's Jerome Mayhew since 2019.

War Memorial

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Blofield's war memorial is located in the Churchyard of St. Andrew and St. Peter. It takes the form of a granite cross and was erected in 1920.[23] The memorial lists the following 32 men for the First World War:[24]

Rank Name Unit Date of Death Other Commemoration / Burial
Lt. Reginald E. Blyth HMS Barham 31 May 1916 Hollybrook Memorial, Southampton
Cpl. William Brown 1st Battalion, Royal Norfolk Regiment 23 April 1917 Arras Memorial
LS Arthur J. Ward HMS Nicator 7 April 1918 St. Columb's Churchyard, Rathmullan
LS Robert J. Payne HMS Racoon 9 January 1918 Chatham Naval Memorial
LSt. Arthur J. Smith HMS Invincible 31 May 1916 Portsmouth Naval Memorial
L/Cpl. James W. Jaggs 9th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers 27 March 1918 Pozières Memorial
L/Cpl. Benjamin Marshall 1/4th Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment 13 April 1918 Mendinghem Cemetery, Poperinge
Pvt. William Hanton 11th Battalion, Cheshire Regiment 13 August 1917 Menin Gate
Pvt. Harry Gostling 4th Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment 4 November 1916 Étaples Military Cemetery
Pvt. Herbert C. Waterton 12th Battalion, East Yorks. 13 November 1916 Euston Road Cemetery, Colincamps
Pvt. Bernard H. Limpus 24th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers 12 March 1917 St. Michael's Churchyard, Bude
Pvt. Alec R. East 1st Battalion, Royal Norfolk Regiment 22 May 1917 Communal Cemetery, Barlin
Pvt. William G. Green 1st Bn., Royal Norfolks 24 April 1917 Communal Cemetery, Bruay-la-Buissière
Pvt. Frederick W. Symonds 1st Bn., Royal Norfolks 7 September 1916 Communal Cemetery, Corbie
Pvt. Charles H. J. Marler 7th Battalion, Royal Norfolks 27 April 1917 British Cemetery, Duisans
Pvt. Benjamin Newstead 7th Bn., Royal Norfolks 23 January 1916 Town Cemetery, Béthune
Pvt. Reginald Gunns 8th Battalion, Royal Norfolks 26 October 1917 Étaples Military Cemetery
Pvt. Thomas B. Farman 9th Battalion, Royal Norfolks 10 January 1915 Churchyard of St. Peter and St. Andrew, Blofield
Pvt. William R. Gowen 9th Bn., Royal Norfolks 13 May 1917 Communal Cemetery, Noeux-les-Mines
Pvt. Herbert G. Houghton 9th Bn., Royal Norfolks 8 October 1918 Vis-en-Artois British Cemetery
Pvt. Ernest A. Ling 9th Bn., Royal Norfolks 15 April 1918 Tyne Cot
Pvt. Bertie Newstead 9th Bn., Royal Norfolks 18 April 1918 Churchyard of St. Peter and St. Andrew, Blofield
Pvt. Samuel J. Shreeve 9th Bn., Royal Norfolks 14 May 1916 Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery
Pvt. Russel J. Symonds 9th Bn., Royal Norfolks 26 September 1915 Loos Memorial
Pvt. George W. Burdett 2nd Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment 25 September 1916 Churchyard of St. Peter and St. Andrew, Blofield
Rfn. Alfred J. Simmons 2nd Battalion, Rifle Brigade 25 April 1918 Pozières Memorial
Rfn. Ernest L. Lynes 7th Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps 30 July 1915 Menin Gate
Spr. A. Nelson Rose 11th (Signal) Company, Royal Engineers 12 September 1915 Azmak Cemetery
Spr. Walter F. Foulger 130th (Field) Company, R.E. 5 January 1917 Military Cemetery, Méteren

And: Philip S. Barber, Percy H. Hall and William Turner. The memorial also lists the following names for the Second World War:

Rank Name Unit Date of Death Other Commemoration / Burial
AS Ronnie C. A. Marshall HMS Ivanhoe 1 September 1940 Chatham Naval Memorial
LAC E. R. John Spooner Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 1 September 1942 Oakwood Cemetery, Montgomery, Alabama and Brundall War Memorial
L/Cpl. Matthew Hanton 6th Battalion, Royal Norfolk Regiment 19 January 1942 Singapore War Memorial
Gdsm. Benjamin D. Barber 1st Battalion, Coldstream Guards 30 May 1940 Communal Cemetery, Veurne
Pvt. Stanley C. Trett 6th Battalion, Royal Norfolk Regiment 26 January 1942 Singapore War Memorial

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Key to English Place-names". kepn.nottingham.ac.uk. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
  2. ^ "Blofield | Domesday Book". opendomesday.org. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
  3. ^ "CHURCH FARM BARN, Blofield - 1051517 | Historic England". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
  4. ^ "MANOR FARM BARN, Blofield - 1372654 | Historic England". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
  5. ^ "mnf15581 - Norfolk Heritage Explorer". www.heritage.norfolk.gov.uk. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
  6. ^ "mnf31642 - Norfolk Heritage Explorer". www.heritage.norfolk.gov.uk. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
  7. ^ "LITTLE TIMBERS, Blofield - 1152807 | Historic England". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
  8. ^ "BEECH HOUSE, Blofield - 1304590 | Historic England". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
  9. ^ "HOUSE AT OWLS BARN, Blofield - 1372653 | Historic England". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
  10. ^ "THE ROOKERY, Blofield - 1051516 | Historic England". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
  11. ^ "TURRETT HOUSE, Blofield - 1051518 | Historic England". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
  12. ^ "HOLLYBANK AND ATTACHED GARDEN WALL, Blofield - 1152821 | Historic England". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
  13. ^ "THE WHITE HOUSE, Blofield - 1152819 | Historic England". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
  14. ^ "TURRETT HOUSE, Blofield - 1051518 | Historic England". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
  15. ^ "Blofield (Parish, United Kingdom) - Population Statistics, Charts, Map and Location". www.citypopulation.de. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
  16. ^ "CHURCH OF ST ANDREW AND ST PETER, Blofield - 1304595 | Historic England". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
  17. ^ "The Norfolk Churches Site". www.norfolkchurches.co.uk. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
  18. ^ "CHURCH OF ST ANDREW AND ST PETER, Blofield - 1304595 | Historic England". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
  19. ^ "Blofield Bus Services". Bustimes.org. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
  20. ^ "Timetables". Greater Anglia. 10 December 2023. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
  21. ^ [1] Archived 6 June 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  22. ^ "Obituary." Times [London, England] 8 September 1893: 10. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 23 June 2013.
  23. ^ "Blofield War Memorial, Blofield - 1442117 | Historic England". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
  24. ^ "Roll of Honour - Norfolk - Blofield". www.roll-of-honour.com. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
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  Media related to Blofield at Wikimedia Commons

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