| Freethorpe | |
|---|---|
 All Saints' Church, Freethorpe | |
  Freethorpe Location withinNorfolk | |
| Area | 3.67 sq mi (9.5 km2) |
| Population | 1,053 (2021 census) |
| • Density | 287/sq mi (111/km2) |
| OS grid reference | TG409054 |
| • London | 103 miles (166 km) |
| Civil parish |
|
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | NORWICH |
| Postcode district | NR13 |
| Dialling code | 01493 |
| Police | Norfolk |
| Fire | Norfolk |
| Ambulance | East of England |
| UK Parliament | |
| 52°35′35″N1°33′22″E / 52.59299°N 1.55621°E /52.59299; 1.55621 | |
Freethorpe is a village andcivil parish in theEnglish county ofNorfolk. The parish includes the former parish of Wickhampton and parts ofHalvergate Marshes.
Freethorpe is located 7.2 miles (11.6 km) south-west ofGreat Yarmouth and 11 miles (18 km) south-east ofGreat Yarmouth, located within theNorfolk Broads.
The origin of Freethorpe's name is uncertain. It either derives from theOld Norse for Fraethi's settlement or an amalgamation of the Old Norse andOld English for a settlement offering refuge or safety.[1]
In theDomesday Book, Freethorpe is listed as a settlement of 20 households in thehundred ofBlofield. In 1086, the village was divided between theEast Anglia estates ofKing William I,William de Beaufeu and Rabel the engineer.[2]
Several Nineteenth Centuryalmshouses are located within the village, which were built in 1871 by Richard Henry and Harriet Vade Walpole to care for local widows.[3]
During theFirst World War, the village was home to aRoyal Flying Corps airfield between 1916 and 1918. During theSecond World War, the airfield was passed on to theRoyal Observer Corps who operated the site until the mid-Twentieth Century.[4] In addition, an eastern part of the parish was designated as aStarfish site during the Second World War to drawLuftwaffe attention away from Norwich and Great Yarmouth.[5]
According to the2021 census, Freethorpe has a population of 1,053 people which shows an increase from the 995 people recorded in the2011 census.[6]
Freethorpe is located within theNorfolk Broads.
Freethorpe's parish church is one of Norfolk's remaining 124round-tower churches, with the tower dating from the Twelfth Century and the remainder of the church dating from the Thirteenth Century. All Saints' is located within the village on 'The Green' and has been Grade II listed since 1962.[7] The church still holds church services twice a month.[8]
All Saints' was restored in the Nineteenth Century byAnthony Salvin at the behest of Richard Henry Vade Walpole, Lord of the Manor of Freethorpe. The stained-glass inside the church was installed byThomas Willement andClayton and Bell and largely glorify the Walpole family.[9]
Freethorpe also has a Methodist Chapel that holds regular church services and seats up to 150 people.[10]
The majority of local children attend Freethorpe Community Primary School, which was rated as 'Good' byOfsted in 2016[11] which was subsequently upheld in 2019.[12]
Freethorpe is part of theelectoral ward of Marshes for local elections and is part of thedistrict ofBroadland.
The village's national constituency isBroadland and Fakenham which has been represented by theConservative Party'sJerome Mayhew MP since 2019.
Media related toFreethorpe at Wikimedia Commons