| Gayton | |
|---|---|
 Gayton Village Sign | |
  Gayton Location withinNorfolk | |
| Area | 8.82 sq mi (22.8 km2) |
| Population | 1,637 (2021 census) |
| • Density | 186/sq mi (72/km2) |
| OS grid reference | TF720190 |
| • London | 109 miles (175 km) |
| Civil parish |
|
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | KING'S LYNN |
| Postcode district | PE32 |
| Dialling code | 01553 |
| Police | Norfolk |
| Fire | Norfolk |
| Ambulance | East of England |
| UK Parliament | |
| 52°44′38″N0°33′25″E / 52.744°N 0.557°E /52.744; 0.557 | |
Gayton is a village andcivil parish in theEnglish county ofNorfolk.
Gayton is located 6 miles (9.7 km) east ofKing's Lynn and 32 miles (51 km) north-west ofNorwich, along theGaywood River and theB1145.
Gayton's name is ofAnglo-Saxon andViking origin and derives from either theOld Norse for 'goat settlement' or theOld English for 'Gaega's settlement'.[1]
In theDomesday Book, Gayton is recorded as a settlement of 51 households in thehundred of Freebridge. In 1086, the village was divided between the estates ofWilliam de Warenne,William d'Ecouis,Hugh de Montfort andHenry de Ferrers.[2]
Well Hall once stood in the parish, it was built around 1700 on the site of aBenedictine monastery.[3]
According to the2021 census, Gayton has a population of 1,637 people which shows an increase from the 1,432 people listed in the2011 census.[4]
Gayton is located along the course of theGaywood River and at the junction ofB1145, betweenKing's Lynn andMundesley, and theB1153, betweenNarborough andBrancaster.
Gayton's parish church is dedicated toSaint Nicholas and dates from the Fourteenth Century. St. Nicholas' is located within the village on Lynn Road and has been Grade I listed since 1960.[5] The church no longer holds Sunday services, however, it remains open daily to visitors.[6]
The church holds afont dating from the Fourteenth Century as well as a more modern sculpture by the Swedish artist, Britt Wikstrom.[7] There is also a memorial in the church to Captain Douglas H. Marsham who was killed serving with theBritish South Africa Police at theSiege of Mafeking as well as a restored memorial to the fallen in theFirst World War of the Gayton Lodge of theOdd Fellows.[8]
Gayton Hall was built in the early-Nineteenth Century byAndrew St John, Baron St John of Bletso whose family eventually sold the estate toCharles Marsham, 4th Earl of Romney. Romney's descendant,Julian Marsham, is the current owner of the hall.
There is one pub in the village,The Crown. The village also has a butcher's shop, Gayton Goslings care/daycare centre, a hair salon, a fish and chip shop and petrol station combining convenience shop/post office. The village formally had awindmill and is currently seeing a large increase in the building of residential housing.
Gayton Church of England Primary School is located within the village and is part of the Diocese of Norwich Academies Trust. The headteachers is Mrs N. Allitt.[9]
Gayton is part of theelectoral ward of Gayton & Grimston for local elections and is part of thedistrict ofKing's Lynn and West Norfolk.
The village's national constituency isNorth West Norfolk which has been represented by the Conservative'sJames Wild MP since 2010.
Gayton War Memorial is a woodenlychgate at the entrance to St. Nicholas' Churchyard. The memorial lists the following names for theFirst World War:[10][11]
| Rank | Name | Unit | Date of Death | Burial/Commemoration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cpl. | George Griffin | 1/5th Bn.,Norfolk Regiment | 12 Aug. 1915 | Helles Memorial |
| LCpl. | Stanley Reader | 1st Bn.,Bedfordshire Regiment | 27 Sep. 1918 | Fifteen Ravine Cemetery |
| Pte. | Henry T. Gage | 886th (MT) Coy.,Army Service Corps | 2 Aug. 1917 | Dozinghem Cemetery |
| Pte. | Reuben Meek | 6th (Melbourne) Bn.,AIF | 26 Jul. 1916 | Serre Road Cemetery |
| Pte. | Harold Meek | 1st Bn.,Essex Regiment | 14 Apr. 1917 | Arras Memorial |
| Pte. | Robert R. Shinn | 1st Bn., Essex Regt. | 14 Apr. 1917 | Arras Memorial |
| Pte. | Alfred D. Nicholls | 12th Bn.,Royal Fusiliers | 3 Aug. 1917 | Menin Gate |
| Pte. | H. Sidney Marsters | Labour Corps | 10 Nov. 1918 | King's Lynn Cemetery |
| Pte. | Hedley G. Littleproud | 2/7th Bn.,Lancashire Fusiliers | 31 Mar. 1918 | Sains Cemetery |
| Pte. | George J. Hogger | 10th Bn.,Lincolnshire Regiment | 28 Apr. 1917 | Arras Memorial |
| Pte. | Ralph H. Cullum | 163rd Coy.,Machine Gun Corps | 27 Dec. 1917 | Gaza War Cemetery |
| Pte. | Thornah S. Littleproud | 2nd Bn.,Norfolk Regiment | 25 Aug. 1917 | Amara War Cemetery |
| Pte. | Arthur Bland | 1/5th Bn., Norfolk Regt. | 19 Apr. 1917 | Gaza War Cemetery |
| Pte. | Ernest Medlock | 1/5th Bn., Norfolk Regt. | 28 Aug. 1915 | Helles Memorial |
| Pte. | Ernest E. Nicholls | 1/5th Bn., Norfolk Regt. | 3 Nov. 1917 | Deir al-Balah Cemetery |
| Pte. | Ernest Angell | 8th Bn., Norfolk Regt. | 1 Jul. 1916 | Thiepval Memorial |
| Pte. | James H. Hunter | 9th Bn., Norfolk Regt. | 15 Apr. 1918 | Tyne Cot |
| Pte. | George Thrower | 2nd Bn.,Sherwood Foresters | 23 Mar. 1918 | Arras Memorial |
| Rfn. | Frank Lewis | 9th Bn.,Rifle Brigade | 26 Mar. 1917 | Avesnes Cemetery |
The following names were added after theSecond World War:
| Rank | Name | Unit | Date of Death | Burial/Commemoration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LCpl. | Geoffrey H. R. Dunthorne | Royal Army Service Corps | 6 Sep. 1944 | Schoonselhof Cemetery |
| Dvr. | Leslie A. Pearce | R.A.S.C. | 12 Mar. 1944 | St. Nicholas' Churchyard |
| Gnr. | Clifford E. Howard | 51 (L.A.A.) Regt.,Royal Artillery | 12 Dec. 1942 | Massicault War Cemetery |
Media related toGayton, Norfolk at Wikimedia Commons