| Gressenhall | |
|---|---|
 Gressenhall Workhouse Museum. | |
  Gressenhall Location withinNorfolk | |
| Area | 4.07 sq mi (10.5 km2) |
| Population | 1,032 (2021 census) |
| • Density | 254/sq mi (98/km2) |
| OS grid reference | TF964166 |
| Civil parish |
|
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | DEREHAM |
| Postcode district | NR19, NR20 |
| Dialling code | 01362 |
| Police | Norfolk |
| Fire | Norfolk |
| Ambulance | East of England |
| UK Parliament | |
| 52°41′57″N0°54′08″E / 52.699165°N 0.902245°E /52.699165; 0.902245 | |
Gressenhall is a village andcivil parish in theEnglish county ofNorfolk, along the course of theRiver Nar.
Gressenhall is located 2.9 miles (4.7 km) north-west ofDereham and 18 miles (29 km) north-west ofNorwich.
Gressenhall's name is ofAnglo-Saxon origin and derives from theOld English for the grassy or gravelly nook of land.[1]
Awatermill is recorded in Gressenhall on the River Whitewater as far back as 1060, with the earliest owner listed as Toke, the thane of Gressenhall. The mill was destroyed by fire in 1914.[2] Asmock mill also stood in Gressenhall between 1829 and 1970.[3]
In theDomesday Book of 1086, Gressenhall is listed as a settlement of 27 households in thehundred of Laundich. In 1086, the village was part of theEast Anglian estates ofWilliam de Warenne.[4]
In 1777, aworkhouse was built in Gressenhall to give a strict regime of work to paupers in exchange for food and shelter. The building was altered in 1834 to comply with thePoor Law Amendment Act and is still open as theGressenhall Farm and Workhouse Museum.[5]
Gressenhall House was built in the 18th century and was eventually demolished in 1948.[6]
According to the2021 census, Gressenhall has a population of 1,032 people which shows a decrease from the 1,050 people recorded in the2011 census.[7]
TheRiver Nar and theB1146, betweenFakenham andDereham, run through the parish.
Gressenhall's parish church is dedicated toSaint Mary and dates from the 14th century. St Mary's is located outside of the village on Barn Lane and has been Grade I listed since 1960.[8] The church holds Sunday services twice a month.[9]
St Mary's was heavily restored in theEdwardian era but still retains its medievalrood screen and 15th centuryfont.[10]
The White Swan Pub has stood in the village since at-least 1688 and was popular withUnited States Air Force servicemen during theSecond World War.[11] The pub remains open.[12]
Gressenhall is part of theelectoral ward of Lincoln for local elections and is part of thedistrict ofBreckland.
The village's national constituency isMid Norfolk which has been represented by the Conservative'sGeorge Freeman MP since 2010.
Gressenhall War Memorial is a marble plaque inside St Mary's Church which lists the following names for theFirst World War:[13]
| Rank | Name | Unit | Date of death | Burial/Commemoration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sgt. | Cornelius A. P. Swann | 373rd M.T. Coy.,Army Service Cs | 13 Apr. 1917 | Norwich Cemetery |
| Sgt. | Ernest W. Freezer | 11th Bn.,Lancashire Fusiliers | 10 Apr. 1918 | Croix-du-Bac Cemetery |
| LCpl. | Ernest F. Burton | 8th Bn.,Norfolk Regiment | 30 Oct. 1917 | Boulogne Eastern Cemetery |
| Pte. | Ernest F. Reynolds | 9th Bn.,East Surrey Regiment | 24 Dec. 1916 | Chocques Cemetery |
| Pte. | William HewittMM | 2nd Bn.,Leinster Regiment | 4 Sep. 1918 | Messines Ridge Cemetery |
| Pte. | Ernest A. Abel | 5th Bn.,Norfolk Regiment | 28 May 1917 | Haifa War Cemetery |
| Pte. | Arthur J. W. Crown | 5th Bn., Norfolk Regt. | 18 Nov. 1918 | Beirut War Cemetery |
| Pte. | Ernest J. Freezer | 5th Bn., Norfolk Regt. | 19 Apr. 1917 | Jerusalem Memorial |
| Pte. | Albert E. Curtis | 7th Bn., Norfolk Regt. | 20 Jul. 1917 | Monchy-le-Preux Cemetery |
The following name was added after theSecond World War:
| Rank | Name | Unit | Date of death | Burial/Commemoration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gnr. | Herbert C. Smith | 110 H.A.A. Regt.,Royal Artillery | 22 Nov. 1940 | St. Mary's Churchyard |
