Langham, Norfolk
| Langham | |
|---|---|
 Langham Village Sign | |
  Langham Location within Norfolk | |
| Area | 2.73 sq mi (7.1 km2) |
| Population | 355 (2021 census) |
| • Density | 130/sq mi (50/km2) |
| OS grid reference | TG000410 |
| • London | 126 miles (203 km) |
| Civil parish |
|
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | HOLT |
| Postcode district | NR25 |
| Dialling code | 01328 |
| Police | Norfolk |
| Fire | Norfolk |
| Ambulance | East of England |
| UK Parliament | |
Langham is a village and civil parish in the English county Norfolk.
Langham is located 14.7 miles (23.7 km) west of Cromer and 27.2 miles (43.8 km) north-west of Norwich, along the B1156 road, between Blakeney and Sharrington and within the Norfolk Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
History
[edit]Langham's name is of Anglo-Saxon origin and derives from the Old English for the long homestead.[1]
In the Domesday Book, Langham is listed as a settlement of 62 households in the hundred of Holt. In 1086, the village was part of the East Anglian estates of William de Beaufeu.[2]
Langham Hall was built in the 18th century in the Greek Revival style for the Reverend Rippinghall who also designed the house. The hall was used as a hospital by the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.[3]
During the Second World War, much of the parish became RAF Langham which was used until 1961 mostly by RAF Coastal Command. Today, a dome used to trained air gunners still stands and is one of the few examples still left in the country.[4]
The former site of the airfield is the site of reputed haunting in which screaming, the sounds of aircraft crashing and ghostly USAAF servicemen have been heard or seen.[5]
Geography
[edit]According to the 2021 census, Langham had a population of 355 people, a decrease from the 372 people recorded in the 2011 census.[6]
Church of St. Andrew & St. Mary
[edit]Langham's parish church is jointly dedicated to Saint Andrew and Saint Mary and dates from the Fourteenth Century. The church is located on Holt Road and has been Grade I listed since 1959.[7] The church no longer holds Sunday service.[8]
St. Andrew's & St. Mary's features a stained-glass windows installed in the 1890s by Sir Edward Burne-Jones and a set of royal arms depicting those of Queen Anne which may be from an earlier reign.[9]
Notable Residents
[edit]- Captain Frederick Marryat CB- (1792-1848) naval officer and novelist, died & buried in Langham.
- Stephen Rippingall- (1825-1856) rower and cricketer, lived in Langham.
Governance
[edit]Langham is part of the electoral ward of Priory for local elections and is part of the district of North Norfolk.
The village's national constituency is North Norfolk, which has been represented by the Liberal Democrat Steff Aquarone MP since 2024.
War Memorial
[edit]Langham's war memorial is a canopied set of tablets with a crucifix which was erected at the private expense of the resident of Langham Hall, who supposedly did not get along with the Rector of Langham Church who proposed a memorial in the churchyard.[10] The memorial lists the following names for the First World War:[11][12]
| Rank | Name | Unit | Date of Death | Burial/Commemoration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LCpl. | William Barnes | 5th Bn., Yorkshire Light Infantry | 12 Sep. 1918 | Vis-en-Artois Memorial |
| St1C | Herbert W. Ellwood | H.M. Tug Desire | 24 Jan. 1918 | Chatham Naval Memorial |
| Pte. | Florance E. Ellwood | 2nd Bn., Bedfordshire Regiment | 5 May 1917 | Hollybrook Memorial |
| Pte. | John H. Burton | Canadian Light Infantry | 4 Jul. 1918 | Saint-Hilaire Cemetery |
| Pte. | Page E. Crane | 6th Bn., Royal Fusiliers | 2 Sep. 1917 | Brookwood Memorial |
| Pte. | James R. Crane | 17th Bn., Manchester Regiment | 26 Sep. 1917 | Pond Farm Cemetery |
| Pte. | Cornelius E. Jarvis | 1st Bn., Middlesex Regiment | 4 Jun. 1915 | Desplanque Farm Cemetery |
| Pte. | Frederick Lewis | 4th Bn., Middlesex Regt. | 16 Apr. 1915 | Godezonne Farm Cemetery |
| Pte. | George H. T. Musk | 1st Bn., Norfolk Regiment | 4 Sep. 1916 | Delville Wood Cemetery |
| Pte. | William A. A. Burton | 2nd Bn., Norfolk Regt. | 22 Apr. 1916 | Basra Memorial |
| Pte. | Willy R. Jarvis | 4th Bn., Norfolk Regt. | 19 Jun. 1918 | Jerusalem Memorial |
| Pte. | Robert A. Burton | 1st Bn., Northumberland Fusiliers | 29 Mar. 1918 | Arras Memorial |
| Pte. | Fred W. Massingham | 4th Bn., Northumberland Fusiliers | 23 Jan. 1917 | Dernancourt Cemetery |
| Pte. | Fred P. Burton | 8th Bn., Queen's Own Regiment | 26 Sep. 1915 | Loos Memorial |
| Rfn. | Frederick S. Bird | 12th (Rangers) Bn., London Regt. | 30 Apr. 1915 | Hazebrouck Cemetery |
Historic Gallery
[edit]-
Street view of Langham circa 1915. -
Langham Church circa 1915.
References
[edit]- ^ "Key to English Place-names". kepn.nottingham.ac.uk. Retrieved 14 June 2025.
- ^ "Langham | Domesday Book". opendomesday.org. Retrieved 14 June 2025.
- ^ "mnf6173 - Norfolk Heritage Explorer". www.heritage.norfolk.gov.uk. Retrieved 14 June 2025.
- ^ "mnf1891 - Norfolk Heritage Explorer". www.heritage.norfolk.gov.uk. Retrieved 14 June 2025.
- ^ "The Paranormal Database - Norfolk". www.paranormaldatabase.com. Retrieved 14 June 2025.
- ^ "Langham (Parish, United Kingdom) - Population Statistics, Charts, Map and Location". www.citypopulation.de. Retrieved 14 June 2025.
- ^ "CHURCH OF ST MARY AND ST ANDREW, Langham - 1049495 | Historic England". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 14 June 2025.
- ^ "Langham Episcopi: St Andrew and St Mary". www.achurchnearyou.com. Retrieved 14 June 2025.
- ^ "Norfolk Churches". www.norfolkchurches.co.uk. Retrieved 14 June 2025.
- ^ "Langham Hall and flint wall with iron railings and war memorial, Langham - 1049456 | Historic England". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 14 June 2025.
- ^ "Roll of Honour - Norfolk - Langham". roll-of-honour.com. Retrieved 14 June 2025.
- ^ "Geograph:: Lakenham to Lyng :: War Memorials in Norfolk". www.geograph.org.uk. Retrieved 14 June 2025.
External links
[edit]
Media related to Langham, Norfolk at Wikimedia Commons