Gazetteer page 4

Cromer Church is a fine Perpendicular building of flint and freestone, with a clerestoried nave of five bays, and an embattled tower 159 feet high. Originally it was greatly ornamented with sculptured work, and its Galilee porch is adorned with some good figures of saints and angels. Some part of the old rood turret remains. There is fine tracery in the windows, and the inlaid work along the plinth, and the panelling and niches in the buttresses are particularly interesting. The font is a copy of a very fine one in Yaxham Church. The chancel, for a long time in ruins, was restored in 1887-9 at a cost nearly £7000, under the direction of Sir Arthur W. Blomfield.

The Royal Cromer Golf Club's links are on the Lighthouse Hills about half a mile eastward of the town. Here a challenge cup presented by the Prince of Wales, who is patron of the club, is annually competed for. The present lighthouse, which replaces one that, after standing a long time dismantled, fell over the cliff in 1867, is only 52 feet high, but is about 252 feet above the level of the sea.

The district for miles around the town provides delightful rambles for field botanists, and is remarkable for its fine old mansions, grand churches, prehistoric remains, and other objects and places of antiquarian interest, most of which are dealt with in the chapter '' By the Wild North Sea." There are two railway stations, one a G. E. R. terminus at which passengers from London arrive by way of Norwich; the other, known as the Beach Station, is that of the Midland and Great Northern Companies.

The chief places of interest around Cromer are: -

Beeston Priory, distant about 3 miles.

Gunton Park, nearest station Gunton.

Aylmerton " Shrieking Pits", distant about 3 miles.

Overstrand, distant about 2 miles.

Sidestrand, dis tant about 3 miles.

Mundesley, nearest station Mundesley.

Trimingham, distant 5 miles.

Blickling Hall, distant 2 miles from Aylsham station.

Felbrigg, distant about 3 miles.

Heydon Hall, nearest station Bluestone.

Gresham House ruins, distant about 5 miles.

Wroxham Broad, nearest station Wroxham.

Sheringham, distant a few minutes' railway journey from the Beach station. During the summer months omnibuses run each week day between Cromer (G. E. R.) station and East and West Runton and Sheringham in connection at Cromer with the principal express trains from and to London.

The principal hotels are the Albion, Church Street; Bath, Esplanade; Grand, West Cliff; Hotel de Paris, Jetty Street; Imperial, Norwich Road; King's Head, High Street; Marlborough (private), Prince of Wales Road; Metropole, Tucker's Street; Royal Links, East Cliff; Red Lion, Brooks Street; Ship, Church Square, Suffield Park; Tucker's, Tucker's Street; Tucker's Esplanade, Esplanade; Wellington, Gordon Street; West Cliff (private); and White Horse, West Street.

Boarding-Houses: Beach House, East Cliff; Belmont, Prince of Wales Road; Cannon House, West Cliff; Cliftonville, Cliff; Granville, Church Street; Lindhurst, Alfred Road; Sandringham, Church Square; Surrey House, East Cliff; Victoria, East Cliff; and Westward Ho!, Prince of Wales Road.

CROSTWICK. - A village 3½ m. S.W. from Salhouse station. Its church contains an old fresco of St Christopher, and remains of the rood loft staircase.

Crostwight. - A parish 2 m. N. from Honing station. Its church contains a carved oak screen, a fine Norman font, and a brass dated 1447.

Crownthorpe. - A village 1 m. E. from Kimberley station. The church pulpit has some good carved oak panels.

Croxton. - A village 2 in. N. from Thetford.

Denton. - A scattered village m. N.E. from Homersfield station. The church has a stone groined roof and contains some brasses.

Denver. - A village, with a station, on the Ouse, 1 m. S. from Downham Market. In the church is a black marble slab to the memory of Dr Robert Brady, a native of this parish, who was physician to Charles II. and James II., and for forty years master of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge.

Deopham. - A parish 3 m. S. from Kimberley station. The church is a Decorated building with a fine Perpendicular tower.

DEREHAM, EAST. - A market town 16 m. W. by N. from Norwich. This town was the birthplace of George Henry Borrow, the author of " Lavengro," "The Romany Rye," "The Bible in Spain," and other works whose popularity seems to increase year by year. Borrow was very fond of his native town, and refers to it with pride in the pages of his partly autobiographical " Lavengro." The church of St Nicholas, an ancient building in mixed styles, is famous for containing the tomb of the poet Cowper, who died in Dereham in 1800. It is also remarkable for its fine Perpendicular font, dating from 1468, and contains an ancient muniment chest taken from the ruins of Buckenham Castle; also two small fifteenth century brasses. The detached bell-tower was formerly used as a prison for French prisoners-of- war.

The house in which Cowper and his old friend Mrs Unwin died stood in the market-place, where its site is marked by a Congregational Chapel, called the "Cowper Memorial Church." A monument in front of the chapel bears the following inscription, written by Dean Stanley: -

WILLIAM COWPER

spent the last years of his life

under the care of faithful friends.

he lies buried in the parish church

having given up his soul to god

April 25th, 1800.

"I was a stricken deer that left the herd

Long since. With many an arrow deep infix'd

My panting side was charged when I withdrew

To seek a tranquil death in distant shades.

There was I found by One who had himself

Been hurt by the archers. In his side he bore,

And in his hands and feet, the cruel scars."

Formerly there was a large church and nunnery here, founded in the seventh century by Withburga, daughter of Anna, King of the East Angles. When Withburga died her body was buried in the churchyard, but afterwards removed into the church, where it remained until the reign of King Edgar, when it was conveyed to the monastery at Ely. When it was taken up from the churchyard, a spring of pure water is said to have bubbled up from the ground. This spring may still be seen in the churchyard, surrounded by railings and sheltered by an arch which bears an inscription. In earlier times it is supposed to have been used for baptismal purposes. The chief hotels are the King's Arms and King's Head.

Dereham, West. - A village, with a station called "Abbey," 4 m. S. E. from Downham Market. The church has a massive round tower and contains some ancient stained glass believed to have been removed from a Premonstratensian abbey founded here in 1188 by Hubert Walter, afterwards Archbishop of Canterbury. Here are monuments to the Dereham family, one of elaborate workmanship in coloured marbles, erected at the beginning of the eighteenth century; also a life-size marble statue of Colonel Soame, who died in 1706. Francis Dereham, the lover of Katherine Howard, and who was executed in 1542, was a member of an old family which took its name from this place. In the middle of the sixteenth century, the Abbey Farm was held by Thomas Tusser, author of the "Five Hundred Points of Good Husbandry."

Dersingham. - A village, with a station, adjoining Sandringham. The church is a large and ancient building in the Perpendicular style, with an embattled western tower which has four carved angels for pinnacles. The chancel, which has windows of the Decorated period, is divided from the nave by a carved oak screen. In the south aisles is an altar-tomb with a brass dated 1607; and there is a curious "leper window" on the south side of the chancel, and an old font with a carved oak cover. H. R. H. the Prince of Wales is one of the landowners of this parish.

Dickleburgh with Longmere. - A large village 2 m. E. from Burston station. In the church is an elaborate tablet to Dame Frances Playters, who died in 1658; also the remains of a fine screen.

Didlington. - A parish 5 m. E. from Stoke Ferry station. The Hall, the seat of the Amherst family, stands in a park of about 1500 acres, and contains several good pictures and a valuable library including many rare books and manuscripts. In the park is a lake of about 50 acres.

Dilham. - A large village on the Ant, 2 3/4 m. E. from Worstead station.

Diss, - A market town, with a station, 19 m. S.W. from Norwich. The church, a large building in the Perpendicular style, has a modern reredos of Caen stone, inlaid with coloured marbles and adorned with bosses of spar and gold, and the emblems of the Evangelists. South of the town is Diss Mere, a pond of about 5 acres connected with the Waveney. Westbrook Green, Walcot Green, and Diss Heywood are adjoining hamlets. The principal hotels are the Crown and King's Head.

DitchINGHAM. - A scattered village, with a station, adjoining Bungay (Suffolk). Ditchingham House, pleasantly situated on a wooded bank sloping down to the Waveney, is the residence of Mr H. Rider Haggard, the novelist.

Docking. - A parish and union town, with a station, 6 m. S.W. from Burnham Market. The principal hotels are the Hare and Plough. Summerfield is a parish connected with Docking.

Downham or Down ham Market. - A market town, with a station, 11 m. S. from Lynn, and on the east side of the Ouse. Its church, originally Norman, was re-built in the Early English style, and has recently been restored. The principal hotels are the Crown and Castle.

Drayton. - A village, with a station, in the vale of the Wensum, 4½ m. N.W. from Norwich. A field here is called Blood's Dale from a tradition that it was the scene of an Anglo-Saxon battle. An ancient wayside cross in the village bears a French inscription asking travellers to pray for the souls of William de Bellemont and Joan his wife. Drayton Lodge is a portion of an ancient castellated building formerly held by Sir John Fastolff of Caister Castle, and by the Pastons. An attack was made upon it in 1465 by the Duke of Suffolk, who gained possession and held it for some time.

Dunham, Great. - An old village 1 m. N.E. from Dunham station. Some portions of the church are said to be of Saxon date, and some bricks, apparently Roman, were used in its construction. A Roman altar and some remains of a vanished church were discovered in the rectory garden.

Dunham, Little. - A village, with a station, 4 m. N.E. from Swaffham.

Dunston. - A parish 1½ the Tas, m. N.E. from Swainsthorpe station. The church contains a brass with effigies, dated 1649.

Dunton-cum-Doughton. - A small village on the Wensum, 3 m. W. from Fakenham.

Earlham. - A parish forming part of Norwich.

Earsham. - A scattered village on the Waveney, with a station, 1 m. W. from Bungay (Suffolk). The church, which contains a good Perpendicular font, stands on an ancient encampment.

Easton. - A village 4 m. S.W. from Drayton station.

Eaton. - A parish forming part of Norwich.

Eccles. - A parish on the Thet, ½ m. S. from Eccles Road station.

Eccles-by-the-Sea. - A decayed coast parish 3 m. N.E. from Stalham station. The church was destroyed by the sea at the beginning of the seventeenth century. Some remains of its tower are still to be seen on the beach.

Edgefield. - A parish 3 m. N.E. from Melton Constable station.

Edingthorpe. - A coast parish 3½ N.E. from North Walsham station. The church contains a good Decorated screen.

Egmere. - A small parish 3 m. W. from Walsingham station. The church, now an ivy-clad ruin, was used as a barn by Sir Nicholas Bacon of Stiffkey, Lord Privy Seal to Queen Elizabeth.

EllinghAM. - A village, with a station, on the Waveney, 2½ m. N.E. from Bungay (Suffolk). The church, which dates from the twelfth century, contains a painting representing " The angel liberating Peter," and on the north wall of the nave a figure of the head of a bishop.

Ellingham, Great. - A village 3 m. N.W. from Attleborough station.

Ellingham, Little. - A village 5 m. N.W. from Attleborough station.

Elmham (or North Elmham). - A village, with a station, 5 m. N. from East Dereham. This is a very ancient place, and was the see of a bishopric from 673 to 870, when East Anglia was subjected to a great Danish invasion. It was occupied again from 956 to about 1075, when Herfast, the first Norman bishop, who came over with the Conqueror, removed it to Thetford. The mound on which the bishop's palace stood, and the fosse which surrounded it, are still to be seen, together with a few fragments of old walls. The church is a fine Perpendicular building, with side chapels which are separated from the chancel by carved oak screens. Elmham Hall was built in 1727. Its park contains a herd of fallow deer.

Elsing. - A straggling village on the south side of the Wensum, m. E.N.E. from Dereham. The church was built by Sir Hugh Hastings, who died in 1347, and whose brass, somewhat mutilated, is still preserved. The font is a very good one, and its canopy, which must originally have been a very fine one^is said to be the oldest in England. Elsing Hall, now a farmhouse, is an old moated mansion of the sixteenth century. Its entrance hall, porch, and chapel, are the most ancient portions.

Emneth. - A straggling village 1 m. S. from Emneth Road station. Itsxhurch, one of the finest in Marshland, contains a good carved oak rood screen, some interesting monuments, and an altar tomb with two recumbent figures.