Visit Colkirk Places

Welcome to Visit Colkirk Places
The Walkfo guide to things to do & explore in Colkirk

  

Colkirk Places Overview: History, Culture & Facts about Colkirk

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Colkirk history

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The name Colkirk is an Anglo-Saxon or Danish word, meaning “the church of Cola”, from “kirk” meaning church and “Cola” being the name of the builder or first owner of a church perhaps over a thousand years ago. The present church may possibly be on the same site as the original building and is of medieval origin. At the time of the Domesday Book, the whole estate of the manor of Colkirk belonged to the bishop. At that time the cathedral was at North Elmham and the Domesday Book records how much land the bishop held in Colkirk, how many sheep and pigs he kept and how many people worked on his estate. Details of the original moated manor house and buildings, which included a dovecote and private chapel and was situated near Long’s Lane off Dereham Road, were described in a document of 1296. Soon after the cathedral was established in Norwich in 1101, the Bishop gave Colkirk to one of the knights of his private army. This knight named himself after the village “Richard of Colkirk” and he and his successors lived at the manor house until 600 years ago, after which the house within the moat was allowed to fall into decay. About 400 years ago in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, the village began to look more like the Colkirk of today. Brick and flint started to replace timber framed wattle and clay as building materials. Some of the earliest brick and flint houses remain today, “Starre” and “Gable End” being among the oldest houses in the village and Colkirk Hall was built towards the end of the reign of Queen Elizabeth I around 1595. The Timperley family were one of the first recorded occupants of the Hall. The Timperley family, after whom the Timperley Estate was named, fell on hard times and lost most of their land as a penalty for helping to defend King’s Lynn against Oliver Cromwell’s troops in 1643. Colkirk Hall was subsequently bought by Marquis Townshend, since when it has been occupied as a farm house. Other changes were taking place in Colkirk at this time. One by one the small farmers who comprised the village population were becoming poor and sold their land to richer men. In this way there came to be just a few big farms in the village as there are today. With the formation of the big farms came the division of the old, big village fields into the smaller fields, bounded by hedges, which still exist today. All the land in the Parish was finally brought into use when the commons were enclosed and the big woods cut down about 150 years ago. The period 1820 to 1845 saw a population increase in the village and a number of houses were built or rebuilt about this time. These houses can be recognised as they were generally of red brick, rather than flint. The “Crown” was rebuilt by the Parish in 1827 and Colkirk House was built in 1837. Since then, most of the houses on the right hand side of School Road were built as model cottages, by Canon Hoare, when he was Rector of Colkirk. The School was rebuilt in 1851 and the Infants’ Room added in 1894. A Chapel was established in the village in the 1830s; however, the building erected in 1875 has now been demolished. There was a Co-op in the village founded 120 years ago, having occupied three different sites in its time and finally situated in Dereham Road was closed in the 1960s. Other facilities, which were once part of village life and have passed into history, include a Pork Butcher’s Shop, a General Store and a Carpenter and Undertaker, all on Hall Lane, together with a Blacksmith and a Baker’s Shop on Dereham Road. The last to be closed being the Village Shop and Post Office which was on the junction of Dereham Road and Crown Road. The Village Hall was built some 140 years ago by one of the Rectors of Colkirk and is now owned by the Parish. Census population figures for the village show little change during the latter part of the 19th century and at around 450 are about 100 fewer than the present day. In the 1883 Kelly’s Directory described the village thus: COLKIRK is a parish about two miles south from Fakenham, in the Western division of the county, Launditch hundred, union of Mitford and Launditch, county court district of East Dereham, rural deanery of Toftrees and archdeaconry and diocese of Norwich: the village is situated on a height, commanding a fine prospect. The church of St. Mary the Virgin is a small plain Gothic building of flint consisting of chancel, nave and north aisle, and tower with 5 bells, and contains memorials to the Timperley and other families: there are several stained windows. The register dates from the year 1538. The living is a rectory, consolidated with Oxwick, joint yearly value £800, with residence, in the gift of and held since 1868 by the Rev. Walter Marsham Hoare M.A. of Exeter College, Oxford. The charities amount to £30 yearly, principally for fuel. The Marquis Townshend is lord of the manor and principal landowner. The soil is mixed; subsoil, clay. The chief crops are wheat, turnips and barley. The area is 1,482 acres (6 km); rateable value, £2,508; and the population in 1881 was 431.The following people are listed as tradespersons in the village: PARISH CLERK – Mr William Smith POST OFFICE – Mr William Thompson NATIONAL SCHOOL – Miss H. Harrold, mistress ST. MARYS CHURCH – Reverend Walter Marsham Hoare M.A. COLKIRK HOUSE – Mr Stephen Ratcliffe PopeCOMMERCIAL Mr Jones Abraham – shoe maker; Mrs Mary Chambers – Farmer, The Hall; Mr William Farrow – Shopkeeper; Mr Thomas Richard Goggs – Farmer; Mr George Harper – Basket Maker; Mrs Ann Howard – Grocer; Mr. John Howe – Publican, The Crown; Mr. James Nelson – Carpenter; Miss Elizabeth Raven and Miss Mary Ann Raven – Farmers; Mr John Rutland – Jobbing Gardener; Mr Charles Smith – Farmer; Mr Charles Spinks – Baker; Mr William Thompson – Carpenter & Post Office; Mr Matthew Wright – Beer Retailer & Blacksmith;

You can visit Colkirk places with Walkfo Colkirk to hear history at Colkirk’s places whilst walking around using the free digital tour app. Walkfo Colkirk has 18 places to visit in our interactive Colkirk map, with amazing history, culture & travel facts you can explore the same way you would at a museum or art gallery with information audio headset. With Walkfo, you can travel by foot, bike or bus throughout Colkirk, being in the moment, without digital distraction or limits to a specific walking route. Our historic audio walks, National Trust interactive audio experiences, digital tour guides for English Heritage locations are available at Colkirk places, with a AI tour guide to help you get the best from a visit to Colkirk & the surrounding areas.

“Curated content for millions of locations across the UK, with 18 audio facts unique to Colkirk places in an interactive Colkirk map you can explore.”

Walkfo: Visit Colkirk Places Map
18 tourist, history, culture & geography spots

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Colkirk historic spots	Colkirk tourist destinations	Colkirk plaques	Colkirk geographic features
Walkfo Colkirk tourism map key: places to see & visit like National Trust sites, Blue Plaques, English Heritage locations & top tourist destinations in Colkirk

  

Best Colkirk places to visit

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Colkirk has places to explore by foot, bike or bus. Below are a selection of the varied Colkirk’s destinations you can visit with additional content available at the Walkfo Colkirk’s information audio spots:

Fakenham Racecourse Fakenham Racecourse is a thoroughbred horse racing venue. Charles, Prince of Wales is patron of the racecourse. The venue is located south of the town in Norfolk, England.

River Wensum SSSI River Wensum SSSI is a ‘whole river’ Site of Special Scientific Interest. It covers 44 miles (71 km) from its source close to South Raynham downstream to Hellesdon Mill an area of 971.9 acres (393.3 ha)

Raynham Hall Raynham Hall is a country house in Norfolk, England. For nearly 400 years it has been the seat of the Townshend family. The hall gave its name to the five estate villages known as The Raynams. It is reported to be haunted, providing the scene for the famous Brown Lady.

Brown Lady of Raynham Hall The Brown Lady reportedly haunts Raynham Hall in Norfolk, England. The “Brown Lady” is so named because of the brown brocade dress it is claimed she wears.

Visit Colkirk plaques