User:Apotaaaym/Wymondham

Wymondham is a market town and civil parish in the South Norfolk district of Norfolk, England, 9.5 mi south-west of Norwich, off the A11 road from Norwich to London. The River Tiffey runs through the south of the town. The parish is one of the largest in Norfolk and includes rural areas to the north and south of the town itself, including the hamlets of Suton, Silfield, Spooner Row and Wattlefield. The parish had a population of 14,405 in 2011, of which 13,587 lived in the town itself.

The town developed during the Anglo-Saxon period. With the establishment of a priory in 1107 and a market in 1204 the town began to expand. Industry developed and Wymondham became known as a centre of woodturning and brush making. Major brush factories were located in the town until the late 20th century. The town expanded rapidly during this time as new housing was built to the north and east of the town centre. Dualling of the A11 and the development of rapid rail links to Norwich, Cambridge and beyond means that the town is now a commuter community. Major local employers include Norfolk Constabulary, which has its headquarters in the town, and Lotus Cars based in nearby Hethel.

The ancient centre of the town, though extensively damaged during the fire of 1615, contains many notable landmarks and listed buildings including Wymondham Abbey whose twin towers can be seen from miles around. Modern Wymondham continues to grow and the current local authority action plan sets out plans to build 2,200 new homes by 2026 whilst promoting a vision of creating "a forward-looking market town which embraces sustainable growth to enhance its unique identity and sense of community."



Topynomy
The origins of the name are uncertain but it is of Anglo-Saxon origin and probably consists of a personal name, such as Wigmund or Wimund, plus hām meaning village or settlement, or hamm meaning a river meadow.

Early history
The site on which Wymondham now stands shows evidence of occupation from the very earliest period of human settlement in Norfolk. Pot boilers and burnt flint have been found in fields surrounding the town. Many objects from the period have also been found including flint axe-heads and scrapers.

Evidence of the Bronze Age can be seen in a number of ring ditches, enclosures and linear crop marks. Bronze Age objects such as an arrowhead, fragment of rapiers and assorted metal tools. Pottery sherds are also in evidence.

Iron Age artefacts have been found in the parish. A systematic investigation carried out during the building of the A11 bypass in the early 1990s found what might be a settlement or an industrial site. There are postholes, quarries and evidence of iron smelting and bone working. Objects from the period include coins, jewellery and pottery.

Roman remains in the parish include an aisled structure and a copper alloy metal working site. A Roman road from Venta Icenorum to Watton and beyond is visible as cropmarks. Large quantities of coins and pottery sherds have been found as well as personal items such as brooches, cosmetic tools and a duck figurine.

Few Saxon buildings survive. However, excavations have found a sunken feature building from which Early and Middle Saxon pottery has been recorded. Remains of what may have been a Late Saxon church were discovered during excavations at Wymondham Abbey in 2002.

Norman conquest and the Middle Ages
By 1086, Wymondham was recorded as consisting of 376 households (estimated total population 1,880), placing it among the top 20% largest settlements recorded in Domesday. The land was divided between two feudal Lords: William the Conqueror and William de Warenne.

The Saxon church was demolished to make way for the new priory in 1107. This priory would go on to evolve over the centuries into today's Wymondham Abbey.

The earthwork of Moot Hill, probably a large, medieval ring work, is thought to have been built between 1088 and 1139. It is on Historic England's Heritage at Risk register.

The first market charter was issued by King John in 1204, although there was probably a market before that date. The charter was renewed by Henry VI in 1440 and a weekly market is still held every Friday.

Early modern period
Wymondham Abbey was dissolved in 1538. Elisha Ferrers, the last Abbot, became Vicar of Wymondham and the remaining church buildings remained in use as the parish church.

Robert Kett led a rebellion in 1549 of peasants and small farmers against the enclosure of common land. His force of almost unarmed men fought for and held the city of Norwich for six weeks until defeated by the King's forces. He was hanged at Norwich Castle. Kett's Oak, said to be the rallying point for the rebellion, can be seen on the B1172 road between Wymondham and Hethersett, part of the earlier main road to London. The Great Fire broke out on Sunday 11 June 1615. Important buildings lost included the Market Cross, the vicarage, the Town Hall and the schoolhouse. However, many buildings such as the Green Dragon inn survived. In the aftermath of the fire, 327 inhabitants made claims for goods and houses lost. Counting dependants, this is estimated to represent 55% of those living in the town at the time. The register of St Andrew's Church in Norwich records that John Flodder and others were executed for arson on 2 December 1615. Rebuilding the destroyed buildings was quick in some cases, slower in others. A new Market Cross was completed in 1617. However, by 1621 there were still some 15 properties yet to be rebuilt.

In 1695, the Attleborough Road was constructed as the second turnpike to be built in Britain, pre-dated only by the Great North Road.



Modern Wymondham
In 1785, a prison was built in accordance with the ideas of John Howard, a prison reformer. It was the first in England to have separate cells for the prisoners, and was widely copied in the United Kingdom and the United States. The building is now the Wymondham Heritage Museum.

The collapse of the woollen industry in the mid-19th century led to great poverty in Wymondham. In 1836 there were still 600 hand looms, but by 1845 only 60. The town became a backwater in Victorian times and did not experience the major development experienced in other towns and cities during the period.

The Norwich & Brandon Railway opened in 1845. In 1847 a branch opened running north to Dereham and Wells-next-the-Sea. Another branch opened in 1881, running south to meet the Great Eastern Main Line at Forncett.

The Murders at Stanfield Hall occurred on 28th November 1848.

In 1943, a military hospital at Morley was handed to the United States Army Air Forces. Over 3,000 patients were treated there after D-Day. The buildings were later converted for use by Wymondham College.

For much of the 20th century, two brush factories, employing up to 1,000 people, were central to town life. In the 1980s, the factories were closed and the land regenerated for residential use.

Governance
Wymondham is governed by a town council responsible for local matters including: markets, allotments, aspects of tourism and recreation. The council also has a role in the urban planning process. The council has 14 members and is elected every four years. The next election is scheduled for May 2023. The town is divided into four wards: North, East, Central and South. Spooner Row, although falling within the parish of Wymondham, elects its own community council.

Wymondham civil parish falls within the district of South Norfolk, returning six district councillors. In county council elections, the northern part of the parish, including the town centre, returns one county councillor to Norfolk County Council as the Wymondham electoral division. The southern part of the parish elects a county councillor as part of the Forehoe electoral division.

For much of the 20th century, Wymondham was part of the South Norfolk parliamentary constituency. After a boundary review, Wymondham was moved to the Mid Norfolk constituency and is now represented at Westminster by George Freeman.

Geography
At 52.57°N, 1.116°W (52.57°, 1.116°), and 91 mi north-northwest of London, Wymondham stands 134.5 ft above sea level, 9 mi southwest of Norwich, at the confluence of two small rivers. The parish is surrounded by largely rural parishes including: Hethersett, Hethel, Ashwellthorpe, Bunwell, Wicklewood, Crownthorpe and Wramplingham. The market town of Attleborough lies to the southwest. Wymondham experiences a temperate maritime climate, like much of the British Isles, with relatively cool summers and mild winters. There is regular but generally light precipitation throughout the year. Wymondham was struck by an F1/T2 tornado on 23 November 1981, as part of the record-breaking nationwide tornado outbreak on that day.

Wymondham's topography is characterised by its river meadow and low-lying, flat, agricultural landscape, similar to much of the rest of East Anglia. The parish has an area of 17.11 sqmi. The geology of Wymondham is based on chalk with a layer of boulder clay laid down during the last ice age. The River Tiffey, flowing northwards, forms a boundary between the built-up town centre and the rural area of the southern part of the parish.

The built environment of Wymondham's town centre is characterised by its early-modern town houses and a number of earlier buildings that survived the fire of 1615, including Wymondham Abbey. Much of the town centre is now part of a conservation area with numerous listed buildings. Beyond the centre of the town lie 20th and 21st century housing estate developments of primarily detached and semi-detached properties. There are trading and industrial estates along the route of the A11, which passes northeast through the south of the parish. The heavy rail Breckland line crosses the parish in the same direction. The rest of the parish is primarily arable farmland.

The parish is one of the largest in Norfolk and includes rural areas to the north and south of the town itself, including the hamlets of Suton, Silfield, Spooner Row and Wattlefield.

Demography
According to data from the United Kingdom Census 2001, Wymondham had a total resident population of 12,539 and a population density of 733 people per square mile (283 per km²). By 2011, the population had risen to 14,405 with a density of 840 people per square mile (325 per km²). Wymondham has an average age of 41.8.

In 2011, 94.5% of the Wymondham population were White British, 1.1% Asian, 0.5% White Irish and 0.3% Black.

Christianity is adhered to by 60.3% of the population whilst 29.9% of the population adhere to no religion. There are small populations of Muslims (0.5%), Buddhists (0.3%) and Hindus (0.2%).

The 2011 census shows that 72.6% of the population were economically active whilst 2.9% were unemployed. 16.8% of the population were retired. The people of the parish are well-educated: 27% of of the population have post-18 qualifications.

The following is a table outlining the population change of the town since 1801 which demonstrates slow growth and then decline in the 19th century followed by recovery and then rapid growth by the end of the 20th century.

Economy
Wymondham is a commuter town. Primary commuter destinations are Norwich, Cambridge and London. The 2011 census reports that the most common employment sectors are: wholesale and retail trade (15.4%), health and social work (13.6%) and education (11.3%).

A major employer in the town is Norfolk Constabulary. There is a retail area centred on the market square with branches of a number of national chains and numerous independent shop and businesses.

Traditionally, Wymondham was known as a centre of woodturning and brush making and a spigot and spoon feature on the town sign to commemorate this heritage. Major brush factories were located in the town, complete with railway sidings, saw mills, and engineering workshops. The factories closed in late 20th century and were subsequently redeveloped into residential housing.

War memorial
Wymondham war memorial is a 7.5 m tall stone obelisk rising from an octagonal three-stepped base. It is located at the junctions of Vicar Street, Town Green and Middleton Street. Unveiled on 24 July 1921, and updated after World War II, it commemorates 189 military and civilian deaths during the two World Wars. It is a Grade II listed building.

Wymondham Abbey
Wymondham Abbey, founded in 1107, is a Grade I listed building. Originally a Benedictine priory, it became an independent abbey in 1449. During this period the two tower design evolved. The east tower was built first to an octagonal design (1409) while the west tower was completed in 1498.

The abbey was dissolved in 1538 after which many of the abbey's buildings were demolished. Their remains, including the surviving arch of the chapter house, are scattered around the church. The open land to the south of the church, under which are further remains of the medieval abbey, is a scheduled monument. The east end of the church was demolished during the dissolution meaning the surviving 70 m long church building is about half the original length.

The remainder of the building survived the dissolution and continued in use as the local Church of England parish church. Some elements of the original Norman architecture are visible externally while internally a 15th century hammerbeam roof and a reredos by Ninian Comper are visible.

Cavick House
Cavick House, a Grade I listed building, was built in the early 18th century. It is a red-brick building with painted quoins and retains some original interior decoration. It fell into disrepair by 1999 but has since been restored. The nearby Cavick House Farmhouse, built in the early 18th century, is a Grade II listed building.

Beckett's Chapel
Beckett's Chapel is thought to have been founded in the late 12th century, by the son of William d'Aubigny, the founder of Wymondham Abbey. The current chapel structure dates largely to around 1400, when the chapel was rebuilt. In the post-Reformation period it was converted into a school and was also used for a period as a lock-up for un-convicted prisoners. A restoration was carried out in 1873 after which it was used as a public hall, a school and Wymondham's library. In 1999, a plaque was attached to the building to commemorate the four hundred and fiftieth anniversary of Kett's Rebellion. In 2008, it became Wymondham Arts Centre. Inside, the original elements of the chapel, including its arch-braced hammerbeam roof are still visible. It is a Grade I listed building. In 2018, it was placed on Historic England's Heritage at Risk register as the building suffers from damp and is slowly decaying.

The Market Cross
The Market Cross was built in 1617-18 after the destruction of the original in the fire of 1615. It is a timber-framed octagonal building with an upper floor raised above an open undercroft. The Market Cross served originally as the centre of administration of the town's weekly market. In the late 19th century it was converted into a subscription reading room. After a restoration in 1989, The Market Cross was opened as the town's Tourist Information Centre. It is a Grade I listed building.

Grade II* listed buildings
There are six Grade II* listed buildings in Wymondham: The Green Dragon pub, Kimberley Hall, Priory House, Stanfield Hall, The Chestnuts and 3 Market Street.

Other notable landmarks
The former jail, known as Wymondham Bridewell, was built in 1787 and now houses the Wymondham Heritage Museum. During its history, it was also a police station and a law court. It is a Grade II listed building.

Wymondham railway station, built in 1844, retains much of its original atmosphere including a timber signal box for semaphore signalling from 1877 that was in use until 2012. Almost derelict by 1988, the site was transformed by local businessman and railway enthusiast David Turner who restored the buildings and ran a Brief Encounter themed restaurant on Platform 1 before his retirement in 2011. The station was voted Best Small Station in the 2006 National Rail Awards. Both the station and the signal box are Grade II listed buildings.

Toll's Meadow is a local nature reserve and wildlife site with accessible footpaths alongside the River Tiffey. Species spotted include: kingfishers, herons, roe deer and water voles. The Lizard is a conservation area and wildlife site managed by a local charity as a "piece of informal, natural countryside for the general benefit and enjoyment of the people of Wymondham." The Tiffey Trails project offers a network of accessible walking paths, interpretation boards, wood-carvings, benches and waymarkers.

Transport




The Breckland line runs through the parish with railway stations at Wymondham and Spooner Row. A typical daytime service is one train per hour east to Norwich and one train per hour west to Cambridge. Two services per day run to Liverpool Lime Street. Direct services to Stansted Airport will begin in December 2019.

The Mid-Norfolk Railway operates a station at Wymondham Abbey and runs heritage services to Dereham along the line of a closed branch to Wells. The town once had a third station, Spinks Lane, but this closed shortly after opening in the 19th century.

Buses operated by First Norfolk and Suffolk run up to every thirty minutes to Hethersett, Norwich and Attleborough. Konectbus run buses to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, Norwich and Watton. National Express coach services are available to London.

The A11 road from Norwich to London used to run through the centre of the town. Improvements rerouted the trunk road along the road now known as Harts Farm Road and Norwich Road. Finally, a dual carriageway bypass was opened in 1996. Sections of the old A11 were reclassified as the B1172 and now provide a link between Wymondham and Hethersett. A cycle path alongside the B1172 connects Wymondham to Norwich. The B1135 passes the northern edge of the town and provides a link to Dereham.

Sport
Wymondham Town Football Club, founded in 1883, is based at Kings Head Meadow. The senior men's team play in the Anglian Combination Division One which they have topped five times, most recently in 2017/2018. The club last won the Norfolk Senior Cup in 1888/1889. Ian Gibson MP played for the club in the 1965/1966 season. The senior women's team play in the Eastern Region Women's Football League which they won in 2017/2018. In that same season they won the County Cup and went on to successfully defend it in 2018/2019.

Wymondham Town United Football Club, based at Kett's Park, is one of the largest youth football teams in Norfolk. It has over 600 players across 22 teams.

Wymondham Rugby Club was founded in 1972 and was based at the Foster Harrison Memorial Ground on Tuttles Lane. A new ground, Barnard Fields, was opened in 2018. The senior men's team plan in the London 3 Eastern Counties league. They won the Norfolk Plate in 2015/2016. The senior women's team, Wymondham Wasps, play in the Championship 2 Midlands League.

Wymondham Dell Bowls Club was a founder member of the Norfolk Bowls Association in 1936. The club has won the Bales Cup and the County League more than any other club in Norfolk, twelve times and fifteen times respectively. The 2002 Commonwealth Games gold medallist, John Ottaway, is a member of the club.

Education
Wymondham Grammar School was founded in 1567 by Norwich-born Archbishop of Canterbury, Matthew Parker. It was originally housed in Beckett's Chapel before moving to Priory House. It closed in 1903. Silfield School was opened in 1876 and closed in 1993. It is now a private dwelling.

Wymondham High Academy is located near the centre of the town. Wymondham College, one of 36 state boarding schools in England and the largest of its type in the country, is located just outside the parish in Morley.

There are four state primary schools in the parish: Ashleigh Primary School and Nursery, Browick Road Primary and Nursery School,  Robert Kett Primary School  and Spooner Row Primary School.

Public services
Home Office policing in Wymondham is provided by Norfolk Constabulary. The force has their headquarters in the town. Statutory emergency fire and rescue service is provided by the Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service which has a station in the town on London Road.

The nearest NHS hospital is the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital in Norwich administrated by the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. In the town itself are Wymondham Health Centre and Wymondham Medical Centre providing a range of general practice care. Ambulance services are provided by the East of England Ambulance Service.

Waste management is co-ordinated by South Norfolk Council. Locally produced inert waste for disposal is processed into fuel for use in combined heat and power facilities in Europe. Wymondham's Distribution Network Operator for electricity is UK Power Networks; there are no power stations in the town. Drinking and waste water is managed by Anglian Water. There is a water treatment plant to the northwest of the town.

Culture
Wymondham Heritage Museum, housed in the former prison, has permanent displays on Robert Kett, brush-making and on the museum building itself. A series of special displays are renewed every season. Wymondham Arts Centre, located in Beckett's Chapel, runs a summer programme of free exhibitions by local and regional artists. Regular arts and theatre events also take place in Wymondham Central Hall.

There are a number of pubs in the town including The Green Dragon, one of the oldest pubs in England, which has been in business since c1371. The Cross Keys Inn on the Market Place is housed in an early 17th century Grade II listed building.

The Wymondham Music Festival began in 1996 and runs a series of mostly free musical events at venues throughout the town during the summer months. The festival runs the Midsummer Jazz Picnic which draws huge crowds to Becketswell every June. Occasional events include a carnival and a winter Dickensian Evening, run by the local Lions Club.

Wymondham currently doesn't have a twin town. Links were developed in the 1990s with Votice during which time local dignitaries from the Czech Republic visited Wymondham. A plaque on the town hall commemorates the links between the two towns..

Community facilities
There are numerous parks and playgrounds, including Toll's Meadow and Kett's Park. An artificial 3G pitch, part funded by South Norfolk Council and the Premier League was opened in 2019 by Norwich City player Grant Holt. The local library moved from Beckett's Chapel to a purpose-built premises in 2008. The library plays host to a number of events to encourage learning and reading such as weekly Bounce and Rhyme sessions.

Religious sites
There are two Church of England churches in the parish. Wymondham Abbey was originally dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Following the murder of Saint Thomas Becket in 1170, Becket's name was added to the dedication. A chapel-of-ease, Holy Trinity Church, is located in Spooner Row.

A 17th century Quaker meeting house was located on Chapel Lane at the edge of the town. The building survives and is now a private residence. The Fairland United Reformed Church was founded in 1652. The current facade dates from 1877. There are regular Sunday services.

A Primitive Methodist Chapel was built on Silfield Street in 1867. It is now a private residence. A Wesleyan Methodist Chapel was built on Damgate Street in 1879. The building is now used by the Freemasons. Wymondham Methodist Church was built in 1870. Wymondham Baptist Church has been at its current site on Queen Street since 1910. There are regular Sunday services and a daily community café.

The Roman Catholic Church of Our Lady & Saint Thomas of Canterbury was built in 1952. It contains a memorial to the World War II prisoners and internees of the Japanese who did not survive their imprisonment. An annual memorial service is held every May. A digital and print archive of sixty one thousand names of those who died is maintained by the church.

There are two churches of the Evangelical Alliance in the town: Hope Community Church on Ayton Road and Alive Church which meets at Central Hall. There is a Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses on Harts Farm Road.

Notable people
People from Wymondham are occasionally known as Wymondhamers.

Robert Kett (c. 1492–1549), leader of Kett's Rebellion, was a yeoman farmer from Wymondham. His and his brother William Kett have roads named after themselves in north Wymondham. Robert Kett's nephew, Francis Kett (c. 1547–1589), also from Wymondham, was burned in the ditch of Norwich Castle for his denial of Christ's divinity.

Harry Daniels (1884–1953), soldier and Victoria Cross recipient, was born in the town. He received his medal for valiant action during the World War I Battle of Neuve Chapelle. A road in Silfield is named after him.

John Wodehouse, 1st Earl of Kimberley (1826–1902), Whig and Liberal politician, after whom Kimberley, South Africa was named, was born in Wymondham. A number of MP s were connected to Wymondham: John Payn MP (died 1402), John Wildman MP (c. 1621–1693), Edwin Gooch MP (1889–1964) and Bert Hazell MP (1907–2009). Ethel Gooch (1887–1953), wife of Edwin Gooch, was the first woman councillor in the town and the first woman to chair the Wymondham Urban District Council. Roads in the town are named after both her and her husband.

W. G. Sebald (1944–2001), German-born writer and academic, lived in the town. George Szirtes (born 1948), Hungarian-born poet and translator, lives in the town.

Notable sporting personalities from the town include the cricketer Philip Fryer (1870–1950) and the bowls player and 2002 Commonwealth Games gold medallist John Ottaway (born 1955). Other sporting Wymondhamers are James Hubbard (born 1992), the PDC darts player and 2012 World Youth champion, and Aimee Palmer (born 2000), professional footballer in the FA Women's Championship.

Cultural references
The Murders at Stanfield Hall were depicted in the 1948 film Blanche Fury.

The now-closed Brief Encounter themed restaurant at Wymondham railway station featured in Mark Greenstreet's 1996 comedy film Caught in the Act, starring Sara Crowe, Annette Badland and Nadia Sawalha.

The eighth in C. J. Sansom's Shardlake series of novels, Tombland (2018), sees the series' protagonist become embroiled in Kett's Rebellion.