Blakeney, Norfolk
Coordinates: 52°57′04″N 1°01′23″E / 52.951°N 1.023°E
| Blakeney | |
 The Village sign, Blakeney |
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 Blakeney
Blakeney shown within Norfolk |
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| Area | 9.90 km2 (3.82 sq mi) |
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| Population | 789 (parish, 2001 census) |
| - Density | 80 /km2 (210 /sq mi) |
| OS grid reference | TG020430 |
| - London | 129 miles (208 km) |
| Civil parish | Blakeney CP |
| District | North Norfolk |
| Shire county | Norfolk |
| Region | East |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | HOLT |
| Postcode district | NR25 |
| Dialling code | 01263 |
| Police | Norfolk |
| Fire | Norfolk |
| Ambulance | East of England |
| EU Parliament | East of England |
| UK Parliament | North Norfolk |
| List of places: UK • England • Norfolk | |
Blakeney is a coastal village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk.[1] Blakeney lies within the Norfolk Coast AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) and the North Norfolk Heritage Coast. The North Norfolk Coastal Path passes through the village.[2] The village is 21.1 miles (34.0 km) north west of Norwich, 5 miles (8.0 km) north north west of the nearest town of Holt, 13.1 miles (21.1 km) west of Cromer and 129 miles (208 km) north north east of London. The village is situated on the northern side of the A149 coast road from King’s Lynn to Cromer.[3]The nearest railway station is at Sheringham for the Bittern Line to Norwich. The nearest airport is Norwich International Airport.
The civil parish has an area of 9.9 km² and in the 2001 census had a population of 789 in 402 households. For the purposes of local government, the parish falls within the district of North Norfolk.[4]
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[edit] Description
Blakeney was a commercial seaport until the early 20th century. Now the harbour is silted up, and only small boats can make their way out past Blakeney Point to the sea. The harbour and surrounding marshes are owned by the National Trust and is a nature reserve where seals can be seen basking on the sand.
Just inland from the harbour is Mariners Hill. This vantage point is believed to be man-made, probably as a lookout point for the harbour. Adjacent to the hill, at the foot of the village's High Street, is the old Guildhall with a 14th-century undercroft.
Higher up the village, the Church of St Nicholas has two towers: the main tower is over 100 ft (30 m) high and a well-known landmark for miles around, and the smaller tower was built as a beacon to guide boats into Blakeney harbour.
[edit] History
In the Domesday Book of 1085,[5] Blakeney is recorded under the name Esnuterle (Snitterley); the main landholders are noted as Walter Gifford and William de Noyers. The settlement is first formally mentioned as Blakeney in a document which dates from 1340.[5] Around the same period King Edward III’s wife, Queen Philippa is said to have dined on fish caught by Blakeney’s fishermen.[5] From the 12th century Blakeney had a reputation for acts of piracy: between 1328 and 1350 it is recorded that men of Blakeney boarded two vessels from Flanders and sailed them back to Blakeney haven, where they were stripped of their cargoes. Many a foreign merchant ship which sought shelter in the haven found its cargo stolen. Such was the lawlessness[5] of the residents that the village refused to supply a ship for the battle against the Spanish Armada.
[edit] Railway
In the 19th century a rail branch line from Holt to a new station at Blakeney was planned, but the scheme was never completed. It would have connected the town to the wider Norfolk rail network.[citation needed]
[edit] Tourism
Blakeney is a popular tourist resort during the summer months. The village has two large hotels, The Manor, and The Blakeney Hotel as well as a 15-acre (61,000 m2) caravan site. Blakeney offers a large range of activities including crabbing, fishing, canoeing and birdwatching. In the area of marshland around Blakeney Point, owned by the National Trust, up to a hundred species of birds can be found throughout the year. Several pubs in the area serve food and real ale.
[edit] See also
[edit] Gallery
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[edit] References
- ^ OS Explorer Map 24” – Norfolk Coast Central. ISBN 0-319-21726-4
- ^ Ordnance Survey (2002). OS Explorer Map 251 - Norfolk Coast Central. ISBN 0-319-21887-2.
- ^ County A to Z Atlas, Street & Road maps Norfolk, ISBN 978-1-84348-614-5
- ^ Office for National Statistics & Norfolk County Council (2001). Census population and household counts for unparished urban areas and all parishes. Retrieved December 2, 2005.
- ^ a b c d The Domesday Book, Englands Heritage, Then and Now, Editor: Thomas Hinde,Norfolk page 182/183, Blakeney, ISBN 1858334403
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Blakeney, Norfolk |
- Map sources for Blakeney, Norfolk
- Tide tables for Blakeney.
- Information from Genuki Norfolk on Blakeney.
