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Lenwade

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Lenwade
St Faith's church
Population464 (2001)[1]
OS grid referenceTG1002718303
• London123 miles (198 km)
Civil parish
  • Great Witchingham
District
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townNorwich
Postcode districtNR9
Dialling code01603
PoliceNorfolk
FireNorfolk
AmbulanceEast of England
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Norfolk

Lenwade is a hamlet in the civil parish of Great Witchingham, Norfolk, situated in the Wensum Valley adjacent to the A1067 road 14 miles (23 km) south-east of Fakenham and some 11 miles (18 km) north-west of Norwich. The River Ainse (or Eyn) joins the Wensum at Lenwade. The population of the hamlet is included in the civil parish of Great Witchingham.

Etymology

The name may mean 'ford of the slowly moving river'. The first element has been the subject of much debate[by whom?] possibly meaning lane in the Scottish dialect sense of 'scarcely moving river'. The second element of the name is the Old English gewæd (ford).[2]

Industry and the local economy

Concrete products

Much of the surrounding land is given over to agriculture. However, due to its geographical location Lenwade became the centre of the sand and gravel extraction and the manufacturing of concrete products in the Wensum valley during the middle to late 20th century. The legacy of this activity can be seen in the many flooded gravel pits in the area. Today, these now mature lakes are popular with anglers, naturalists and bird watchers.

Industry today is concentrated to the south east of Lenwade between the A1067 road and the former railway line. Concrete products, metal recycling, joinery and double glazing items are produced in the area.

Local tourist attractions include a replica dinosaur theme park [3] and the Lenwade country house hotel features in its grounds the only licensed zoological garden in the UK.[4]

The Church of St Faith

Located on the busy A1067 Fakenham Road, the building started life as a Victorian mission church originally dedicated to All Saints. Despite its central location the church was little used and became redundant. Today, the church is fenced off and planned to become a residential development (July 2008).[5]

Amenities

The post office

Amenities in the hamlet include a primary school, post office, general stores, garage, tea-rooms and a range of family owned shops.

Located close to A1067 and the River Wensum is the late 18th century Bridge Inn public house.[6] The pub garden adjoins The Bridge Lakes (former gravel pits) and a section of the river where angling is possible.[7] Matthew Brettingham's c.1741 triple arched brick bridge is depicted on the pub's sign. The bridge was demolished in 1993 and replaced by today's steel bridge.[6][8]

Lenwade mill

The mill

There has been a watermill on the river at Lenwade for many centuries. The present building, dating from the late 19th century, has been converted to homes[9]

Railway history

The former Lenwade railway station

Lenwade railway station was built in 1882 with direct trains to Norwich and King's Lynn. Passenger traffic ceased in 1959, but due to Lenwade's important Anglian cement and concrete works the freight line was kept open to 1985. The former station today is a private residence and the track bed forms part of the Marriott's Way long distance footpath.[10]

Public transport

Bus

Services are provided by the following companies and connect to Norwich and Fakenham.

  • The Bridge Inn
    The Bridge Inn
  • Pub sign
    Pub sign
  • Tin tabernacle The Street
    Tin tabernacle The Street
  • Pike fishing
    Pike fishing
  • River Wensum at Lenwade
    River Wensum at Lenwade
  • The Bridge lake
    The Bridge lake
  • Marriott's Way concrete sculpture inscribed with the words Figure in a landscape 7¾ miles from Reepham with disused railway and gravel pits contemplating the history of industry and their back turned on the old concrete works which once produced beams for motorway bridges but now crushes cars
    Marriott's Way concrete sculpture inscribed with the words Figure in a landscape 7¾ miles from Reepham with disused railway and gravel pits contemplating the history of industry and their back turned on the old concrete works which once produced beams for motorway bridges but now crushes cars
  • The old war memorial, prior to its relocation to the new village hall.[11]
    The old war memorial, prior to its relocation to the new village hall.[11]

References

  1. ^ 2001 census Retrieved 3 November 2008
  2. ^ Rye. J. Popular Guide to Norfolk Place Names (1991) ISBN 0-948400-15-3
  3. ^ Dinosaur adventure park Retrieved 10 November 2008
  4. ^ Lenwade country house hotel Retrieved 10 November 2008
  5. ^ St Faith church Retrieved 3 November 2008
  6. ^ a b Pevsner.N. & Wilson. B. The Buildings of England Norfolk3: North-West and South p25 (1999) Penguin books ISBN 0-14-071060-4 Retrieved 11 November 2008
  7. ^ The Bridge Inn Retrieved 31 October 2008
  8. ^ Matthew Brettingham Retrieved 7 November 2008
  9. ^ Lenwade Mill
  10. ^ Railway history Retrieved 4 November 2008
  11. ^ War Memorial, Lenwade
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