Hockham
| Hockham | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Hockham Location within Norfolk | |
| Area | 5.15 sq mi (13.3 km2) |
| Population | 635 (2021 census) |
| • Density | 123/sq mi (47/km2) |
| OS grid reference | TL9534192573 |
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | THETFORD |
| Postcode district | IP24 |
| Dialling code | 01953 |
| Police | Norfolk |
| Fire | Norfolk |
| Ambulance | East of England |
| UK Parliament | |
Hockham is a civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The parish includes the villages of Great Hockham and Little Hockham.
Hockham lies 8 miles (13 km) north east of Thetford and 24 miles (39 km) south west from Norwich.
History
[edit]Hockham's name is of Anglo-Saxon origin and derives from the Old English for Hocca's homestead or village.[1]
In the Domesday Book, Hockham is listed as a settlement of 39 households in the hundred of Shropham. In 1086, the village was part of the East Anglian estates of Roger Bigod.[2]
Hockham Hall was built in 1702 by Philip Ryley and was built on the old site of a medieval tithe barn.[3]
There remains of the Royal Observer Corps Orlit post which has been vandalised since it was abandoned.[4]
Geography
[edit]According to the 2021 census, Hockham has a population of 635 people which shows an increase from the 603 people recorded in the 2011 census.[5]
The A1075, between Thetford and Dereham, passes through Great Hockham.
Holy Trinity Church
[edit]Great Hockham's church is located just off Wretham Road and dates from the Fourteenth Century, having been Grade I listed since 1958.[6] The church no longer holds Sunday services.[7]
The church was restored in the 1950s and was once lavishly decorated, but these decorations were removed during the Reformation. Holy Trinity also features stained-glass depicting the Adoration of the Magi by Charles Eamer Kempe and Christ the Good Shepherd by E.R. Suffling.[8]
Governance
[edit]Great Hockham is part of the electoral ward of All Saints & Wayland for local elections and is part of the district of Breckland.
The village's national constituency is Mid Norfolk which has been represented by the Conservative's George Freeman MP since 2010.
War Memorial
[edit]Great Hockham War Memorial is a tall marble cross located inside Holy Trinity Churchyard. The memorial lists the following names for the First World War:[9][10]
| Rank | Name | Unit | Date of Death | Burial/Commemoration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LCpl. | Frederick J. H. Gates | 1/4th Bn., Norfolk Regiment | 19 Apr. 1917 | Gaza War Cemetery |
| A2C | Thomas A. Edwards | 9 Park, Royal Air Force | 15 Feb. 1919 | Maubeuge Cemetery |
| Gnr. | Edward Burlingham | 168th Bde., Royal Field Artillery | 30 Oct. 1917 | Minty Farm Cemetery |
| Pte. | Edward W. Church | 8th Bn., Bedfordshire Regiment | 19 Apr. 1917 | Loos Memorial |
| Pte. | George W. Matthews | 6th Bn., The Buffs | 9 Aug. 1918 | Franvillers Cemetery |
| Pte. | Absolom Snowley | 1st Bn., Coldstream Guards | 14 Sep. 1914 | La Ferté Memorial |
| Pte. | Arthur Oldfield | 2nd Bn., Coldstream Gds. | 30 Sep. 1916 | Thiepval Memorial |
| Pte. | John C. Bell | 17th Bn., Royal Fusiliers | 30 Nov. 1917 | Cambrai Memorial |
| Pte. | Harry A. Bunnett | 2nd Bn., Grenadier Guards | 31 Oct. 1914 | Menin Gate |
| Pte. | Thomas R. Teasel | 15th (Civil Service) Bn., London Regt. | 20 Sep. 1917 | Perth Cemetery |
| Pte. | Reginald E. Kerridge | 1st Bn., Middlesex Regiment | 3 Nov. 1916 | Grove Town Cemetery |
| Pte. | Sydney A. Mason | 1/4th Bn., Norfolk Regiment | 19 Apr. 1917 | Jerusalem Memorial |
| Pte. | Leonard Matthews | 1/5th Bn., Norfolk Regt. | 21 Jul. 1915 | Holy Trinity Churchyard |
| Pte. | George H. Ellis | 7th Bn., Norfolk Regt. | 5 Oct. 1915 | Bethune Town Cemetery |
| Pte. | George E. Frost | 7th Bn., Norfolk Regt. | 30 Mar. 1918 | Condé Cemetery |
| Pte. | H. William Church | 1st Bn., Wiltshire Regiment | 25 Feb. 1919 | Terlincthun Cemetery |
| Pte. | Sidney H. Matthews | 10th Bn., Worcestershire Regiment | 22 Mar. 1918 | Arras Memorial |
The following names were added after the Second World War:
| Rank | Name | Unit | Date of Death | Burial/Commemoration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sgt. | Harry Parker | Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve | 4 Jun. 1943 | Holy Trinity Churchyard |
| ASn. | Kenneth A. Smith | HMS Pembroke | 15 Jun. 1947 | Holy Trinity Churchyard |
| ASn. | William A. J. Pike | HMS Victory | 29 Jun. 1940 | Holy Trinity Churchyard |
| LAC | George H. Grimwood | Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve | 5 Mar. 1945 | Holy Trinity Churchyard |
| Rfn. | Leonard A. Hawes | 2nd Bn., Royal Irish Rifles | 2 Dec. 1943 | Sangro River Cemetery |
References
[edit]- ^ "Key to English Place-names". kepn.nottingham.ac.uk. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
- ^ "Hockham | Domesday Book". opendomesday.org. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
- ^ "mnf21180 - Norfolk Heritage Explorer". www.heritage.norfolk.gov.uk. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
- ^ "mnf39523 - Norfolk Heritage Explorer". www.heritage.norfolk.gov.uk. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
- ^ "Hockham (Parish, United Kingdom) - Population Statistics, Charts, Map and Location". www.citypopulation.de. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
- ^ "CHURCH OF HOLY TRINITY, Hockham - 1077572 | Historic England". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
- ^ "Great Hockham: Holy Trinity". www.achurchnearyou.com. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
- ^ "Norfolk Churches". www.norfolkchurches.co.uk. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
- ^ "Roll of Honour - Norfolk - Great Hockham". roll-of-honour.com. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
- ^ "Geograph:: Garboldisham to Gunton :: War Memorials in Norfolk". www.geograph.org.uk. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
External links
[edit]
Media related to Hockham at Wikimedia Commons