Fransham is located 6 miles (9.7km) east from Swaffham and 6+1⁄2 miles (10.5km) west from Dereham, along the A47.
History
Fransham's name is of Anglo-Saxon origin and derives from the Old English for Fram's homestead or village.[1]
Old Hall in Little Fransham was built in the Sixteenth Century and possibly once played host to Queen Elizabeth I.[2] Hyde Hall in Great Fransham was built in the Eighteenth Century and has staircases that have been designated of national importance.[3]
Geography
According to the 2021 census, Fransham has a population of 443 people which shows an increase from the 433 people recorded in the 2011 census.[4]
Great Fransham's church dates from the Thirteenth Century, is located on Station Road and has been Grade II listed since 1960.[5] All Saints' remains open for Sunday services once a month.[6]
The interior of All Saints' is mostly simple in design except for a Fifteenth Century font and some well preserved brass memorials of Sir Geoffrey de Fransham (1415) and Cecily Legge (1500).[7]
St. Mary's Church
Little Fransham's church is dedicated to Saint Mary and dates from the Fourteenth Century. St. Mary's is located on Station Road and has been Grade I listed since 1951.[8] St. Mary's remains open for Sunday services once a month.[9]
The church suffered from a tower collapse in 1700 and still holds a set of royal arms from the reign of King George III.[10]
Amenities
The Canary and Linnet public house
The local pub in Little Fransham, the Canary and Linnet is just off the A47. Its name derives from the fact that the village is halfway between Norwich and King's Lynn ('Canaries' and 'Linnets' being the respective nicknames of Norwich City and King's Lynn Town football clubs).[11] Great Fransham had a public house called Chequers which is now a private dwelling.[12]
There is a commercially working forge with public demonstrations available.[citation needed]
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