Hellesdon has signs of very early settlement. A variety of flint instruments have been unearthed in and around the suburb, thought to date back at least 4,000 years. A collection of bronze axe heads were found near Hellesdon Hall and a skeleton dating from around 600 AD was discovered next to Hellesdon Lodge, in Low Road.[2][3]
Hellesdon's name is of Anglo-Saxon origin and derives from the Old English for the hill of Haegal.[4] Hellesdon is recorded in tradition as the location where King Edmund was killed by Viking invaders in 869, although there is no consensus on the location of this event.[5]
In the Domesday Book, Hellesdon is listed as a settlement of 29 households hundred of Taverham. In 1086, the village was part of the East Anglian estates of Godwin Healfdene.[6]
A medieval stone cross stands in St. Mary's Churchyard to mark the boundary of the City of Norwich, the cross was restored in 1902.[7]
Hellesdon was one of several manors owned in the fifteenth century by Sir John Fastolf, the original of Shakespeare's Falstaff, and as with other of his properties; his death in 1459 led to something close to a private war between the Paston family and John de la Pole, 2nd Duke of Suffolk for its possession.
During the Second World War, anti-tank and anti-aircraft defences were built in Hellesdon to defend Norwich against a possible German invasion.[10][11]
From 1930 to 1964, motorcycle speedway team the Norwich Stars raced at the old Firs raceway. Ove Fundin was World Speedway Champion on a number of occasions in the early 1960s. The stadium was sold for housing in 1964, bringing the Norwich Stars speedway team to an end.
In 1959, a post was built for the Royal Observer Corps in the parish which was eventually closed in 1991.[12]
The area has now developed into a major suburb of Norwich.
Geography
According to the 2021 census, Hellesdon has a population of 11,126 people which shows a decrease from the 10,957 people recorded in the 2011 census.[13]
Hellesdon parish church is dedicated to Saint Mary and dates from the Fifteenth Century. St. Mary's is located on Low Road and has been Grade II listed since 1984.[14] The church holds regular Sunday services.[15]
St. Mary's was restored in the Victorian era and features a stained-glass window installed by A.L. Wilkinson to replace bomb damage from the Norwich Blitz.[16]
Church services are also held at St. Paul's Church which is an iron Nissen Hut featuring a stained-glass window installed by William Morris.[17]
Amenities
Hellesdon has a number of small independent shops, along with some large retailers including a B&Q and a large Asda superstore, which was opened in 1983 and a filling station was added to the site in 1990.
There are six schools: one high, two junior and three infant schools. Hellesdon High School is a leading-edge academy.
There is a library and a community centre for use by local clubs, such as Hellesdon Horticultural Association and the Hellesdon Community Choir. The local football team, Hellesdon FC, play at the community centre which also was used to hold the World Cycle speedway championships in 1987.[18]
There are two pubs in Hellesdon: The Whiffler and The Bull (whose original name was restored in 2022 after local opposition to its brief renaming as The Chestnut Tree).[19] Former pubs include The Man On The Moon, which is now Hellesdon's doctor's surgery; The Bignold Arms is now a fish restaurant and takeaway; The Firs became a Tesco Express; and The Falcon became a Co-op, but this closed in 2019 and the building is now an office location.
There are several other leisure destinations including Funky's roller skating club and a snooker hall. There are also several parks and green spaces although the golf course has been sold for further residential housing developments, potentially increasing the village's population significantly.
Hellesdon has a large psychiatric hospital, Hellesdon Hospital, but many of the former ward buildings are no longer occupied and the upper level of the site is destined to be sold for housing development. Situated next to the hospital is the East of England Ambulance Service's Norwich office, which includes its AOC (Ambulance Operations Centre), Hellesdon Response Post and a training centre, along with a vehicle workshop.
Culture
A Fine Day in February (Hellesdon) by John Middleton (Norfolk Museums Collections)
Hellesdon War Memorial is a wheel-headed granite cross in St. Mary's Churchyard.[21] The memorial lists the following names for the First World War:[22]
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