Houghton, Norfolk

For the village in North Norfolk, see Houghton Saint Giles. For the village in Breckland, see Houghton on the Hill, Norfolk.

Houghton
Houghton Village Sign
Houghton Location within Norfolk
Area	2.95 sq mi (7.6 km2)
OS grid reference	TF791278
Civil parish	Houghton
District	King's Lynn and West Norfolk
Shire county	Norfolk
Region	East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	KING'S LYNN
Postcode district	PE31
Dialling code	01485
UK Parliament	North West Norfolk
List of places UK England Norfolk 52°49′05″N0°39′22″E / 52.818°N 0.656°E / 52.818; 0.656

Houghton is a village and a civil parish in the English county of Norfolk.

Houghton is located 11 miles (18 km) north-east of King's Lynn and 30 miles (48 km) north-west of Norwich.

Correct pronunciation

"Hoeton" ^[1]

History

Houghton's name is of Anglo-Saxon origin and derives from the Old English for hill-spur farmstead. ^[2]

In the Domesday Book, Houghton is recorded as a settlement of 10 households in the hundred of Brothercross. In 1086, the village was part of the East Anglian estates of William de Warenne. ^[3]

Geography

At the 2021 census, the population of the parish was below 100, and was therefore included in the civil parish of West Rudham.

Houghton Hall

Main article: Houghton Hall

Houghton Hall was built between 1722 and 1735 as the country residence of Sir Robert Walpole, the first Prime Minister of Great Britain, in the Palladian style. Today, Houghton Hall is the residence of Lord David Cholmondeley, who often opens the house to the public. ^{[4] [5]}

The old village of Houghton was demolished in 1722 to make way for the construction of Houghton Hall and the associated parkland. In 1729, the village was rebuilt on the edge of the estate and called New Houghton. ^{[6] [7]} It is one of the locations claimed to be the inspiration for Oliver Goldsmith's poem The Deserted Village. ^[8]

Governance

Houghton is part of the electoral ward of Bircham with Rudhams for local elections and is part of the district of King's Lynn and West Norfolk.

The village's national constituency is North West Norfolk which has been represented by the Conservative's James Wild MP since 2010.

References

1. https://friendsofnorfolkdialect.com/portfolio-items/norfolk-placenames/
2. "Key to English Place-names". kepn.nottingham.ac.uk. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
3. "Houghton | Domesday Book". opendomesday.org. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
4. "HOUGHTON HALL WITH COURTYARD WALLS ATTACHED TO NORTH AND SOUTH, Houghton - 1152645 | Historic England". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
5. "MNF3546 - Norfolk Heritage Explorer". www.heritage.norfolk.gov.uk. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
6. "MNF3543 - Norfolk Heritage Explorer". www.heritage.norfolk.gov.uk. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
7. "MNF3547 - Norfolk Heritage Explorer". www.heritage.norfolk.gov.uk. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
8. Stuff, Good. "1, 2 and 3, the Street, Houghton, Norfolk". britishlistedbuildings.co.uk. Retrieved 31 May 2025.

External links

Media related to Houghton, Norfolk at Wikimedia Commons