Lenwade

Lenwade
St Faith's Church
Lenwade Location within Norfolk
OS grid reference	TG1002718303
Civil parish	Great Witchingham
District	Broadland
Shire county	Norfolk
Region	East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	Norwich
Postcode district	NR9
Dialling code	01603
UK Parliament	Broadland and Fakenham
List of places UK England Norfolk 52°43′16″N1°06′37″E / 52.7212°N 1.1103°E / 52.7212; 1.1103

Lenwade is a village in the civil parish of Great Witchingham in the English county of Norfolk.

Lenwade is located 14 miles (23 km) south-east of Fakenham and 11 miles (18 km) north-west of Norwich, at the confluence of the River Ainse and River Wensum.

History

Lenwade's name is of Anglo-Saxon origin and derives from the Old English for the ford across the slow moving river. ^[1]

In the Domesday Book, Lenwade is not listed. ^[2]

In the mid-Eighteenth Century, a triple-arched bridge was built across the River Wensum in Lenwade which was later demolished in 1954. A further bridge was built in 1920s, on which anti-tank defences were built during the Second World War. ^[3]

Lenwade Watermill was first recorded in 1782 and burned down in 1888. The mill was rebuilt in 1890 and worked until it was closed in 1984. Today, the watermill is a residential building. ^{[4] [5]}

In 1882, Lenwade Railway Station opened on the Norwich Branch of the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway, operating services between Cromer and Norwich City. The station was used to transport goods from Lenwade's quarrying and manufacturing trades but eventually closed to passengers in 1959 and to freight in 1983.

Geography

There are numerous flooded gravel pits in the area. Today, these now mature lakes are popular with anglers, naturalists and bird watchers.

Local tourist attractions include Roarr! Dinosaur Adventure theme park and the Lenwade country house hotel features in its grounds the only licensed zoological garden in the UK. ^[6]

St. Faith's Church

Lenwade's former parish church is dedicated to Saint Faith and dates from the Nineteenth Century. St. Faith's is located on the A1067 and was built as a mission church to service the then expanding population of Lenwade. ^[7]

Amenities

Amenities in the village include a village hall, primary school, doctor's surgery, general stores, garage, tea-rooms, butchers, bakers and a fish and chip shop.^{[ citation needed ]}

Located close to A1067 and the River Wensum is the late 18th century Bridge Inn public house. ^[8]

Governance

Lenwade is part of the electoral ward of Great Witchingham for local elections and is part of the district of Broadland.

The village's national constituency is Broadland and Fakenham which has been represented by the Conservative Party's Jerome Mayhew MP since 2019.

References

1. "Parish-Summary-Great-Witchingham-(Parish-Summary) - Norfolk Heritage Explorer". www.heritage.norfolk.gov.uk. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
2. "Home | Domesday Book". opendomesday.org. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
3. "MNF13765 - Norfolk Heritage Explorer". www.heritage.norfolk.gov.uk. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
4. "MNF7747 - Norfolk Heritage Explorer". www.heritage.norfolk.gov.uk. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
5. "Norfolk Mills - Lenwade watermill". www.norfolkmills.co.uk. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
6. Lenwade country house hotel Archived 24 July 2008 at the Wayback Machine . Retrieved 10 November 2008
7. "Norfolk Churches". www.norfolkchurches.co.uk. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
8. "BRIDGE INN - LENWADE". www.norfolkpubs.co.uk. Retrieved 15 June 2025.

External links

• Norfolk pubs-Lenwade
• Great Witchingham & Lenwade Village Hall