Lessingham

Lessingham
Lessingham Village Sign
Lessingham Location within Norfolk
Area	2.88 sq mi (7.5 km2)
Population	505 (2021 census)
•  Density	175/sq mi (68/km2)
OS grid reference	TG3928
•  London	136 miles (219 km)
Civil parish	Lessingham
District	North Norfolk
Shire county	Norfolk
Region	East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	NORWICH
Postcode district	NR12
Dialling code	01692
UK Parliament	North Norfolk
List of places UK England Norfolk 52°47′56″N1°32′35″E / 52.799°N 1.543°E / 52.799; 1.543

Lessingham is a village and a civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The civil parish also includes the village of Eccles on Sea and the hamlet of Hempstead.

Lessingham is located 16.3 miles (26.2 km) south-east of Cromer and 17.6 miles (28.3 km) north-east of Norwich.

Correct pronunciation

"Lessnum" ^[1] The emphasis is placed upon the vowel in the first syllable. ^[2]

History

Lessingham's name is of Anglo-Saxon origin and derives from the Old English for the homestead of Leofsige's people. ^[3]

In the Domesday Book, Lessingham is listed as a settlement of 45 households in the hundred of Happing. In 1086, the village was part of the East Anglian estates of King William I. ^[4]

During the Second World War, several structures were built in Lessingham to defend against a possible German invasion, including pillboxes, mortar emplacements and anti-tank obstacles. ^[5]

Geography

According to the 2021 census, Lessingham has a population of 505 people which shows a decrease from the 566 people recorded in the 2011 census. ^[6]

All Saints' Church

Lessingham's parish church dates from the Thirteenth Century. All Saints' is located on Star Hill and has been Grade II listed since 1955. ^[7] The church is no longer open for Sunday service. ^[8]

All Saints' was re-built and restored by Herbert John Green in the 1890s and a set of stained-glass windows designed by James Powell and Sons depicting Saint Andrew, Saint George and King Richard I. ^[9]

Governance

Lessingham is part of the electoral ward of Happisburgh for local elections and is part of the district of North Norfolk.

The village's national constituency is North Norfolk, which has been represented by the Liberal Democrat Steff Aquarone MP since 2024.

War Memorial

Lessingham's war memorial is a framed paper roll of honour in All Saints' Church which lists the following names for the First World War: ^[10]

Rank	Name	Unit	Date of Death	Burial/Commemoration
Lt.	Locke F. W. Kendall	9th Bn., Norfolk Regiment	22 Nov. 1917	Ramleh War Cemetery
P1C	John E. Dyball	82nd Division, AEF	20 Oct. 1918	Unknown
Pte.	James Platford	9th Bn., Durham Light Infantry	13 Apr. 1917	Agny Military Cemetery
Pte.	John R. Wilkins	25th Bn., Middlesex Regiment	30 Jul. 1919	St. Andrew's Churchyard
Pte.	Walter J. Cutting	5th Bn., Norfolk Regiment	19 Apr. 1917	Gaza War Cemetery
Pte.	Alec C. Clements	8th Bn., Norfolk Regt.	31 Jul. 1917	The Huts Cemetery
Dhd.	Ernest Wilkins	H.M. Trawler Dane	28 Aug. 1915	Chatham Naval Memorial

References

1. https://www.literarynorfolk.co.uk/norfolk_place_names.htm
2. https://friendsofnorfolkdialect.com/portfolio-items/norfolk-placenames/
3. "Key to English Place-names". kepn.nottingham.ac.uk. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
4. "Lessingham | Domesday Book". opendomesday.org. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
5. "Parish-Summary-Lessingham-(Parish-Summary) - Norfolk Heritage Explorer". www.heritage.norfolk.gov.uk. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
6. "Lessingham (Parish, United Kingdom) - Population Statistics, Charts, Map and Location". www.citypopulation.de. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
7. "CHURCH OF ALL SAINTS, Lessingham - 1172410 | Historic England". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
8. "All Saints, Lessingham". www.achurchnearyou.com. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
9. "Norfolk Churches". www.norfolkchurches.co.uk. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
10. "Geograph:: Lakenham to Lyng :: War Memorials in Norfolk". www.geograph.org.uk. Retrieved 15 June 2025.

External links

• A Chronology of Medieval Lessingham
• All Saints Church