Lessingham

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Lessingham
Lessingham and Hempstead with Eccles village sign - geograph.org.uk - 6674265.jpg
Lessingham Village Sign
Norfolk UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Lessingham
Location within Norfolk
Area2.88 sq mi (7.5 km2)
Population505 (2021 census)
  Density 175/sq mi (68/km2)
OS grid reference TG3928
  London 136 miles (219 km)
Civil parish
  • Lessingham
District
Shire county
Region
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town NORWICH
Postcode district NR12
Dialling code 01692
UK Parliament
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.

Contents

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

History

Lessingham's name is of Anglo-Saxon origin and derives from the Old English for the homestead of Leofsige's people. [1]

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. [2]

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. [3]

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. [4]

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. [5] The church is no longer open for Sunday service. [6]

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. [7]

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: [8]

RankNameUnitDate of DeathBurial/Commemoration
Lt.Locke F. W. Kendall9th Bn., Norfolk Regiment 22 Nov. 1917 Ramleh War Cemetery
P1CJohn E. Dyball 82nd Division, AEF 20 Oct. 1918Unknown
Pte.James Platford9th Bn., Durham Light Infantry 13 Apr. 1917 Agny Military Cemetery
Pte.John R. Wilkins25th Bn., Middlesex Regiment 30 Jul. 1919 St. Andrew's Churchyard
Pte.Walter J. Cutting5th Bn., Norfolk Regiment 19 Apr. 1917 Gaza War Cemetery
Pte.Alec C. Clements8th Bn., Norfolk Regt.31 Jul. 1917 The Huts Cemetery
Dhd.Ernest WilkinsH.M. Trawler Dane28 Aug. 1915 Chatham Naval Memorial

References

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