Horning is an ancient village and
parish
A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or ...
in the
English county
The counties of England are areas used for different purposes, which include administrative, geographical, cultural and political demarcation. The term "county" is defined in several ways and can apply to similar or the same areas used by each ...
of
Norfolk
Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the Nor ...
.
It covers an area of 11 km
2 and had a population of 1,033 in the
2001 census. Horning parish lies on the northern bank of the
River Bure
The River Bure is a river in the county of Norfolk, England, most of it in the Broads.Ordnance Survey (2005). ''OS Explorer Map OL40 - The Broads''. . The Bure rises near Melton Constable, upstream of Aylsham, which was the original head ...
south of the
River Thurne and is located in
The Broads National Park
A national park is a natural park in use for conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual ...
. For the purposes of local government, it falls within the
district
A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivision ...
of
North Norfolk
North Norfolk is a local government district in Norfolk, England. Its council is based in Cromer. The population at the 2011 Census was 101,149.
History
The district was formed on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972. It was ...
, although areas alongside the rivers and broads fall into the executive area of the
Broads Authority.
History
The name Horning means the "folk who live on the high ground between the rivers". Its history dates back to 1020 when the manor was given by
King Canute to the newly founded Abbey of St. Benet at Hulme. The
Bishop of Norwich
The Bishop of Norwich is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Norwich in the Province of Canterbury. The diocese covers most of the county of Norfolk and part of Suffolk. The bishop of Norwich is Graham Usher.
The see is in t ...
, as Abbot of St. Benets, is still Lord of the Manor.
Horning Parish extends along the south bank of the
River Bure
The River Bure is a river in the county of Norfolk, England, most of it in the Broads.Ordnance Survey (2005). ''OS Explorer Map OL40 - The Broads''. . The Bure rises near Melton Constable, upstream of Aylsham, which was the original head ...
to
Thurne Mouth and includes the ruins of
St Benet's Abbey
St Benet's Abbey was a medieval monastery of the Order of Saint Benedict, also known as St Benet's at Holme or Hulme. It was situated on the River Bure within the Broads in Norfolk, England. St Benet is a medieval English version of the name o ...
& St. James Hospital. St. Benet's Abbey is a
Grade I listed building, and dates back to the 9th Century. The importance of the Abbey as a medieval place of pilgrimage is reflected in the medieval finds of two papal seals, that would have secured documents from the Pope.
The Church of St. Benedict lies half a mile east of the village and dates back to the 13th Century.
Horning is situated on the River Bure (pronounced locally "Burr") between
Wroxham and
Ludham. A ferry plied across the river for more than 1,000 years.
Horning has an entry in the
Domesday Book
Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...
, noted under the name 'Horningam'. In 1086, Horning had 18 villagers, 11 'smallholders', 4 cattle, 10 pigs, 360 sheep and the taxable value was £4.
Archaeologists have found ancient earthworks in Horning, which run alongside the River Bure, possibly dating to the early Saxon period. The earliest ancient monument is a Bronze Age ring ditch and possible burial pit. Neolithic and Bronze Age artefacts have also been found.
Leisure and attractions
The village of Horning is a very popular tourist destination within the Norfolk Broads, having attractions both around the village and surrounding areas. The village lies on the north bank of the River Bure, and has many waterside properties, pubs, shops, restaurants, tea-rooms, boat-trips as well as other features to enjoy.
Horning is picturesque, and described as the prettiest village on the broads. The sights to see are: the River Bure from the landing stages, Lower Street, St. Benedicts Church and many properties with thatched roofs.
Following Lower Street to the east, leads to the school, marina, leisure centre, church and the old riverbank. North of Horning are the broads of Barton, Alderfen and Burntfen, and village of Neatishead. West is the popular area of Hoveton & Wroxham. East lies the quaint village of Ludham. To the south, across the river via the ferry, are
Bure Marshes and village of
Woodbastwick
Woodbastwick is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It is located on the River Bure between Cockshoot Broad and Salhouse Broad, within The Broads and close to Bure Marshes NNR ( national nature reserve). The city of N ...
. The Ferry Inn to the east of the village was largely destroyed in a
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
bombing raid by the German
Luftwaffe
The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German '' Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the '' Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabt ...
on 26 April 1941, during which 15 bombs are believed to have been dropped on Horning and the surrounding area by a single aircraft. Most landed in the local marshes but one hit the ferry and one hit the Inn, where 21 of the 24 people in the pub at the time were killed. The Ferry Inn was open for business with a makeshift bar only three weeks later.
Horning is home to "Southern Comfort" the Mississippi Cruise boat, which leaves from the staithe adjacent to The Swan Inn.
The village is popular for sail & motor boating, and Horning Sailing Club hosts regular annual events. Several boatyards specialise in boat sales, boat hire, boat building and repairs. There are two marinas which offer private mooring facilities. The River Bure is navigable from the North Sea at
Great Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth (), often called Yarmouth, is a seaside town and unparished area in, and the main administrative centre of, the Borough of Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, England; it straddles the River Yare and is located east of Norwich. A pop ...
all the way to Horning.
The village centre is quite small, consisting of just a single street, a village green, The Swan Inn pub (built early 19th century but dates back to 1696), a few shops and restaurants and a riverbank adjacent to the River Bure. The main Village Hall, playing fields and children's play area are located behind Lower Street on the upper side of the village.
Outside the village centre is the popular
Bewilderwood theme park, which was voted best large attraction in the East of England (2009), as well as having many other UK and International awards. Broadland Cycle Hire is located within Bewilderwood, from which there are many good cycle routes through rural areas to villages and broads.
Other local attractions nearby include Barton Broad boardwalk,
Neatishead
Neatishead ( ) is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The village is situated some north-east of the city of Norwich, within The Norfolk Broads and to the west of Barton Broad. Access to Neatishead from the broad is by ...
village,
Ludham village, shopping in Hoveton & Wroxham. A short distance away are many beautiful beaches such as
Waxham
Waxham is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Sea Palling, in the North Norfolk district, in the county of Norfolk, England. It lies on the north-east coast of the county. Buildings in the village include Waxham Hall, the ...
,
Sea Palling and
Winterton-on-Sea, as well as the more popular holiday destinations of
Great Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth (), often called Yarmouth, is a seaside town and unparished area in, and the main administrative centre of, the Borough of Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, England; it straddles the River Yare and is located east of Norwich. A pop ...
and
Cromer. The
North Norfolk Coast is approximately 1hr away, which is a designated
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Transport
Horning lies just off the A1062 road, which is a designated "Rural Route". This Rural Route starts at
Hoveton, passes through Horning, Ludham and ends in
Potter Heigham.
Car
The city of
Norwich
Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. Norwich is by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. As the seat of the Episcopal see, See of ...
is a 25 minute drive from Horning. Sprowston Park & Ride is 12 minutes away.
Train
The nearest railway station is
Hoveton & Wroxham, located on the
Bittern Line
The Bittern Line is a railway branch line in Norfolk, England, that links to . It passes through the Broads on its route to an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty on the north Norfolk coast. It is named after the bittern, a rare bird found ...
between
Norwich
Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. Norwich is by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. As the seat of the Episcopal see, See of ...
and
Sheringham.
Air
Norwich International Airport
Norwich Airport is an international airport in Hellesdon, Norfolk, England, north of Norwich. In 2017, Norwich Airport was the 28th busiest airport in the UK and busiest in the East Anglia region.
Norwich Airport has a CAA Public Use Aer ...
has scheduled flights to places such as
Amsterdam
Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the capital and most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population of 907,976 within the city proper, 1,558,755 in the urban ar ...
,
Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
,
Manchester
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The ...
and
Exeter
Exeter () is a city in Devon, South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol.
In Roman Britain, Exeter was established as the base of Legio II Augusta under the personal comm ...
. The airport is a 26min drive away.
Bus
Horning is served by the 5B bus, operated by
Konectbus.
Bicycle
There is a cycle path between Horning and Hoveton, which takes about 15 mins to cycle.
The Norfolk Broads Cycle Centre can be found nearby at
Bewilderwood.
Passenger ferry
There has been a ferry service connecting Horning and Woodbastwick for generations. The ferry connects The Ferry Inn with Woodbastwick Staithe, for access to Bure Marshes, Ranworth, Cockshoot Broad, Woodbastwick brewery and The Fur & Feather Inn. The Horning Foot Ferry transports passengers, cycles and dogs, currently on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, 10.30am - 7.30pm.
Events
* Horning Boat Show (30 April 2022)
* Three Rivers Race (28 & 29 May 2022) - sailing event, over 24hrs
* Village Fete (July)
* Boat Regatta (early August)
* School Summer Fair (July)
Shops
* Post Office
* Newsagents & General Store
* The Galley - cafe, delicatessen and giftware
* JHD Interiors - curtains, blinds, upholstery
* Courtyard Cafe
* Fli-Hi - flight simulation experience
* Gift Shops
Pubs
* The Swan Inn
* The Ferry Inn
* The New Inn
Restaurants
* Bure River Cottage (5-star seafood restaurant)
* Staithe & Willow
Eateries
* The Galley Cafe
* The Clubhouse Cafe - Ferry Marina
* Courtyard Cafe
* Country Treats Coffee Shop
* Golden City Chinese Takeaway
Places to stay
Norfolk River Cottages
The Moorhen Bed and Breakfast
Recreational
* Horning Sailing Club
* GoPaddle - stand-up paddleboard adventures on the Norfolk Broads
* Mississippi River Boat
* Canoe Hire
* Crown Green Bowling
* Children's Playground
* Playing field
* St. Benets Hall (for regular art exhibitions)
* Boat Hire - picnic boats, dinghies & cruisers
Services and facilities
* Public Toilets
* Car and Coach Park
* Public Moorings
* Pub Moorings
* Electric Hook-up
* Refuse disposal
* Marina services
* Bottle, Paper & clothing recycling banks
* Water - standpipe at Swan green
* Slipways - public slipway adjacent to The Swan Inn, 3 private slipways at Horning Sailing Club
Nearby
*
Bewilderwood
*
St Benet's Abbey
St Benet's Abbey was a medieval monastery of the Order of Saint Benedict, also known as St Benet's at Holme or Hulme. It was situated on the River Bure within the Broads in Norfolk, England. St Benet is a medieval English version of the name o ...
*
RAF Neatishead
Remote Radar Head Neatishead ( ) or RRH Neatishead is an air defence radar station operated by the Royal Air Force. It is located approximately north east of Norwich in Norfolk, England.
It was established during the Second World War and consi ...
*
RAF Air Defence Radar Museum
The Royal Air Force Air Defence Radar Museum is a museum on the site of the former Royal Air Force radar and control base RAF Neatishead, close to the village of Horning in Norfolk, England.
The museum's exhibitions cover the history of air d ...
*
Hoveton village
*
Ludham village
*
Wroxham village
*
Fairhaven Woodland and Water Garden
*
Potter Heigham
*
Roys of Wroxham
Roys of Wroxham is a family owned group of general stores based in Hoveton, Norfolk. The store after winning a competition in the early 1930s uses the motto "''The World's Largest Village Store''" in all its advertising and literature.
History
...
* Wroxham Barns
*
Woodforde's Brewery
Woodforde's Brewery is a brewery located on Slad Lane in the village of Woodbastwick, in the county of Norfolk, England. The brewery produced its first commercial brew in 1981 from original brewery in the village of Drayton north east of Norwic ...
Media
Arthur Ransome's books ''
Coot Club'' and ''
The Big Six'' were written based on his time spent in Horning. Several scenes in the books take place in the village.
The books were made into a 1984 BBC television series ''
Swallows and Amazons Forever!''. In 2016, ''
Swallows and Amazons'' was released as a major film production.
The 2015 film "
45 Years" was filmed in Horning village and locally on the River Bure.
Veteran radio presenter
Keith Skues lives in the village, with his collection of around 300,000 records. He presented his popular Sunday late night show on
BBC Local Radio
BBC Local Radio (also referred to as Local BBC Radio) is the BBC's local and regional radio division for England and the Channel Islands, consisting of forty stations.
History
The popularity of pirate radio was to challenge a change within ...
from his home many times.
Social media
* Instagra
Horning_Village
Education
Horning Community Primary School
:- Primary Education for 5-11 year olds
:- Pre-school for 2-4 year olds
The 2016 Ofsted report rated Horning Community Primary School overall as 'Good'
The nearest secondary school to Horning is
Broadland High School in Hoveton.
Broadland High School
/ref>
Geography
Communications
In addition to the usual terrestrial TV and telephone landline services, the following communication services are available in Horning:
* Fibre Broadband (Fibre to the Cabinet FTTC)
* Broadband (ADSL)
* Digital TV & Radio
* Mobile Phone networks
* Mobile HSDPA, 3G & 4G (Vodafone currently has best signal)
External links
Horning Sailing Club
Three Rivers Race
Horning Foot Ferry
Passenger ferry providing transport across the river
North Norfolk District Council
Hoveton & Wroxham Medical Centre
A guided tour of Horning
Bure River Cottage Restaurant
High quality fish restaurant, serving fresh local fish
Bure Marshes, Natural Nature Reserve (NNR)
BeWILDerwood
The curious treehouse adventure park
Broads by Bike
Good cycle routes in the local Horning area
The Canoe Man
Canoe and Kayak Hire
North Norfolk Coast AONB
The Broads National Park
Broads Authority
Burnt Fen Alpacas
Wroxham Barns
Norfolk Wildlife Trust
Alderfen Broad
Norfolk Archaeological Trust
St. Benets Abbey
Historic Maps
Maps of Horning: Aerial photos from 1945 & 1988; Enclosure plan from 1800; Tithe map from 1840; and Ordnance Survey 1st edition
Norfolk Museums Collections
Norfolk Heritage Explorer - Map
Map of Archaeological Areas & Buildings in Horning
Norfolk Heritage Explorer
NHER record for St. Benet's Abbey
History of the Benedictine Monks at St. Benet's Abbey
Mill Loke Postmill photo from 1875
Photos of Horning circa 1870 of the waterfront, maltings, mill, Swan corner
The New Inn pub
The Swan Inn pub
The Ferry Inn pub
Liberty Restaurant Wroxham
Roys
The world's largest village store
Photos of Horning on Flickr.com
Horning History
Essay on Horning from 1810
Horning Parish Council
References
{{Reflist
Norfolk Broads
Villages in Norfolk
Civil parishes in Norfolk
North Norfolk