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Great Ellingham is a village and 
The village has a number of early thatched properties, though no longer serving their original function, such as the 15th century probable hall house divided into two cottages but now one dwelling and shop Ye Olde Thatche Shoppe.
The Crown public house, one of six pubs that used to be in the village, was once called The Bell and dates from the mid-18th century.
Great Ellingham is a village and civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authority ...
in the Breckland
Breckland in Norfolk and Suffolk is a 39,433 hectare Special Protection Area (SPA) under the European Union Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds. The SPA partly overlaps the 7,544 hectare Breckland Special Area of Conservation. As a la ...
District 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 No ...
. The village lies 2.5 miles north-west of Attleborough
Attleborough is a market town and civil parish located on the A11 between Norwich and Thetford in Norfolk, England. The parish is in the district of Breckland and has an area of .
The 2001 Census recorded the town as having a population of 9 ...
, 2 miles south-east of its sister village of Little Ellingham
Little Ellingham is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The village is north-west of Attleborough, north-west of its sister village of Great Ellingham, west-south-west of Norwich and north-east of London. The nearest ...
and 12 miles by road south from Dereham
Dereham (), also known as East Dereham, is a town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Breckland District of the England, English county of Norfolk. It is situated on the A47 road, about 15 miles (25 km) west of the city ...
. The civil parish also includes the hamlets of Bow Street and Stalland Common, and covers an area of with a population of 1108 at the 2001 census, though the district's 2007 estimate suggests that this may have risen to 1165, then decreasing to a measured population of 1,132 in 470 households at the 2011 Census.
The site of Great Ellingham has been inhabited since pre-historic times and is documented in the Domesday book of 1086. Its name comes from the Old English for 'The homestead of Ella's or Eli's people'. The medieval period provides the oldest surviving, mainly 14th century, building of St James the Great's Church, in the Benefice
A benefice () or living is a reward received in exchange for services rendered and as a retainer for future services. The Roman Empire used the Latin term as a benefit to an individual from the Empire for services rendered. Its use was adopted by ...
of Great Ellingham. This "attractive chequered flintwork and battlemented west tower stopped by a lead spire" was restored in the early 20th century. The spire can be viewed from some distance away as the village is approached on the Attleborough road.
The village has a number of early thatched properties, though no longer serving their original function, such as the 15th century probable hall house divided into two cottages but now one dwelling and shop Ye Olde Thatche Shoppe.
The Crown public house, one of six pubs that used to be in the village, was once called The Bell and dates from the mid-18th century.
Schools
Great Ellingham primary school teaches just over 150 pupils up to the age of 11.Teddy Bear festival
The village is renowned locally for its annual Teddy Bear Festival, which runs for two weeks in July. Alongside other events, villagers build and display straw bears in their gardens to create a "Teddy Bear Trail". Since the start of the festival in 2004, around £50,000 has been raised for local good causes and charities.
References
Villages in Norfolk Civil parishes in Norfolk Breckland District {{Norfolk-geo-stub