Horning is an ancient village and

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christianity, Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest#Christianity, priest, often termed a parish pries ...

in the

English county The counties of England are a type of subdivision of England. Counties have been used as administrative areas in England since Anglo-Saxon times. There are three definitions of county in England: the 48 ceremonial counties used for the purpo ...

Norfolk Norfolk ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in England, located in East Anglia and officially part of the East of England region. It borders Lincolnshire and The Wash to the north-west, the North Sea to the north and eas ...

. It covers an area of 11 km² and had a population of approximately 1,100 in the 2021 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 of ...

south of the

River Thurne The River Thurne is a river in Norfolk, England in The Broads. Just long, it rises from the coast near Martham Broad and is navigable from West Somerton. It flows southwest and is linked by Candle Dyke and Heigham Sound to both Horsey Mere ...

and is located in

The Broads The Broads (known for marketing purposes as The Broads National Park) is a network of mostly navigable rivers and lakes in the English counties of Norfolk and Suffolk. Although the terms "Norfolk Broads" and "Suffolk Broads" are correctly used ...

National Park A national park is a nature park designated for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes because of unparalleled national natural, historic, or cultural significance. It is an area of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that is protecte ...

. 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 county, counties, several municipality, municip ...

North Norfolk North Norfolk is a Non-metropolitan district, local government district in Norfolk, England. Its council is based in Cromer, and the largest town is North Walsham. The district also includes the towns of Fakenham, Holt, Norfolk, Holt, Shering ...

, although areas alongside the rivers and broads fall into the executive area of the

Broads Authority The Broads (known for marketing purposes as The Broads National Park) is a network of mostly navigable rivers and lakes in the English counties of Norfolk and Suffolk. Although the terms "Norfolk Broads" and "Suffolk Broads" are correctly used ...

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 Cnut ( ; ; – 12 November 1035), also known as Canute and with the epithet the Great, was King of England from 1016, King of Denmark from 1018, and King of Norway from 1028 until his death in 1035. The three kingdoms united under Cnut's rul ...

to the newly founded Abbey of St. Benet at Hulme. The

Bishop of Norwich The Bishop of Norwich is the Ordinary (Catholic Church), ordinary of the Church of England Anglican Diocese of Norwich, Diocese of Norwich in the Province of Canterbury. The diocese covers most of the county of Norfolk and part of Suffolk. Th ...

, as Abbot of St. Benets, is still Lord of the Manor. Horning Parish extends along the south bank of the

Thurne Thurne is a small village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It is located on the River Thurne in The Broads, some west of the town of Great Yarmouth and east of the city of Norwich. The village's name means 'Thorn-bush'. ...

Mouth, and includes the ruins of

St Benet's Abbey St Benet's Abbey, also known as St Benet's at Holme or St Benet Hulme, was a medieval monastery of the Order of Saint Benedict situated at Cow Holm in Horning, Norfolk, Kingdom of England, England. It lay on the River Bure within the Broads. St ...

& St. James Hospital. St. Benet's Abbey is a

Grade I In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, H ...

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. It was also the site of the composition of the Chronicle of John of Oxnead. 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 Wroxham is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The civil parish of Wroxham has an area of 6.21 square kilometres, and in 2001, had a population of 1,532 in 666 households. A reduced population of 1,502 in 653 household ...

and

Ludham Ludham is a village and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the English county of Norfolk, in the Norfolk Broads, at the end of a dyke leading to Womack Water and flowing into the River Thurne. It lies to the East of Ludham Bridge, which ...

. 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 at the behest of William the Conqueror. The manuscript was originally known by ...

of 1086, 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. Benedict's 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; to the west is the popular area of Hoveton & Wroxham; to the 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 ...

. 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 (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

bombing raid by the German

Luftwaffe The Luftwaffe () was the aerial warfare, aerial-warfare branch of the before and during World War II. German Empire, Germany's military air arms during World War I, the of the Imperial German Army, Imperial Army and the of the Imperial Ge ...

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. River Bure Horning at night

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 and motor boating, with Horning Sailing Club hosting 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 resort, seaside town which gives its name to the wider Borough of Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, England; it straddles the River Yare and is located east of Norwich. Its fishing industry, m ...

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 dating 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 won 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,

village, shopping in Hoveton & Wroxham. A short distance away are many beaches, such as

Waxham Waxham is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Sea Palling, in the North Norfolk district, on the north-east coast of the county of Norfolk, England. Buildings in the village include Waxham Hall, the 14th-century St. John's C ...

, Sea Palling and

Winterton-on-Sea Winterton-on-Sea is a village and civil parish on the North Sea coast of the English county Norfolk. It is north of Great Yarmouth and east of Norwich.Ordnance Survey (2002). ''OS Explorer Map 252 - Norfolk Coast East''. . The civil parish ha ...

, as well as the more popular holiday destinations of Great Yarmouth and

Cromer Cromer ( ) is a coastal town and civil parish on the north coast of the North Norfolk district of the county of Norfolk, England. It is north of Norwich, northwest of North Walsham and east of Sheringham on the North Sea coastline. The local ...

. The North Norfolk Coast, which is a designated

Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB; , AHNE) is one of 46 areas of countryside in England, Wales, or Northern Ireland that has been designated for conservation due to its significant landscape value. Since 2023, the areas in England an ...

, is approximately an hour away.

Transport

Horning lies just off the A1062 road, which is a designated Rural Route. This Rural Route starts at

Hoveton Hoveton is a village and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the England, English county of Norfolk, within The Broads, the Norfolk Broads. Hoveton is located south of North Walsham and north-east of Norwich, separated from Wroxham by ...

, passes through Horning and Ludham, before ending in

Potter Heigham Potter Heigham is a village and civil parish on the River Thurne in the English county of Norfolk. It is situated north-east of the city of Norwich on the A149 road, and within the Broads National Park. The village is known for its medieva ...

Car

The city of

Norwich Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of the county of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. It lies by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. The population of the Norwich ...

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 Eurasian bittern, bittern, a r ...

between

and

Sheringham Sheringham (; population 7,367) is a seaside town and civil parish in the county of Norfolk, England.Ordnance Survey (2002). ''OS Explorer Map 252 - Norfolk Coast East''. . The motto of the town, granted in 1953 to the Sheringham Urban District ...

Air

Norwich International Airport Norwich Airport is an international airport in Norfolk, England, north of the city of Norwich. In 2023, Norwich Airport was the 25th Busiest airports in the United Kingdom by total passenger traffic, busiest airport in the UK and busiest in ...

has scheduled flights to destinations such as

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...

Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...

and

Exeter Exeter ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and the county town of Devon in South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol. In Roman Britain, Exeter w ...

. The airport is a 26min drive away.

Bus

Horning is served by the 5B bus, operated by

Konectbus Konectbus is a bus operator based in Dereham in Norfolk, England. It is a subsidiary of the Go-Ahead Group and forms part of Go East Anglia. History Konectbus was formed in 1999 when the Saham Toney depot of Norfolk Green was purchased from ...

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

* Three Rivers Race (last held in June 2023) – sailing event, over 24 hours * Horning Boat Show (last held 30 April 2022) * Village Fete (July) * Boat Regatta (early August) * School Summer Fair (July)

Recreations

* Horning Sailing Club * Children's Playground * Outdoor table tennis table * St. Benets Hall (for regular art exhibitions)

Services and facilities

* Public toilets * Car and coach park * Public moorings * Pub moorings * Electric hook-up * Refuse disposal * Marina services * Bottle, paper and clothing recycling banks * Water – standpipe at Swan green * Slipways – public slipway adjacent to The Swan Inn, three private slipways at Horning Sailing Club

Nearby

North Norfolk District CouncilHoveton & Wroxham Medical Centre
A guided tour of Horning
Bure Marshes, Natural Nature Reserve (NNR)Broads by Bike
Cycle routes in the local Horning area
North Norfolk Coast AONBThe Broads National Park
Mill Loke Postmill photo from 1875

Photos of Horning circa 1870 of the waterfront, maltings, mill, Swan corner
Photos of Horning on Flickr.comHorning History
Essay on Horning from 1810
Horning Parish Council
*Instagra
Horning_Village
* Bewilderwood *

RAF Neatishead Remote Radar Head Neatishead ( ), and commonly abbreviated RRH Neatishead, is an air defence radar site operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF). It is located approximately north-east of Norwich in the county of Norfolk, England. Originally kno ...

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 *

Roys of Wroxham Roys of Wroxham is a family owned group of general stores based in Hoveton, Norfolk. Following a competition in the early 1930s, the store uses the motto "''The World's Largest Village Store''" in all its advertising and literature. History Roys ...

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 Norwich ...

Media

Arthur Ransome's books '' Coot Club'' and ''

The Big Six ''The Big Six'' is the ninth book of Arthur Ransome's Swallows and Amazons series of children's books, published in 1940. The book returns Dick and Dorothea Callum, known as the Ds, to the Norfolk Broads where they renew their friendship with ...

'' 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 The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

television series, ''

Swallows and Amazons Forever! ''Swallows and Amazons Forever!'' is a 1984 BBC children's television series based on two children's novels from the ''Swallows and Amazons series'' by Arthur Ransome: '' Coot Club'' (1934) (four episodes), and '' The Big Six'' (1940) (four episo ...

''. In 2016, ''

Swallows and Amazons ''Swallows and Amazons'' is a children's adventure novel by English author Arthur Ransome first published on 21 July 1930 by Jonathan Cape. Set in the summer of 1929 in the Lake District, the book introduces the main characters of John, Sus ...

'' was released as a major film production. The 2015 film ''

45 Years ''45 Years'' is a 2015 British romantic drama film written and directed by Andrew Haigh. It is based on the short story "In Another Country" by David Constantine. ''45 Years'' premiered in the main competition section of the 65th Berlin Int ...

'' was filmed in Horning village, and locally on the River Bure. Veteran radio presenter

Keith Skues Richard Keith Skues MBE, AE (born 4 March 1939) is a British radio personality. His career spans more than 60 years. Biography Skues was born in Timperley, Cheshire. His broadcasting career began on the British Forces Network in Cologne, Germa ...

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 39 stations. As of December 2024, the network broadcasts to a combined audience of 7.1 mil ...

from his home many times.

Education

Horning Community Primary School has primary education for 5–11 year olds, and pre-school for 2–4 year olds. The 2016

Ofsted The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) is a non-ministerial department of His Majesty's government, reporting to Parliament. Ofsted's role is to make sure that organisations providing education, training ...

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 and radio * Mobile Phone networks * Mobile HSDPA, 3G and 4G Horning will receive full fibre broadband from summer 2024.

External links

*
Three Rivers RaceHorning Foot Ferry
Passenger ferry providing transport across the river
North Norfolk District CouncilHoveton & Wroxham Medical CentreBure Marshes, Natural Nature Reserve (NNR)North Norfolk Coast AONBThe Broads National ParkBroads AuthorityNorfolk Wildlife Trust
Alderfen Broad
Norfolk Archaeological Trust
St. Benets Abbey
Historic Maps
Maps of Horning: Aerial photos from 1945 and 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
Photos of Horning on Flickr.comHorning History
Essay on Horning from 1810
Horning Parish Council
* Instagra
Horning_Village

References

{{Reflist Norfolk Broads Villages in Norfolk Civil parishes in Norfolk North Norfolk