Stow Bardolph, sometimes simply referred to as Stow, is an estate 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. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...

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 ...

, lying between

King's Lynn King's Lynn, known until 1537 as Bishop's Lynn and colloquially as Lynn, is a port and market town in the borough of King's Lynn and West Norfolk in the county of Norfolk, England. It is north-east of Peterborough, north-north-east of Cambridg ...

and

Downham Market Downham Market, sometimes simply referred to as Downham, is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in Norfolk, England. It lies on the edge of the Fens, on the River Great Ouse, approximately 11 miles south of King's Lynn, 39 ...

on the A10. Holy Trinity church in Stow Bardolph - Hare Chapel interior - geograph

It covers an area of and had a population of 1,014 in 421 households at the 2001 census, the population increasing to 1,230 at the 2011 census. 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 ...

King's Lynn and West Norfolk King's Lynn and West Norfolk is a Non-metropolitan district, local government district with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in Norfolk, England. Its council is based in the town of King's Lynn. The district also includes the t ...

. The parish includes Stowbridge and Barroway Drove.

History

The village name evolved from the Old English '' stōw'' - place; a place of assembly; a holy place - to which was added the surname Bardolf. This was almost certainly because of connections with the Lords Bardolf of nearby Wormegay Castle. The Stow Bardolph estate was purchased by the Hare family in 1553. At least three Stow Halls have existed on the estate, the original was built around 1589 by Nicholas Hare,

Master of the Rolls The Keeper or Master of the Rolls and Records of the Chancery of England, known as the Master of the Rolls, is the President of the Court of Appeal (England and Wales)#Civil Division, Civil Division of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales ...

and

Lord Keeper of the Great Seal The Lord Keeper of the Great Seal of England, and later of Great Britain, was formerly an officer of the English Crown charged with physical custody of the Great Seal of England. This position evolved into that of one of the Great Officers of ...

, but fell into disrepair and was demolished. The second Stow Hall was built around 1796, but this too fell into disrepair and was demolished. The third Stow Hall was built around 1874 and served as a stately home until 1939. From 1940 to 1980 the house was used by the local health authority as a maternity hospital and was demolished in 1994 when it was found to be beyond economic repair. Holy Trinity Parish Church was extensively restored by John Raphael Rodrigues Brandon around 1850. A wax effigy of the upper body of Sarah Hare, including lifelike face and hands, is displayed upright in a

mahogany Mahogany is a straight- grained, reddish-brown timber of three tropical hardwood species of the genus ''Swietenia'', indigenous to the AmericasBridgewater, Samuel (2012). ''A Natural History of Belize: Inside the Maya Forest''. Austin: Universit ...

case in the Hare Chapel of the church. She died from blood poisoning in 1744 at the age of 55 and her will stated she wished to be recreated in wax following her death. It is the only funerary effigy of its kind outside

Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an Anglican church in the City of Westminster, London, England. Since 1066, it has been the location of the coronations of 40 English and British m ...

. The church also has a stained glass window to the memory of

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious decoration of the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British decorations system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British ...

recipient James Adams who was vicar here from 1896 to 1902. The village is home to a Rare Breeds Centre, at Church Farm, which opened in 2004.

Education

The old rectory serves as a preparatory school and

Montessori The Montessori method of education is a type of educational method that involves children's natural interests and activities rather than formal teaching methods. A Montessori classroom places an emphasis on hands-on learning and developing ...

nursery which opened in 1984. The rectory was previously a

maternity home A maternity home, or maternity housing program, is a form of supportive housing provided to pregnant women. Maternity housing programs support a woman in need of a stable home environment to reach her goals in a variety of areas including educatio ...

Sport and leisure

The estate is home to the Stow Cricket Club and Croquet Club which were both re-reformed in 1991.

Notable residents

* Nicholas Hare (1484–1557),

Speaker of the House of Commons Speaker of the House of Commons is a political leadership position found in countries that have a House of Commons, where the membership of the body elects a speaker to lead its proceedings. Systems that have such a position include: * Speaker of ...

1539-1540 * Hare baronets, created in the Baronetage of England on 23 July 1641 * George Henry Dashwood (1801–1869), curate, then vicar 1852–1869 * James Adams (1839–1903), vicar 1896–1902

Notes

External links

Village websiteChurch Farm Rare Breeds Centre
* {{authority control Villages in Norfolk Civil parishes in Norfolk King's Lynn and West Norfolk