Many of us will be familiar with the large recreation ground we are fortunate to have in our village. But I wonder whether any of us have ever thought how long the village has actually had the recreation ground. Farm Meadows Before the creation of a designated recreation ground, several owners of the larger farms…
Great Ellingham’s Recreation Ground’s Byelaws
On the 28th February, 1931, the Parish Council purchased a piece of land known as ‘Town Piece’ for the purposes of a recreation ground. The blue arrow on the below map shows the location of this ‘L-shaped’ piece of land. Extract from O.S. Map c.1945. Courtesy Ray & Maureen Beales Although the Parish Council purchased…
A Recreation Ground for All!
At a meeting of the Parish Council held on the 20th May, 1932, it was agreed that the Recreation Ground is free “to any party in the parish for useful purposes, providing application is made to the council for their sanction”. A year earlier, and as trustees, the Parish Council had purchased land for the…
Great Ellingham born Harry Field emigrates to San Francisco
Church of St James, Great Ellingham Baptism at St James On the 28th August 1892, Great Ellingham schoolmaster John Field and his wife Annis took their infant son, Alfred Harold, to the Parish Church for baptism. Great Ellingham Board Schools and School House. Author’s Collection Early Life at The School House Alfred Harold Field was…
Luther Beales – a ‘Man of Many Talents’
Joan Barnard is one of many people who have several family connections to Great Ellingham. What’s more, her family retained many of the memories and stories about members of the families, as well as photographs. What follows is Joan’s account of her family member Luther Beales: Luther Beales was born Great Ellingham 1893. He was…
The W.I provides Great Ellingham with a Bus Shelter
Photograph taken February 2012 It has recently been announced that the village will benefit from an improved bus service. I wonder how many of us who have stood in the shelter waiting for a bus – or just passing by, have ever wondered when the bus shelter was erected? I found the answer in the…
Clement Barker buys Rookery Farm from William J Norton
Extract from 1906 Ordnance Survey Map. Second Edition. Surveyed in 1881. Revised 1904. Rookery Farm is a substantial farm approached by a short drive from the Watton Road, near to the border with Rocklands. Indeed a very small portion of the land belonging to the farm once crossed the parish boundary into Rocklands. Perhaps this…
William Arthur Bush successfully bids for Rookery Farm at Auction
William Arthur Bush may well have been in residence at Rookery Farm when he bid for the farm at auction. Auction At the auction on the 9th September, 1910, held at the Royal Hotel, Attleborough, Rookery Farm was sold in four lots. William Bush successfully bid for Lots 1 and 4, which included the majority…
Great Ellingham born Alfred Lincoln buys Rookery Farm
1790-1909 Extract from 1906 Ordnance Survey Map. Second Edition. Surveyed in 1881. Revised 1904 From 1790 until 1909 Rookery Farm on the Watton Road to Rocklands, was owned by the Norton family. At the turn of the 18th century, the farm comprised two farms – one of some 50 acres and the other 114 acres….
John Murton dies at his home in Chequers Lane
As one of the many sayings about life goes… ‘the only certainty in life is death’. Over the centuries, our village has seen the comings and goings of many of its inhabitants. Some people will remain in the village all their lives. Some will come into the village, stay a while and move on. Others…