Bressingham Explained

Country:England
Coordinates:52.3857°N 1.0497°W
Official Name:Bressingham
Population:882
Population Ref:(2011)
Area Total Km2:15.77
Civil Parish:Bressingham
Shire District:South Norfolk
Shire County:Norfolk
Region:East of England
Post Town:DISS
Postcode District:IP22
Postcode Area:IP
Os Grid Reference:TM0780
Static Image:St John the Baptist,Bressingham - geograph.org.uk - 1024930.jpg
Static Image Width:240px
Static Image Caption:St John the Baptist, Bressingham

Bressingham is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It covers an area of 15.77km2 and had a population of 751 in 305 households as of the 2001 census,[1] the population increasing to 882 at the 2011 census.

History

The name Bressingham is of Old English origin and refers to the homestead of Briosa's people.[2]

Bressingham is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 as consisting of 47 households, which placed it in the largest 20% of settlements. At this time, Bressingham was divided between the land of William I (2 acres of meadow, 6 pigs and woodland) and Bury St Edmunds Abbey (16 acres of meadow, 26 pigs and woodland).[3]

Bressingham's St. John the Baptist Church was largely built in the Perpendicular Gothic Style in the 15th century, yet features of the interior, specifically the chancel, date back to the 14th century. The stained glass windows depict St Peter, St Paul, John the Baptist and Christ, and were installed by J & J King of Norwich in 1877.[4]

From 1804, Bressingham had a thriving Amicable Society with upwards of thirty members agreeing to a rudimentary form of life insurance. The society conducted its meetings in the Chequers pub.[5]

Governance

Bressingham is part of the electoral ward of Bressingham & Burston for local elections and is classified as a district of South Norfolk.

Bressingham's national constituency is South Norfolk, which has been represented by the Conservative Richard Bacon MP in Parliament since 2001.

The population of the ward at the 2011 census was 2,810.[6]

Points of interest

War memorial

The Bressingham Parish War Memorial is found on the junction between School Road and High Road. It commemorates the following individuals who died in the First World War:

External links

bressinghamandfersfield.org The website of Bressingham and Fersfield's Parish Council

Notes and References

  1. Office for National Statistics & Norfolk County Council. (2001). Retrieved June 20, 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20170211032229/https://www.norfolk.gov.uk/consumption/groups/public/documents/general_resources/ncc017867.xls
  2. Rye, J. (1991). A Popular Guide to Norfolk Place-names. Dereham: Larks Press.
  3. Domesday Book. (1086). Retrieved October 30, 2022. https://opendomesday.org/place/TM0780/bressingham/
  4. The Norfolk Churches Site. (2022). Retrieved October 10, 2022. http://www.norfolkchurches.co.uk/bressingham/bressingham.htm
  5. Bressingham & Fersfield. (2021). Retrieved October 30, 2022. https://bressinghamandfersfield.org/2021/history/6203/(
  6. UK Census. (2011). Retrieved September 5, 2015. http://www.ukcensusdata.com/bressingham-and-burston-e05005914#sthash.XaOV9Fjf.dpbs