Clenchwarton Explained

Country:England
Coordinates:52.7552°N 0.3541°W
Official Name:Clenchwarton
Population:2,223
Population Ref:(2011)[1]
Shire District:King's Lynn and West Norfolk
Area Total Sq Mi:4.9
London Distance: SW
Shire County:Norfolk
Region:East of England
Constituency Westminster:North West Norfolk
Post Town:KING'S LYNN
Postcode District:PE34
Postcode Area:PE
Dial Code:01553
Os Grid Reference:TF588201
Static Image Name:St Margaret, Clenchwarton, Norfolk - geograph.org.uk - 310362.jpg
Static Image Caption:St Margaret, Clenchwarton
Static Image 2 Caption:Clenchwarton Village Sign
Static Image 2:Clenchwarton Village Sign.jpg

Clenchwarton is a village, civil parish and electoral ward in the English county of Norfolk. It is located about NaNmiles west of the River Great Ouse, about NaNmiles from the town of King's Lynn on the east side of the river.[2] [3]

History

Clenchwarton's name is of Anglo-Saxon origin and derives from the Old English for a hill dweller's farmstead or settlement.[4]

In the Domesday Book, Clenchwarton is recorded as an abandoned village with no recorded population in the hundred of Freebridge. The village was part of the estates of William d'Ecounis.[5] The abandonment of the village was likely the result of the Norman reprisals in retaliation for the Ely Rebellion of 1070, led by Hereward the Wake.

The village was also surveyed by the Victorian traveller, John Marius, in the 1870s. He wrote the following about the village in the Imperial Gazetteer: "church is old but good. There are a N.Methodist chapel, and a national school."

Geography

In the 2011 Census, Clenchwarton was recorded as having a population of 2,171 residents living in 963 households.[6]

In the 2021 Census, Clenchwarton was recorded as having a population of 2,223 residents, an increase of 0.24%.

Clenchwarton falls within the constituency of North West Norfolk and is represented at Parliament by James Wild MP of the Conservative Party.

St. Margaret's Church

Clenchwarton's parish church is of Norman origin and is dedicated to Saint Margaret of Scotland. The church was significantly remodelled in the Fourteenth, Fifteenth and Nineteenth Centuries and is Grade II listed. One of the main features of the church is a stained glass window installed by Hardman & Co. in the 1920s depicting Mary Elizabeth Townsend.[7]

Clenchwarton is also home to a Methodist Church which still hosts regular services.[8]

Amenities

Most local children attend the local Clenchwarton Community Primary School[9] which is part of the West Norfolk Academies Trust. The school was rated 'Good' by Ofsted in 2017.[10]

The local convenience store can be located on Main Road, just opposite the Primary School. The shop also has a Post Office[11] inside.

The village is home to Clenchwarton Football Club which hosts several youth and adult teams. The first XI compete in the North-West Norfolk Saturday League.[12]

The village is also home to a lawn bowls team.

Transport

Clenchwarton Railway Station opened in 1866 as part of the Lynn and Sutton Bridge Railway and was eventually closed in 1959.

Public transport through the village is now provided by bus route 505 between King's Lynn and Spalding. It is part of the Lincolnshire Interconnect network and currently operated by Stagecoach in Lincolnshire.

War memorial

Clenchwarton has two war memorials located inside St. Margaret's Church and on the nearby 'Peace Cottages'.

It lists the following 17 names for the First World War:

And, the following for the Second World War:

And, the following for the Cyprus Emergency:

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Ward/Parish population 2011. 26 August 2015.
  2. OS Explorer Map 236 - King's Lynn, Downham Market & Swaffham.
  3. OS Explorer Map 249 - Spalding & Holbeach.
  4. University of Nottingham. (2022). Retrieved December 11, 2022. http://kepn.nottingham.ac.uk/map/place/Norfolk/Clenchwarton
  5. Domesday Book. (1086). Retrieved December 11, 2022. https://opendomesday.org/place/TF5820/clenchwarton/
  6. Office for National Services. (2011). Retrieved December 11, 2022. https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/reports/localarea?compare=E04006298
  7. Knott, S. (2017). Retrieved December 11, 2022. http://www.norfolkchurches.co.uk/clenchwarton/clenchwarton.htm
  8. Methodist Church of Britain. (2022). Retrieved December 11, 2022. https://eangliamethodist.org.uk/clenchwarton
  9. Web site:
  10. Ofsted. (2017). Retrieved December 11, 2022. https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/21/141465
  11. Web site: Branch Finder Post Office . 2023-10-07 . www.postoffice.co.uk.
  12. The FA. (2022). Retrieved December 11, 2022. https://fulltime.thefa.com/displayTeam.html?divisionseason=253179816&teamID=653967848