Denton, Norfolk Explained

Country:England
Coordinates:52.4462°N 1.3554°W
Os Grid Reference:TM281884
Official Name:Denton
Population:326
Population Ref:(2011)
Area Total Km2:100.11
Static Image Name:Denton St Mary.jpg
Static Image Caption:Denton St Mary
Region:East of England
Civil Parish:Denton
Constituency Westminster:South Norfolk
Postcode District:IP20
Postcode Area:IP
Post Town:HARLESTON
Dial Code:01986
London Distance:90 miles
Website:http://www.denton-norfolk.co.uk

Denton is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. Denton is located 3.8 miles north-east of Harleston and 13 miles south of Norwich.

History

Denton's name is of Anglo-Saxon origin and derives from the Old English for an enclosed farmstead or settlement in a valley.[1]

In the Domesday Book, Denton is listed as a settlement of 49 households in the hundred of Earsham. In 1086, the village was divided between the estates of King William I and Eudo, son of Spirewic.[2]

The village boundaries include the remaining earthworks of Denton Castle which was likely built in 1088 by William d'Albini and subsequently abandoned in 1254. Today, the castle is a scheduled monument and in the ownership of the National Trust.

Geography

According to the 2011 Census, Denton has a population of 326 residents living in 149 households.[3]

Denton falls within the constituency of South Norfolk and is represented at Parliament by Richard Bacon MP of the Conservative Party.

St. Mary's Church

Denton's parish church is of Norman origin and dedicated to Saint Mary. The church tower holds evidence of three major rebuilding efforts, the most notable in the Eighteenth Century in the Tudor Perpendicular Style. The stained glass dates back to the Medieval period, with some examples installed by Le Grys Manfylde in the mid-Sixteenth Century.[4]

Village Life

Despite its small population, Denton has an extremely active community and even won the 2008 Pride in Norfolk Award for a village under 500 people in population. The village went on to win the 2009 Calor Village of the Year Competition.The Parish Council fund the Village Website which aims to provide comprehensive coverage of the community and its activities.

War memorial

Denton war memorial takes the form of a carved marble plaque inside St. Mary's Church. It lists the following names for the First World War:

And, the following for the Second World War:

Notes and References

  1. University of Nottingham. (2022). Retrieved December 22, 2022. http://kepn.nottingham.ac.uk/map/place/Norfolk/Denton
  2. Domesday Book. (1086). Retrieved December 22, 2022. https://opendomesday.org/place/TM2788/denton/
  3. Office for National Statistics. (2011). Retrieved December 22, 2022. https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/reports/localarea?compare=E04006535
  4. Knott, S. (2018). Retrieved December 22, 2022.