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New School Extension, Summer 2008
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Image:East_Anglia.gif|Counties of East Anglia
Image:East_Anglia.gif|Counties of East Anglia
Image:Pickenhams' Parish Voice cover.jpg|Village magazine cover with Village Show winners
Image:Pickenhams' Parish Voice cover.jpg|Village magazine cover with Village Show winners
Image:NP St Andews rebuild.jpg|New School Extension, Summer 2008
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== References and external links ==
== References and external links ==

Revision as of 01:09, 18 December 2008

North Pickenham
PopulationExpression error: "495 UK census 2001" must be numeric
OS grid referenceTF8646606864
District
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townSwaffham
Postcode districtPE37
Dialling code01760
PoliceNorfolk
FireNorfolk
AmbulanceEast of England
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Norfolk

North Pickenham is a village in the Breckland district[1] of mid-Norfolk, East Anglia, England in the United Kingdom. Named after its leader Pinca[2], Pica[3][4] or maybe Piccea with ham meaning homestead, it became a pagan Anglo Saxon settlement in the 5th century AD. It remained part of a Saxon kingdom until the Norman Conquest in 1066[5] when it became part of the honour of the Earl of Richmond, Yorkshire. The village sign[6] shows a Saxon (left) and a Norman (right) warrior (see Great Britain in the Middle Ages) with Richmond Castle and the river Wissey in the background; The sign was designed by Ben Ripper, a local historian, and carved by Steve Eggleton[7].

North Pickenham has an area of 1015 hectares (3.92 square miles) with an estimated population of 495 as of UK census 2001. Norfolk (pop. 832,400) has about a 30th the population density of Central London, the tenth lowest density county in the country, with 38% of the county’s population living in the three major built up areas of Norwich (194,200), Great Yarmouth (66,400) and King's Lynn (40,700).[8]

It has a Parish Council Tax (Band D) 1st April 2007 of £38.65.[9]

It was once in the Hundred of South Greenhoe.[10][11][12]

North Pickenham is three miles, as the crow flies, from the Georgian market town of Swaffham.

The River Wissey cuts through the village at Houghton Lane bridge[13], following the course of Meadow Lane, close to the river's source at Bradenham.

Its sister village South Pickenham is two miles away through pretty, narrow country lanes.

North Pickenham has a newly extended school[14] with its own wind turbine. Its namesake, at the centre of the village, is St Andrew's church [15] [16][17] in the Benefice of Necton [18]

Adjacent to the church is a freehouse pub called the Blue Lion[19] which, with recent surveys and listed buildings visits, suggest it dates from the late 1700s with documented licensees from the mid 19th century.[20].

North Pickenham is near to the lost village of Houghton on the Hill with the restored church of St Mary's, with its amazing 11th century wall paintings[21] [22], instigated with tireless devotion by Bob Davey MBE[23] [24] [25],

The former Royal Air Force base, RAF North Pickenham, was located nearby hosting American B-24 Liberator bombers during World War II.[26] In the late 1950s and early 1960s three PGM-17 Thor nuclear missiles were based here[27][28] with early cases of CND acts of civil disobedience[29][30] . The airbase is now the site of a turkey farm owned by Bernard Matthews[31], a karting circuit [32]and an eight-turbine wind farm run by Enertrag UK Ltd.[33]

The 46 mile Peddars Way footpath runs through the village, 19 miles[34] from its south eastern start in Suffolk. The Peddars Way[35] starts at Knettishall Heath Country Park and follows the route of a Roman road to Holme-next-the-Sea on the Norfolk coast north of Hunstanton. At Holme the Peddars Way meets the Norfolk Coast Path as it runs east along the north Norfolk coast, designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, to the Victorian seaside resort of Cromer.

The annual local village show was reinstated in 2007 with great success. It not only raises funds for the church but highlights the growing and making skills of local residents whilst also being a great community event.[36]

Local action group Johnsons Community Action Group is endeavoring to improve the local playing field and surrounding environment. [37]

The Pickenhams' Parish Voice is a monthly community magazine servicing the 290 homes of both North and South Pickenham. parishvoice[at]gmail[dot]com

Ordnance Survey Benchmark at Manor Farm[38]

Circular village walk [39] and somewhere to sit on the way round. [40]

Informative .pdf files of the Breckland area [41] and central Norfolk. [42]

Old postcards of both North and South Pickenham.[43]

Local topographical photographs. [44] [45] [46] [47] [48] [49] [50] [51] [52]

Click on the thumbnails to enlarge:

Links to related websites: