Gressenhall
Gressenhall is well known because the Museum of Rural Life is situated in the village.
The museum is housed in what was the Mitford & Launditch Union Workhouse and the buildings have been home to many local families over the last 240 years. Many inmates arrived at The Workhouse, knowing that that journey was to be their last, but others were only here while things were not going well at home, they were sick or couldn’t be cared for anywhere else.
There are many stories about the inmates and the conditions in the Workhouse and, for anyone interested in more information, please do contact us, or the museum itself.
Gressenhall is a very picturesque village, with a large village green and several very pretty cottages. The Church is very large and sits well away from the main centre of the village as it is today, but it wasn’t always like that. Much of what we now know of as Gressenhall, is in fact Great Bittering, a deserted village which has been absorbed into the parish.
Gressenhall has several local businesses which still thrive and we welcome any business owner to add their own business to our listing to help make it as complete as possible.
Below, are the entries from the 1883 Trade Directory for Great Bittering and Gressenhall. See how many businesses there were at the time.
BITTERING MAGNA (or GREAT BITTERING) was formerly a parish, between Beetley and Gressenhall but of which nothing remains—except that adjoining the latter village are some cottages, the locality of which still bears the name of Bittering Street—the parish having been divided between those adjoining, Beetley & Gressenhall.
GRESSENHALL is a village and parish 3 miles north-west from East Dereham station, in the Western division of the county, Launditch Hundred and Union, East Dereham County Court district, rural deanery of Brisley, archdeaconry and diocese of Norwich. The Church of St Mary The Virgin is a large handsome cruciform edifice of flint, with stone dressings, chiefly in the Perpendicular style, dating from the 15th century, and consists of chancel, nave, aisles, and porch with a handsome central tower with buttresses, containing 5 bells: it has memorials to the L’Estrange, Vessey, Davy and other families: in 1880 the church was thoroughly repaired and reseated throughout; a fine stained east window of the Good Samaritan was placed in memory of the late rector’s wife, also one of the Crucifixion at the west end, in memory of the late rector: a beautiful pulpit of stone and alabaster was presented by the Hill family, and an oak eagle lectern given by the parishioners. The register dates from the year 1744. The living is a rectory, gross yearly value £750, with residence and 50 acres of glebe, in the gift of King’s College, Cambridge, and held since 1873 by the Rev. John Martyr Ward M.A. late fellow of that college. In that part of the parish called Roughholm was anciently a Chapel, founded by William de Stuteville, in the reign of Henry VIII. and dedicated to St. Nicholas, but long since in ruins. The charities are £26 yearly. The workhouse for the Mittford and Launditch union is situated in this parish: it is a red brick building, and was erected in 1776, but in 1860 £2,000 were spent in alterations: for particulars of union see East Dereham. The Hall, the seat of Charles Groucock esq. is a large brick mansion, with well-wooded park and preserves, containing about 85 acres. The trustees of the late John David Hay-Hill esq. J.P. are lords of the manors of North and South Soken and Roughholm, and Miss Mary Johnson is lady of that of Harfords. The principal landowners are the trustees of the late J. D. Hay-Hill esq. J.P., Miss Mary Johnson, J. Hastings and William Alpe. The soil is loam and clay; subsoil, clay and gravel. The area is 2,541 acres; rateable value, £4,583; and the population in 1881 was 684.
Parish Clerk, Benjamin Tye.
_____
POST OFFICE.— Benjamin Tye, receiver. Letters arrive from East Dereham at 7.30 a.m.; dispatched at 5.35 p.m. on week days; on sundays ay 9. The nearest money order & telegraph office & savings bank is at East Dereham.
National School, for boys & girls, erected in 1842 at the expense of the late John David Hay-Hill, esq. J.P.; Henry Adams, master
CARRIER TO NORWICH.— Robert Gunton, friday, returning sat
Dunne Capt. Terence J. B. (2nd Queen’s) [adjutant 3rd Vol. Batt. Norfolk Reg]
Green Mrs.
Groucock Charles, The Hall
Johnson Miss, Woodlands
Ward Rev. John Martyr M.A. [rector]
COMMERCIAL.
Alpe William, farmer
Atthow Jenison, farmer
Atthow Jenison, jun. farmer
Ayers George, farmer
Blyth Hebron, gamekeeper to the trustees of the late John David Hay-Hill esq.
Brown George, White Swan, & butcher
Clark Robert, wheelwright
Crown Martin, blacksmith
Curl Arthur, farmer
Eastoe James, chimney sweeper
Empson Matthew, beer retailer
Gapp Mary Ann (Mrs.), farmer
Gunton Robert, Three Horseshoes, & carrier
Halliday Charles, farmer
Harman Thomas, carpenter
Hill James, farmer
Hill John, farmer
Holman George, thatcher
Howard John, farmer
Larwood Jesse, farmer
Matthews Hammond, farmer
Melton Richard, farmer
Merrison Timothy, farmer, Hall farm
Milk David, farmer
Naylor James, farmer
Neale John, bricklayer
Payne William Spragg, builder & wheelwright & collector of rates & taxes for the parish of Hoe
Pease David, Royal Oak
Peck Henry, veterinary surgeon
Peck Robert, veterinary surgeon
Rix James Ashley, farmer, Bushey ho
Smith Hannah (Mrs.), shopkeeper
Sparks Robert, farmer
Stammers Robert, miller (wind & water), Chapel Mills
Steggles Henry, Chequers
Tunney Fredk. farmer, Longham lane
Twigg Isaac, farmer
Tye Benj. grocer & draper, & post office
No Records Found
Sorry, no records were found. Please adjust your search criteria and try again.
Google Map Not Loaded
Sorry, unable to load Google Maps API.
Contact Us
Find Us:
Gressenhall
Norfolk
NR20 4EB