Babingley
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Babingley is a small village a few miles north of Kings Lynn in Norfolk. It is next to Castle Rising and Wolferton, the latter being the place where the Royal Family left the train for nearby Sandringham for many years. Over the centuries, Babingley has changed from a large village to a few cottages and then back to just a little bit more than a few cottages!
Babingley is allegedly the place where Saint Felix first arrived in England from Burgundy. This was sometime around 630 and a violent storm caused Saint Felix to head inland via the River Babingley. Such was the ferocity of the storm that he could not escape it unaided and a colony of beavers came to his rescue. This unlikely event is captured on the village sign which includes both Saint Felix and a beaver, who is being handed a bishops mitre by Saint Felix as a sign of his gratitude. From Babingley, Saint Felix made his way to Canterbury, where he was ordained as a bishop. Saint Felix is generally considered to be the man who brought Christianity to East Anglia.
Long after St Felix had left Babingley behind the Normans came to England. The Domesday Book refers to Babingley as being home to four villagers, fifteen smallholders, five slaves and seven freemen. The fields were cared for by one Lord's plough team and three men's plough teams. The village also consisted of sixteen acres of meadow, woodland that was home to sixty pigs, two mills and five salt houses. Livestock included one pony, ten cattle, twelve pigs and one hundred and sixty sheep. The Lord was Archbishop Stigand. By 1086 he was replaced by William of Parthenay whose tenant in chief was Peter of Valognes. At the same time Tort, a Saxon freeman was also ejected.
The River Babingley was once wider and faster flowing than it is now and was the home to several mills over the centuries. Babingley post mill was in existence in the 11th and 12th centuries, but was derelict by the late 1300’s. Various contemporary sources also refer to a water mill and mention that at this time the area contained pasture, meadow, marsh and heathland. Farm crops that were grown included rye and wheat. The villagers worked to produce salt, peat, turf and wood. This conjures up an image of a large, thriving and busy village in medieval times. The nearby village of Rising, known as Castle Rising, was a fairly insignificant village until the Normans built a castle there. It is believed that the castle could be accessed by boat via a specially dug channel from the River Babingley. The development of Rising would have been beneficial to Babingley in terms of trade and work.
The River Babingley today is not very grand, not grand enough for common beavers, never mind ordained ones. In fact it is little more than a stream and you will cross it without even noticing as you head north from Kings Lynn towards present day Babingley. The next thing that you barely notice as you drive past is the remains of a medieval stone cross. The name of this is Butlers Cross and its name comes from the de Boetler, or Butler, family who once inhabited West Hall at Babingley. The actual cross itself once marked the boundary of Rising Chase, the hunting grounds of the nearby manor of Castle Rising. Not far from the cross is the village sign and then comes the village.
Modern day Babingley primarily consists of two clusters of cottages on the A149 main road. The first group of cottages are referred to as Babingley Cross or Butlers Cross. Next to them is a “log cabin” which is in fact Babingley Club. The club was first officially opened in the afternoon of Monday 27th October 1913. The King and Queen both attended the opening with the King saying a few words before handing the club over to the villagers. The Royal couple were joined by Queen Alexandra, the King and Queen of Norway and Princess Victoria. The second group of cottages, at the bottom of the hill, are known as Cats Bottom. No one knows where this name originated from and over the years it has often been corrupted to Catchbottom. One theory is that wagons used to catch their bottom on the dip at the bottom of the hill, hence the name, but I doubt the validity of this as Cats Bottom is the proper name as can be seen on old maps. Across the road from Babingley Cross, but barely visible from the main road, are a few more cottages and a little tin and thatch church. It is in this area that the majority of the village originally stood.
If you venture down the little lane opposite Butlers Cross, you will see the unique church, St Felix chapel. Its blue corrugated iron construction is topped with a thatched roof. It was built in 1880, probably in kit form, by a Norwich company called Boulton and Paul. It is often referred to as a tin tabernacle. The site was originally home to a mission chapel, but as the original village church was in a poor state of repair and was now a long way from what remained of the village, the unusual tin church was built here. This strange building is now in another reincarnation as a British Orthodox church.
Continuing down the lane you will find a cottage or two. Originally this area contained Babingley Hall, which had its own moat and a little further along is Butlers Farm, which also once had a moat. Beyond this are the remains of the original St Felix church. The ivy clad ruin was still a functioning church in the early 1800’s. Repairs were attempted, some of them in the mid 1800’s, but the church never regained its former glory and as we have seen it was replaced by the tin tabernacle.
Maps from the late 1700’s have little detail, but show Babingley and its church just to the north of the River Babingley. The only specific reference is the “hall” just a little further north. By the early 1800’s a little more detail can be gleaned. The “hall” is now marked as Hall Farm. To the west and just south of the river is Marsh Mill. The areas around Cats Bottom are shown as heath and warren, so the belts of conifers had not been planted at that time.
White's 1845 Gazetteer of Norfolk refers to Babingley as having 800 acres but just 54 inhabitants. Charles Bradfield was the main farmer at this time. His annual sale of sheep was quite an attraction and the local press carried advertisements for an “Important Sale of Rams on the Prince of Wales’ Estate”.
Sandringham was purchased by the Royal Family in 1862 and their involvement gave the local area a boost in terms of fame and tourism. They spent a lot of time shooting in the surrounding countryside, a pursuit that continues to this day.
White’s 1883 Gazetteer shows that little had changed in the last forty years. It mentions that in 1881 the 58 occupants lived in 13 houses, information presumably gleaned from the census returns. Mention is also made of the farm house having been converted to a hospital for Sandringham Estate tenants and workers who were suffering from disease. This was at the behest of the Princess of Wales. Both Gazetteers also refer to the swampy nature of the land and it perhaps not surprising that what remains of the village is a little further from the sea than some of the original village.
The once large village had declined rapidly, possibly due to the Black Death or other epidemics. Its growth now was very slow. In the early 1800’s Babingley had just 3 houses, but had expanded to 18 houses by the turn of the century. Maps from the late 1800’s show the moat which once surrounded Babingley Hall and to the east of that is Hall Farm, a little detached from the site of the hall itself. On some maps the farm itself is also moated. Houses are shown at Babingley Cross, and for the first time, at Cats Bottom. The area inland of Cats Bottom is now all shown as conifer woodland, confirming that the majority of these plantations were started during the nineteenth century. In several places gravel pits are shown in the area inland of Cats Bottom. It is possible that the properties at Cats Bottom were originally built as accommodation for workers at the gravel pits. Given the slow growth of the village it seems strange that Babingley Club was opened in 1913. However, in the years before the war day trips and holidays had become more common. Babingley was on the main road from Kings Lynn to the coastal resort of Hunstanton so perhaps the King saw the new club as a money making venture as much as a community one.
An unusual and sad occurrence took place at Babingley during World War Two. A double decker bus overturned and a passenger was killed. He was the publican of The Grapes public house in nearby Snettisham.
Babingley is a small village a few miles north of Kings Lynn in Norfolk. It is next to Castle Rising and Wolferton, the latter being the place where the Royal Family left the train for nearby Sandringham for many years. Over the centuries, Babingley has changed from a large village to a few cottages and then back to just a little bit more than a few cottages!
Babingley is allegedly the place where Saint Felix first arrived in England from Burgundy. This was sometime around 630 and a violent storm caused Saint Felix to head inland via the River Babingley. Such was the ferocity of the storm that he could not escape it unaided and a colony of beavers came to his rescue. This unlikely event is captured on the village sign which includes both Saint Felix and a beaver, who is being handed a bishops mitre by Saint Felix as a sign of his gratitude. From Babingley, Saint Felix made his way to Canterbury, where he was ordained as a bishop. Saint Felix is generally considered to be the man who brought Christianity to East Anglia.
Long after St Felix had left Babingley behind the Normans came to England. The Domesday Book refers to Babingley as being home to four villagers, fifteen smallholders, five slaves and seven freemen. The fields were cared for by one Lord's plough team and three men's plough teams. The village also consisted of sixteen acres of meadow, woodland that was home to sixty pigs, two mills and five salt houses. Livestock included one pony, ten cattle, twelve pigs and one hundred and sixty sheep. The Lord was Archbishop Stigand. By 1086 he was replaced by William of Parthenay whose tenant in chief was Peter of Valognes. At the same time Tort, a Saxon freeman was also ejected.
The River Babingley was once wider and faster flowing than it is now and was the home to several mills over the centuries. Babingley post mill was in existence in the 11th and 12th centuries, but was derelict by the late 1300’s. Various contemporary sources also refer to a water mill and mention that at this time the area contained pasture, meadow, marsh and heathland. Farm crops that were grown included rye and wheat. The villagers worked to produce salt, peat, turf and wood. This conjures up an image of a large, thriving and busy village in medieval times. The nearby village of Rising, known as Castle Rising, was a fairly insignificant village until the Normans built a castle there. It is believed that the castle could be accessed by boat via a specially dug channel from the River Babingley. The development of Rising would have been beneficial to Babingley in terms of trade and work.
The River Babingley today is not very grand, not grand enough for common beavers, never mind ordained ones. In fact it is little more than a stream and you will cross it without even noticing as you head north from Kings Lynn towards present day Babingley. The next thing that you barely notice as you drive past is the remains of a medieval stone cross. The name of this is Butlers Cross and its name comes from the de Boetler, or Butler, family who once inhabited West Hall at Babingley. The actual cross itself once marked the boundary of Rising Chase, the hunting grounds of the nearby manor of Castle Rising. Not far from the cross is the village sign and then comes the village.
Modern day Babingley primarily consists of two clusters of cottages on the A149 main road. The first group of cottages are referred to as Babingley Cross or Butlers Cross. Next to them is a “log cabin” which is in fact Babingley Club. The club was first officially opened in the afternoon of Monday 27th October 1913. The King and Queen both attended the opening with the King saying a few words before handing the club over to the villagers. The Royal couple were joined by Queen Alexandra, the King and Queen of Norway and Princess Victoria. The second group of cottages, at the bottom of the hill, are known as Cats Bottom. No one knows where this name originated from and over the years it has often been corrupted to Catchbottom. One theory is that wagons used to catch their bottom on the dip at the bottom of the hill, hence the name, but I doubt the validity of this as Cats Bottom is the proper name as can be seen on old maps. Across the road from Babingley Cross, but barely visible from the main road, are a few more cottages and a little tin and thatch church. It is in this area that the majority of the village originally stood.
If you venture down the little lane opposite Butlers Cross, you will see the unique church, St Felix chapel. Its blue corrugated iron construction is topped with a thatched roof. It was built in 1880, probably in kit form, by a Norwich company called Boulton and Paul. It is often referred to as a tin tabernacle. The site was originally home to a mission chapel, but as the original village church was in a poor state of repair and was now a long way from what remained of the village, the unusual tin church was built here. This strange building is now in another reincarnation as a British Orthodox church.
Continuing down the lane you will find a cottage or two. Originally this area contained Babingley Hall, which had its own moat and a little further along is Butlers Farm, which also once had a moat. Beyond this are the remains of the original St Felix church. The ivy clad ruin was still a functioning church in the early 1800’s. Repairs were attempted, some of them in the mid 1800’s, but the church never regained its former glory and as we have seen it was replaced by the tin tabernacle.
Maps from the late 1700’s have little detail, but show Babingley and its church just to the north of the River Babingley. The only specific reference is the “hall” just a little further north. By the early 1800’s a little more detail can be gleaned. The “hall” is now marked as Hall Farm. To the west and just south of the river is Marsh Mill. The areas around Cats Bottom are shown as heath and warren, so the belts of conifers had not been planted at that time.
White's 1845 Gazetteer of Norfolk refers to Babingley as having 800 acres but just 54 inhabitants. Charles Bradfield was the main farmer at this time. His annual sale of sheep was quite an attraction and the local press carried advertisements for an “Important Sale of Rams on the Prince of Wales’ Estate”.
Sandringham was purchased by the Royal Family in 1862 and their involvement gave the local area a boost in terms of fame and tourism. They spent a lot of time shooting in the surrounding countryside, a pursuit that continues to this day.
White’s 1883 Gazetteer shows that little had changed in the last forty years. It mentions that in 1881 the 58 occupants lived in 13 houses, information presumably gleaned from the census returns. Mention is also made of the farm house having been converted to a hospital for Sandringham Estate tenants and workers who were suffering from disease. This was at the behest of the Princess of Wales. Both Gazetteers also refer to the swampy nature of the land and it perhaps not surprising that what remains of the village is a little further from the sea than some of the original village.
The once large village had declined rapidly, possibly due to the Black Death or other epidemics. Its growth now was very slow. In the early 1800’s Babingley had just 3 houses, but had expanded to 18 houses by the turn of the century. Maps from the late 1800’s show the moat which once surrounded Babingley Hall and to the east of that is Hall Farm, a little detached from the site of the hall itself. On some maps the farm itself is also moated. Houses are shown at Babingley Cross, and for the first time, at Cats Bottom. The area inland of Cats Bottom is now all shown as conifer woodland, confirming that the majority of these plantations were started during the nineteenth century. In several places gravel pits are shown in the area inland of Cats Bottom. It is possible that the properties at Cats Bottom were originally built as accommodation for workers at the gravel pits. Given the slow growth of the village it seems strange that Babingley Club was opened in 1913. However, in the years before the war day trips and holidays had become more common. Babingley was on the main road from Kings Lynn to the coastal resort of Hunstanton so perhaps the King saw the new club as a money making venture as much as a community one.
An unusual and sad occurrence took place at Babingley during World War Two. A double decker bus overturned and a passenger was killed. He was the publican of The Grapes public house in nearby Snettisham.