Brooke, Norfolk
Brooke is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It is west of Loddon and south-east of Norwich. At the 2021 census, the parish had a population of 1,390.
In the Domesday Book, Brooke is recorded as a settlement of 41 households in the hundred of Henstead. In 1086, the village was part of the estates of Bury St Edmunds Abbey.
The village has a school, Brooke Church of England Primary School, which is located in a 17th century schoolhouse, the King's Head and White Lion public houses, a petrol station, and a village hall. Brooke Cricket Club operates two senior men's teams as well as several youth teams.
Church
Brooke's parish church is dedicated to Saint Peter and dates to the 12th century; it is one of Norfolk's 124 remaining round-tower churches. The church was restored in the 15th and 19th centuries and has an elaborate font dating from 1470 depicting the sacraments and stained-glass designed by William Morris depicting Faith, Hope and Charity.Notable people
- Sir Astley Cooper, 1st Baronet, surgeon and anatomist, born in Brooke.
- Reverend Dr. William Beal, Vicar of Brooke 1847-1870.
- George Ewart Evans, teacher, write and folklorist, lived in Brooke.
- Bernard Matthews, founder of Bernard Matthews Foods, born in Brooke.
- Caroline Cossey, model and actress, born in Brooke.