Erpingham

Erpingham is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk.
Erpingham is located north of Aylsham and north of Norwich, along Scarrow Beck. The parish also includes the nearby village of Calthorpe.

History

Erpingham's name is of Anglo-Saxon origin and derives from the Old English for the homestead or village of Eorp's people.
There is archaeological evidence to suggest Erpingham was the site of two Roman settlements, one of which suggests a military or religious function. Furthermore, Roman artefacts, including coins, brooches and a quern-stone, have been discovered close to the village.
In the Domesday Book, Erpingham is listed as a settlement of 27 households in the hundred of South Erpingham. In 1086, the village was divided between the East Anglian estates of Roger Bigot, St Benet's Abbey, Drogo de la Beuvrière and Ranulf brother of Ilger.
Erpingham Watermill is first recorded in the mid-Eighteenth Century as one of the smallest mills in Norfolk, drawing on the Scarrow Beck for its power. The watermill was gutted by fire in 1965 and was subsequently demolished. Erpingham Windmill dates from the late-Fourteenth Century and is a private residence today.
During the Second World War, an artillery emplacement and bunker were built in the village for use of the Home Guard.

Geography

According to the 2021 census, Erpingham has a population of 737 people which shows an increase from the 700 people recorded in the 2011 census.
Erpingham is located along Scarrow Beck.

Church of St. Mary

Erpingham's parish church is dedicated to Saint Mary and has a nave dating from the Fourteenth Century and a chancel from the Fifteenth Century. St. Mary's is located along Church Road, outside of the village and has been Grade I listed since 1960.
St. Mary's font is from the Nineteenth Century and was originally placed in St Benedict's Church in Norwich, but was transferred to Erpingham after the church was destroyed in the Norwich Blitz. The church also holds a good example of a Fourteenth Century brass memorial dedicated to Sir John de Erpingham, an English soldier present at the Battle of Agincourt, and installed by his son, Sir Thomas Erpingham. Additionally, St. Mary's has good examples of British and Continental stained-glass, largely copied from examples in Blickling Hall and restored in the Twenty-first Century by King & Son.

Amenities

Erpingham's 'Spread Eagle' public house has stood on its current site since the late eighteenth century. In its long history, the Spread Eagle has been owned by Watney & Mann Brewery and Woodforde's and was briefly known as the Erpingham Arms from 2011 to 2017.
Local children usually attend Erpingham Church of England Primary School which is part of the Blue Sky Federation. After an Ofsted inspection in October 2023, the school was given a rating of 'Requires Improvement.'

Notable residents

Sir Thomas Erpingham KG- soldier and administrator, Lord of Erpingham manor.
Elizabeth Grimston- poet, born in Erpingham.
Jacob Mountain, Bishop of Quebec- clergyman and judge, born in Erpingham.
Nathaniel Pilch- Norfolk cricketer, died in Erpingham.
William Frederick Windham- aristocrat, born in Erpingham.
Sir Kenneth Hagar Kemp, 12th Baronet- lawyer, soldier and banker, born in Erpingham.
Sir Graham Savage CB- civil servant, born in Erpingham.
Grace Marcon- Suffragette, born in Erpingham.
Steven Wright- serial killer, born in Erpingham.
Steve Goble- Norwich City and FC Groningen footballer, born in Erpingham.

Governance

Erpingham is an electoral ward for local elections and is part of the district of North Norfolk.
The village's national constituency is North [Norfolk (UK Parliament constituency)|North Norfolk], which has been represented by the Liberal Democrat Steff Aquarone MP since 2024.

War memorial

Erpingham War Memorial is a stone wheel-cross with a plinth inscribed with 'Pro Patria 1914-1919' inside St. Mary's Churchyard. The memorial lists the following names for the First World War:

Rank	Name	Unit	Date of death	Burial/Commemoration
Gnr.	John C. Nichols	251st Bde., Royal Field Artillery	13 Sep. 1918	La Ville-aux-Bois Cemetery
Cpl.	Bertie E. Green	1/5th Bn., Norfolk Regiment	13 Aug. 1915	Helles Memorial
Pte.	George Warne	1/6th Bn., Durham Light Infantry	7 Oct. 1918	St. Mary's Churchyard
Pte.	Albert Lambert	1/9th Bn., D.L.I.	20 Jan. 1917	Dernancourt Cemetery
Pte.	Alfred E. Allard	13th Bn., D.L.I.	8 Oct. 1918	Tincourt British Cemetery
Pte.	S. Jack Burgess	2nd Bn., Norfolk Regiment	18 Dec. 1916	Basra War Cemetery
Pte.	John F. Ives	1/5th Bn., Norfolk Regt.	8 Sep. 1917	Haifa War Cemetery
Pte.	S. William Bean	9th Bn., Norfolk Regt.	1 May 1917	Loos Memorial
Pte.	Donald D. Daniels	1/4th Bn., Northumberland Fusilers	27 Mar. 1918	Pozières Memorial
Sth.	Herbert J. Burgess	1 Coy., Army Service Corps	10 Oct. 1916	St. Mary's Churchyard

The following names were added after the Second World War:

Rank	Name	Unit	Date of death	Burial/Commemoration
LCpl.	Harold G. Jickells	Royal Engineers	23 Oct. 1942	Kranji War Cemetery
Pte.	Noel Dennis	4th Bn., Royal Norfolk Regiment	29 Sep. 1943	Kanchanaburi War Cemetery