Great Massingham
Great Massingham is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk.
Great Massingham is located east of King's Lynn and north-west of Norwich.
History
Great Massingham's name is of Anglo-Saxon origin and derives from the Old English for the village of Maessa's people.In the Domesday Book, Great and Little Massingham are recorded together as a settlement of 117 households in the hundred of Freebridge. In 1086, the village was divided between the estates of King William I, William de Warenne, William d'Ecouis, Count Eustace of Boulogne, Roger Bigod of Norfolk, Reginald, son of Ivo and Eudo, son of Spirewic.
In 1260, an Augustinian Priory was founded in the village which was eventually dissolved in 1583.
Massingham Railway Station opened in 1879 as part of the Lynn and Fakenham Railway. The station closed in 1966.
During the Second World War, RAF Great Massingham was built in the parish as a satellite airfield for RAF West Raynham and was used by RAF Bomber Command until 1958.
Geography
According to the 2021 census, Great Massingham has a population of 963 people which shows an increase from the 902 people listed in the 2011 census.St. Mary's Church
Great Massingham's parish church is dedicated to Saint Mary and dates from the Fifteenth Century. St. Mary's is located within the village on Station Road and has been Grade I listed since 1960. The church no longer holds Sunday services and is part of the Gayton, Grimston and Massingham Benefice.St. Mary's Churchtower was rebuilt in the Victorian era at the same time as a sparing restoration of the church. The church also features a Thirteenth Century font, Fifteenth Century benches and late-medieval stained-glass windows.
Amenities
Great Massingham Primary is part of the Great Massingham & Harpley Church of England Federation. The headteacher is Ms. H. Myhill.There is also a tennis and multisports facility in the village.
The Dabbing Duck pub has stood in the village since 1890, and was originally known as the Rose & Crown. The pub remains open for food & accommodation.
Governance
Great Massingham is part of the electoral ward of Massingham with Castle Acre for local elections and is part of the district of King's Lynn and West Norfolk.The village's national constituency is North West Norfolk which has been represented by the Conservative's James Wild MP since 2010.
War Memorial
Great Massingham War Memorial is a tall portland stone Greek cross which was opened in 1920 by a Colonel McNeil. The following names were added after the First World War:| Rank | Name | Unit | Date of death | Burial/Commemoration |
| CSt. | Charles W. Allcock | HMS Africa | 11 Mar. 1916 | Dalmeny Cemetery |
| Sgt. | John W. Skipper | 9th Bn., Yorkshire Regiment | 9 Oct. 1916 | Dernancourt Cemetery |
| Cpl. | Horace Warnes | 1/5th Bn., Norfolk Regiment | 19 Apr. 1917 | Jerusalem Memorial |
| Cpl. | Albert W. Whitby | 1/5th Bn., Norfolk Regt. | 28 Aug. 1915 | Helles Memorial |
| Cpl. | Ernest C. Jarvis | 7th Bn., Rifle Brigade | 18 Aug. 1916 | Thiepval Memorial |
| LCpl. | Herbert Bird | 101st Coy., Labour Corps | 17 May 1918 | St. Sever Cemetery |
| LCpl. | Peter Powley | 8th Bn., Norfolk Regiment | 19 Jul. 1916 | Thiepval Memorial |
| LCpl. | Charles E. Reader | 14th Bn., Royal Warwickshire Regt. | 27 Sep. 1918 | Gouzeaucourt Cemetery |
| Pte. | Horace A. Holsey | 7th Bn., Cheshire Regiment | 5 Sep. 1918 | St. Mary's Churchyard |
| Pte. | Ernest W. Powley | 1/9th Bn., Durham Light Infantry | 7 Feb. 1917 | Hamburg Cemetery |
| Pte. | John W. Goll | 8th Bn., East Surrey Regiment | 18 Sep. 1918 | Emilie Valley Cemetery |
| Pte. | Frank Beck | 1st Bn., East Yorkshire Regiment | 1 Jul. 1916 | Thiepval Memorial |
| Pte. | George Barnes | 14th Bn., Hampshire Regiment | 17 Sep. 1916 | Euston Road Cemetery |
| Pte. | Aubone H. Tooke | 16th Bn., Lancashire Fusiliers | 3 Apr. 1918 | Quesnoy Farm Cemetery |
| Pte. | Sidney W. Gage | 9th Bn., Norfolk Regiment | 25 Mar. 1917 | Vermelles British Cemetery |
| Pte. | Albert George | 12th Bn., Norfolk Regt. | 12 Oct. 1918 | Underhill Farm Cemetery |
| Pte. | R. William Howard | 12th Bn., Norfolk Regt. | 8 Dec. 1917 | Jerusalem War Cemetery |
| Pte. | Harry Sillis | 2nd Bn., Royal Sussex Regiment | 10 Oct. 1917 | Tyne Cot |
| Rfn. | Thomas R. Moore | 18th Bn., Rifle Brigade | 15 Nov. 1916 | Taukkyan War Cemetery |
The following name was added after the Second World War:
| Rank | Name | Unit | Date of death | Burial/Commemoration |
| LSgt. | Dudley Harvey | 118 LAA Regt., Royal Artillery | 24 Dec. 1944 | Forlì Cemetery |