Great Melton
Great Melton is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk.
Great Melton is located south-east of Dereham and west of Norwich.
History
Two hoards of Roman coins have been discovered in Great Melton equating to around 300 coins in total.Great Melton's name is of Anglo-Saxon origin and derives from the Old English for the large middle farm/settlement.
In the Domesday Book, Great Melton is listed as a settlement of 79 households in the hundred of Humbleyard. In 1086, the village was divided between the estates of Godric the Steward and Ranulf Peverel.
In the Eighteenth Century, Melton Hall was built. Some of the original buildings remain but most of the ground have reverted to agricultural use.
A field within Great Melton, upon which the old Norwich Road ran, is reputed to be haunted by a carriage-drawn bridal party driven by a headless carriage driver which fell into a roadside pool. Similar stories are told about a similar field near Bury St Edmunds and another near Leigh, Dorset.
Geography
According to the 2021 [United Kingdom census|2021 census], Great Melton has a total population of 147 people which demonstrates a decrease from the 163 people listed in the 2011 census.The confluence of the River Yare and River Tiffey is located within the parish.
All Saints' Church
Great Melton's parish church is located outside of the village on Market Lane and dates from the Eleventh Century. All Saints' is no longer open for Sunday services.The churchyard contains the ruined tower of St. Mary's Church which was demolished to enlarge All Saints' in the 1880s by the architect, Joseph Pearce. All Saints' features stained-glass windows depicting Saint Fursey by Goddard & Gibbs and Saint Walstan by Horace Wilkinson.
Governance
Great Melton is part of the Wards and electoral divisions of [the United Kingdom|electoral ward] of Easton for local elections and is part of the district of South Norfolk.The village's national constituency is South [Norfolk (UK Parliament constituency)|South Norfolk] which has been represented by the Labour's Ben Goldsborough MP since 2024.
War Memorial
Great Melton War Memorial is located at the end of Great Melton Park and is a stone greensward. The memorial was unveiled in 1920 in a service led by Major Edward Evans-Lombe, the principal landowner in Great Melton, and Rector Major Hadow. The memorial lists the following names for the First World War:| Rank | Name | Unit | Date of death | Burial/Commemoration |
| Brig. | Charles Gosling CMG | 10th [Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)|10th Bde.], 4th [Infantry Division (United Kingdom)|4th Infantry Division] | 12 Apr. 1917 | Hervin Farm Cemetery |
| Capt. | Anthony H. E. Ashley | Coldstream Guards | 6 Mar. 1920 | Unknown |
| Capt. | Maurice H. Helyar | 4th Bn., Rifle Brigade | 24 Jan. 1915 | Bailleul Cemetery |
| Lt. | Francis W. T. Clerke | 2nd Bn., Coldstream Guards | 26 Sep. 1916 | Guards Cemetery |
| LCpl. | Arthur T. Fox | 1st Bn., Norfolk Regiment | 21 Sep. 1915 | Citadel Military Cemetery |
| Gnr. | James Watson | Royal Garrison Artillery | 3 May 1917 | Athies Cemetery |
| Pte. | Arthur Woodrow | 6th Bn., Bedfordshire Regiment | 15 Jul. 1916 | Pozières Memorial |
| Pte. | Herbert J. Morter | 2nd Bn., Essex Regiment | 28 Mar. 1918 | Arras Memorial |
| Pte. | William G. Drury | 2/6th Bn., Lancashire Fusiliers | 19 Jan. 1918 | Tyne Cot |
| Pte. | Charles E. Reynolds | 50th Coy., Machine Gun Corps | 7 Jul. 1916 | Thiepval Memorial |
| Pte. | Donald J. Ketteringham | 3rd Bn., Middlesex Regiment | 27 Jul. 1915 | R.E. Farm Cemetery |
| Pte. | Arthur J. Morter | 1st Bn., Norfolk Regiment | 15 Jun. 1915 | Sanctuary Wood Cemetery |
| Pte. | Frederick R. Bales | 7th Bn., Norfolk Regt. | 13 Oct. 1915 | Loos Memorial |
| Pte. | William T. Betts | 7th Bn., Norfolk Regt. | 13 Oct. 1915 | Loos Memorial |
| Pte. | Thomas E. Broome | 8th Bn., Norfolk Regt. | 12 May 1917 | Arras Memorial |
| Pte. | Edward Betts | 9th Bn., Norfolk Regt. | 15 Sep. 1916 | Thiepval Memorial |
The following names were added after the Second World War:
| Rank | Name | Unit | Date of death | Burial/Commemoration |
| LSgt. | Harold W. Stone | 9th Bn., Royal Norfolk Regiment | 9 Jun. 1943 | Berlin War Cemetery |
| Cpl. | Leslie J. Wright | 4th Bn., Royal Tank Regiment | 2 Feb. 1944 | Cassino War Cemetery |
| Dvr. | Arthur W. Gooch | Royal Army Service Corps | 31 May 1940 | De Panne Cemetery |
| Pte. | Herbert T. Attewell | 6th Bn., Royal Norfolk Regiment | 2 Aug. 1943 | Kanchanaburi War Cemetery |