Griston
Griston is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk.
Griston is located south-east of Watton and west of Norwich.
History
Griston's name is of Viking origin and derives from the Old Norse for either GrissIn the Domesday Book, Griston is listed as a settlement of 29 households in the hundred of Wayland. In 1086, the village was part of the East Anglian estates of King William I, William de Warenne, Roger Bigod, Ralph Baynard and John, nephew of Waleran.
Griston Hall was built in the Sixteenth Century and by the Nineteenth Century had been converted into several separate dwellings. Griston Hall and nearby Wayland Woods are the setting for the story of the 'Babes in the Woods' stories where a malicious uncle sent two children into the woods to die so he could steal their inheritance. It is rumoured that the cries of the children can still be heard in the woods today.
During the Second World War, parts of the parish made up RAF Watton which was used by both the United States Army Air Force and Royal Air Force.
Geography
According to the 2021 census, Griston has a population of 1,816 people which shows an increase from the 1,540 people recorded in the 2011 census.Church of St Peter and St Paul
Griston's parish church is dedicated to Saint Peter and Saint Paul and dates from the Fifteenth Century. The church is located within the village on Church Road and has been Grade I listed since 1983. St. Peter & St. Paul's is no longer for Sunday services.The church was restored in the Victorian era by John Bond Pearce but still features medieval stone angels and stained-glass windows. The church also features an American flag which was gifted by the servicemen serving at RAF Watton who used the churchtower as a landmark when returning home.
Amenities
Within the village there is a home for the elderly called Thorp House and the Category C HM Prison Wayland.The Waggon & Horses pub has stood in the village since 1836. The pub remains open.
Watton and Griston Link
As part of the Sustrans Connect2 project proposals are in place to create a cycling and walking route between Griston and the market town of Watton. The new route would follow the boundary of the Watton airfield and provide a shorter, traffic free alternative to the A1075. Norfolk County Council have allocated a £40,000 contribution towards funding of the scheme. A schematic map of the scheme has been published online.Governance
Griston is part of the electoral ward of All Saints & Wayland for local elections and is part of the district of Breckland.The village's national constituency is Mid Norfolk which has been represented by the Conservative's George Freeman MP since 2010.
War Memorial
Griston's war memorial is a marble plaque inside the Church of St. Peter & St. Paul which lists the following names in the First World War:| Rank | Name | Unit | Date of death | Burial/Commemoration |
| Cpl. | John Knights | 4th Bn., East Lancashire Regiment | 10 Aug. 1915 | Helles Memorial |
| Pte. | Walter Alderton | 1st Bn., Essex Regiment | 16 Jun. 1917 | Südfriedhof |
| Pte. | William A. Coe | 1st Bn., Norfolk Regiment | 14 Sep. 1914 | La Ferté Memorial |
| Pte. | Walter Quadling | 1st Bn., Norfolk Regt. | 4 Nov. 1917 | Tyne Cot |
| Pte. | Clement Crisp | 11th Bn., Suffolk Regiment | 3 Apr. 1917 | Saint Nicolas Cemetery |
| Pte. | John W. Vout | 13th Bn., Yorkshire Regiment | 30 Apr. 1917 | Fifteen Ravine Cemetery |
| Pte. | E. George Brett | Yorkshire Regiment | 21 Nov. 1916 | Griston Churchyard |
The following names were added after the Second World War:
| Rank | Name | Unit | Date of death | Burial/Commemoration |
| LCpl. | George E. Bunn | 2nd Bn., Royal Norfolk Regiment | 27 May 1940 | Dunkirk Memorial |
| Pte. | Frederick J. Newby | 6th Bn., Royal Norfolks | 8 Jan. 1944 | Chungkai War Cemetery |