Heckingham
Heckingham is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk.
Heckingham is located east of Loddon and south-east of Norwich, along the course of the River Chet.
History
Heckingham's name is of Anglo-Saxon origin and derives from the Old English for the hamlet of Hecca's people.In the Domesday Book, Heckingham is listed as a settlement of 54 households in the hundred of Clavering. In 1086, the village was divided between the estates of Roger Bigod, Godric the Steward and St Edmunds Abbey.
Between 1764 and 1767, a workhouse was built in Heckingham which was later used as a hospital. In 1766, a pest house was built nearby by John Harris of Ipswich for the afflicted.
Geography
According to the 2021 census, Heckingham has a total population of 245 people which demonstrates an increase from the 179 people listed in the 2011 census.Heckingham is located along the course of the River Chet.
St. Gregory's Church
Heckingham's parish church is dedicated for Saint Gregory and dates from the Twelfth Century. St. Gregory's is located within the village on Church Lane and has been Grade I listed since 1960. The church is no longer open for Sunday services and is in the care of Churches Conservation Trust.St. Gregory's features an Eleventh Century font and several medieval monuments and memorials.
Governance
Heckingham is part of the electoral ward of Loddon & Chedgrave for local elections and is part of the district of South Norfolk.The village's national constituency is South Norfolk which has been represented by the Labour's Ben Goldsborough MP since 2024.
War Memorial
Heckingham War Memorial is shared with nearby Hales and is a rough-hewn Celtic cross on Yarmouth Road. The memorial was damaged in a car accident in 1999 and was subsequently restored. The memorial lists the following names for the First World War:| Rank | Name | Unit | Date of death | Burial/Commemoration |
| Capt. | Henry de Grey | 4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards | 20 Nov. 1917 | Ribécourt Cemetery |
| LCpl. | Frank Smith | 9th Bn., Suffolk Regiment | 13 Sep. 1916 | Thiepval Memorial |
| Pte. | George E. W. Tills | 11th Bn., AIF | 13 Oct. 1915 | Beach Cemetery |
| Pte. | James E. Batchelder | 9th Bn., Norfolk Regiment | 15 Apr. 1918 | Tyne Cot |
The following names were added after the Second World War:
| Rank | Name | Unit | Date of death | Burial/Commemoration |
| Pte. | Claud H. Colchester | 4th Bn., Royal Norfolk Regiment | 21 Sep. 1944 | Kranji War Memorial |
| Spr. | Robert S. Moore | Royal Engineers | 27 Dec. 1940 | St. Gregory's Churchyard |