Holme-next-the-Sea
Holme-next-the-Sea is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk.
Holme-next-the-Sea is located north-east of Hunstanton and north-west of Norwich.
Correct pronunciation
"Holme - the 'l' is sounded"; "Holl’m"History
Holme-next-the-Sea's name is of Anglo-Saxon origin and derives from the Old English for the island next to the sea.In the Domesday Book, Holme-next-the-Sea is recorded as a settlement of 8 households in the hundred of Smethdon. In 1086, the village was divided between the East Anglian estates of King William I and William d'Ecouis.
Seahenge, a prehistoric timber-circle, is located close to the village. The site was excavated in 1998 and the pieces were removed to the British Museum.
There are numerous post-medieval shipwrecks on the beaches near Holme, including the Vicuna which sank on 7 March 1883 whilst carrying a cargo of ice to King's Lynn Docks and the Carrington, a collier which sank in the Nineteenth Century.
During the Second World War, several defences were built in the parish to defend against a possible German invasion. These defences included anti-tank ditches, barbed wire and mine fields.
Geography
According to the 2021 census, Holme-next-the-Sea has a population of 203 people which shows a decrease from the 239 people listed in the 2011 census.Holme-next-the-Sea is a prime site for migratory birds in the autumn and is home for two adjoining nature reserves: one owned by the Norfolk Wildlife Trust and the other by the Norfolk Ornithological Association. Gore Point, the north-easterly point of The Wash, is located in the parish.
The meeting point of the Peddars Way and the Norfolk Coast Path is in the village.
St. Mary's Church
Holme-next-the-Sea's parish church is dedicated to Saint Mary and dates from the Eighteenth Century. St. Mary's is located on Kirkgate and has been Grade I listed since 1953. The church holds Sunday service twice a month.The church holds stained-glass windows and a set of royal arms from the Georgian era as well as a Nineteenth Century marble font. The church also holds a ring of five bells including one that was installed in 1677.
Amenities
The eastern end of Hunstanton Golf Club reaches to Holme.Governance
Holme-next-the-Sea is part of the electoral ward of Brancaster 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 2019.
War Memorial
Holme-next-the-Sea War Memorial is a small latin-cross monument in St. Mary's Churchyard. The memorial lists the following names for the First World War:| Rank | Name | Unit | Date of death | Burial/Commemoration |
| 2Lt. | Frank D. Holm | Royal Engineers | 14 May 1917 | Doullens Cemetery |
| WO2 | George Potter | 190th Bty., Royal Garrison Artillery | 29 Apr. 1918 | Brandhoek New Cemetery |
| LSjt. | Albert Smith MM | 10th Bn., Essex Regiment | 22 Oct. 1917 | Tyne Cot |
| LCpl. | Alec P. Robertson | 8th (Winnipeg Rifles) Bn., CEF | 28 Apr. 1915 | Menin Gate |
| LCpl. | John L. Callaby | 15th Bn., West Yorkshire Regiment | 28 Jun. 1918 | Cinq Rues Cemetery |
| Pte. | Arthur F. Robinson | 1st Bn., Royal Berkshire Regiment | 29 Sep. 1918 | Vis-en-Artois Memorial |
| Pte. | Kenneth A. Robertson | 8th Bn., Royal Fusiliers | 5 May 1917 | Arras Memorial |
| Pte. | Alfred Potter | 2nd Bn., Middlesex Regiment | 24 Oct. 1918 | Niederzwehren Cemetery |
| Pte. | Alfred Thacker | 1st Bn., Queen's Own Royal Regt. | 22 Jul. 1916 | Caterpillar Valley Cemetery |
| Pte. | Percy C. Rason | 6th Bn., Queen's Royal Regiment | 5 Apr. 1917 | Faubourg Cemetery |
| Spr. | Frederick N. Knight | 1st Tunnelling Coy., AIF | 4 Nov. 1918 | Prémont British Cemetery |
| Spr. | George B. Callaby | 97th Coy., Royal Engineers | 1 Apr. 1918 | Le Cateau Cemetery |
The following names were added after the Second World War:
| Rank | Name | Unit | Date of death | Burial/Commemoration |
| FSgt. | Michael J. T. Finn | No. 620 Squadron RAF (Stirlings) | 6 Sep. 1943 | Altdorf Cemetery |
| Sgt. | John A. Rix | No. 49 Squadron RAF (Lancasters) | 2 Nov. 1944 | Rheinberg War Cemetery |
| Pte. | William E. Hayter | Royal Army Ordnance Corps | 26 Apr. 1941 | Athens War Memorial |
| Pte. | Harold J. Arnold | 7th Bn., Royal Norfolk Regiment | 12 Jun. 1940 | Dunkirk Memorial |