Lenwade
Lenwade is a village in the civil parish of Great Witchingham, Norfolk, situated in the Wensum Valley adjacent to the A1067 road south-east of Fakenham and some north-west of Norwich. The River Ainse (or Eyn) joins the Wensum at Lenwade. It had a population of 542 in 2021.
Etymology
The name may mean 'ford of the slowly moving river'. The first element possibly means lane in the Scottish dialect sense of 'scarcely moving river'. The second element of the name is the Old English gewæd.Industry and the local economy
Much of the surrounding land is used for agriculture. However, due to its geographical location Lenwade became the centre of the sand and gravel extraction and the manufacturing of concrete products in the Wensum valley during the middle to late 20th century. The legacy of this activity can be seen in the many flooded gravel pits in the area. Today, these now mature lakes are popular with anglers, naturalists and bird watchers.Industry today is concentrated to the southeast of Lenwade between the A1067 road and the former railway line. Concrete products, metal recycling, joinery and double glazing items are produced in the area.
Local tourist attractions include Roarr! Dinosaur Adventure theme park and the Lenwade country house hotel features in its grounds the only licensed zoological garden in the UK.
The Church of St Faith
Located on the busy A1067 Fakenham Road, the building started life as a Victorian mission church originally dedicated to All Saints. Despite its central location the church was little used and became redundant. Today, the church is fenced off and planned to become a residential development.Amenities
Amenities in the village include a village hall, primary school, doctor's surgery, general stores, garage, tea-rooms, butchers, bakers and a fish and chip shop.Located close to A1067 and the River Wensum is the late 18th century Bridge Inn public house. The pub garden adjoins The Bridge Lakes and a section of the river where angling is possible. Matthew Brettingham's c.1741 triple arched brick bridge is depicted on the pub's sign. The bridge was demolished in 1993 and replaced by today's steel bridge.