Worstead /ˈwʊstɪd/ is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It lies 3 miles (5 km) south of North Walsham, 5 miles (8 km) north of Wroxham, and 13 miles (21 km) north of Norwich. The village is served by Worstead railway station on the Bittern Line.[1][2]
The civil parish has an area of 10.65 km⊃2; and in the 2001 census had a population of 862 in 365 households, For the purposes of local government, the parish falls within the district of North Norfolk.[3] the population included Bengate and increased to 922 at the 2011 census.[4]
In the Domesday Book, Worstead is called Wrdesteda and Ordested. King Canute gave the village to the abbots of St. Benet's Abbey on the River Bure in the Norfolk Broads. The village became very prosperous from the twelfth century when weavers from Flanders arrived in the area. They had been encouraged to settle in Norfolk by King Edward III of England who had married a Flemish princess.
Worsted cloth derives its name from this weaving heritage, although it is no longer manufactured in the village and the last weaver, John Cubitt, died in 1882 at the age of 91. The oldest Act of Parliament kept in the House of Lords Record Office is the Taking of Apprentices for Worsteads in the County of Norfolk Act of 1497. Weaving and spinning demonstrations are part of the annual Worstead Festival on the last weekend in July.[5]
About Village Sign Caches
This cache belongs to the Village Sign Series, a series of caches based on ornate signs that depict the heritage, history and culture of the villages that put them up (generally on the village green!).
The signs can be made of different materials from fibreglass to wood, from forged steel to stone. They can depict anything from local industry to historical events. The tradition probably stated in Norfolk or Suffolk and has now spread across most of the country so we thought we would base a series on them!
More information and statistics can be found at the Village Signs Website
About Village Sign Caches
This cache belongs to the Village Sign Series, a series of caches based on ornate signs that depict the heritage, history and culture of the villages that put them up (generally on the village green!).
The signs can be made of different materials from fibreglass to wood, from forged steel to stone. They can depict anything from local industry to historical events. The tradition probably stated in Norfolk or Suffolk and has now spread across most of the country so we thought we would base a series on them!
More information and statistics can be found at the Village Signs Website
If anybody would like to expand the Village Sign Series, please do. I would ask that you let Smokeypugs know first at www.villagesignseries.co.uk so they can keep track of the Village Sign numbers and names to avoid duplication.