- Swanton Morley
Infobox UK place
country = England
latitude = 52.70864
longitude = 0.98131
official_name = Swanton Morley
population =
shire_district = Breckland
shire_county =Norfolk
region = East of England
constituency_westminster = Mid Norfolk
post_town = DEREHAM
postcode_district = NR20
postcode_area = NR
dial_code =
os_grid_reference = TG015165Swanton Morley is a picturesque village situated in the heart of
Norfolk . It is a village steeped in history which is documented back to theDomesday Book . Today the village exists as a tranquil village community of about 2,500 people.Geography
Located centrally between the market towns of
Dereham ,Swaffham andFakenham , Swanton Morley is a self sufficient village, located only three miles away from larger amenities.History
Swanton Morley was the home of Richard Lincoln, local churchwarden (1599-1620) who built the mansion known today as The Angel Free House. Lincoln was the wealthy grandfather of
Samuel Lincoln and Richard's seal can be seen today in the east window of All Saints Church in Swanton Morley. Richard Lincoln disinherited Samuel's father Edward from his will in favor of his fourth wife, thus throwing the Lincoln family into penury and forcing young Samuel to flee toHingham, Massachusetts . [ [http://books.google.com/books?id=5jlOsSwW85cC&pg=PA160&lpg=PA160&dq=%22swanton+morley%22+lincoln+norfolk&source=web&ots=4jwJ4mFq2m&sig=rF5pUF8AWiinJ_3Z4JZWELgEfTM&hl=en The Ancestry of Abraham Lincoln, James Henry Lea, John Robert Hutchinson, Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, 1909] ] His great-great-great-great-grandson wasAbraham Lincoln , President of the United States.Notable Buildings and Facilities
On the top of a hill to the North of the village lies All Saints Church, a large
church in comparison to the size of the village built to ambitious design, in particular the aisles of thenave extend to ‘embrace’ the tower, which is supported on three sides by massive arches.Also of great historical interest is the Mill Bakery, which has been in business since1645 , and is now Norfolk’s only organic bakery.The village has two
public houses , "The Angel", and "Darbys", both of which serve authenticreal ale . Thevillage hall , a relatively new building, is centrally located and used for community events within the village. It is regularly used by the Swanton Morley Entertainers, the Under 5’s Group and the Women’s Institute as well as other village groups.There are several areas to walk and enjoy the peace and tranquillity of the village, including two large areas of common land and several footpaths suitable for pleasant walks. There are also areas with good opportunities for fishing on the nearby
River Wensum .Swanton Morley is home to Hunter’s Hall, a large Victorian converted barn that hosts conferences and celebrations such as wedding receptions, along with bed and breakfast facilities on the Park Farm Estate on which the hall stands. In addition there are a number of holiday accommodation lets available within the village.
Military Links
Swanton Morley is proud to have strong links with the armed forces. The village was home for many years to
RAF Swanton Morley , but this was formally handed over to the army in1996 . The RAF base was renamed Robertson Barracks and is home to theLight Dragoons .References
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