West Dereham And Wretton

   I was happy last week to visit two more new fen villages on my list, West Dereham and Wretton. The villages are neighbouring so I was fortunate to have enough time to visit both on the same cycle, a round trip of just over 40 miles.

   West Dereham.

   The village sign of West Dereham shows a coprolite carter for once the parish was rich in such material along with chalk.

   The tiny village of West Dereham is situated 4 miles east of Downham Market. The village has only a small Village Hall and a petrol garage, no shops, public houses or indeed a village school. West Dereham is split into two areas, the main area containing the parish church and cemetery. The church of St Andrew is a typical Norfolk round-tower church dating from the Norman period.

   The porch is elegant and characterful, with one of those Dutch-style gables beloved of the 17th century. The tower is one of Norfolks fattest and is over a meter thick in places, it is crowned by an octagonal bell stage which was added on the eve of the Reformation.

   Wretton

   The village sign is one of the best I've seen on my journey around the fens, the beautifully carved sign shows among other things the Will of Jane Forby, a local widow and woman of fortune. She left provision for the poor of the parish with land for pasture and fuel. Now there is a street named after her in the village.

   The Parish Church of All Saints was built in the 13th century with later restoration including the roof by the Victorians. The church has an amazing crowned tower and is built mainly from Carstone and Flint.

   The church inside is small but there are objects of interest including the wonderful stone carved Font. The windows are of clear plain glass which I must say helps fill this small house of worship with lots of light.

 
 

Two More Villages Ticked Off

   In the last week or two, the weather has been warm and the days long which was ideal for me to explore a few more fen villages on my "To visit" list. The following two villages were the first of these and like many hidden here in the fens they both hold some interesting history.

   Wiggenhall St Mary Magdalen
   This small marshland village sits on the banks of the River Great Ouse and is famous for the tidal bore or wave which can form on the river. Free swimmers, canoers and spectators will often be drawn to experience the spectacle.

   The splendid parish church of St Mary Magdalen stands in the centre of the village. Parts of the church date from the 13th century and there is documentary evidence of the nuns from nearby Crabhouse Priory taking refuge at the church from the flood in the early 13th century. The church is not in the best of conditions but still a great addition to this small parish.

   The Cock Inn public house is located next to the river and would be a welcome rest point for those travelling through the village.

   Watlington

   After passing through Wiggenhall St Mary Magdalen I travelled onto the village of Watlington. This village is rather unusual in that it has a modern railway station. You feel that the village is sitting lost in the marshlands miles from anywhere and then there in front of you is a small modern railway station complete with platforms, ticket machines etc, quite surreal.

   The Parish Church of St Peter and St Paul is medieval with Norman origins and is almost entirely built of Carstone. Luckily this like a lot of fen churches was open and so I had a few minutes exploring the wonderful interior.

   At the centre of the village is the village green opposite which is "The Angel" public house. The village store and post office is also close by.