Halvergate

History

Halvergate's name is of Anglo-Saxon origin and derives from the Old English for the land costing half a heriot (a death duty of military equipment).

In the Domesday Book of 1086, Halvergate is listed as a settlement of 69 households hundred of Walshamshire. In 1086, the village was part of the East Anglian estates of King William I.

Halvergate Hall was built in 1840 for Sir Cyrus Gillet.

Stracey Arms Windpump was built in 1883 to drain water from the surrounding marshland into the River Bure. The mill ceased working in 1946 but was used as a fortified pillbox during the Second World War. The mill briefly operated as a tea room which closed in 2024.

Mutton's Mill was originally known as Manor Mill but was eventually named after the last mill keeper, Fred Mutton.

In 1944, a Consolidated B-24 Liberator of the 466th Bombardment Group crashed in the parish after taking-off from RAF Attlebridge, killing all of its crew. A group of enthusiasts excavated the wreck in 1979 and were startled to discover the bomb load still in place.

Geography

According to the 2021 census, Halvergate has a population of 585 people which shows a decrease from the 907 people recorded in the 2011 census.

Halvergate is within The Broads National Park and is close to Halvergate Marshes, a Site of Special Scientific Interest. The Weavers' Way footpath passes through the village.

Church of St. Peter & St. Paul

Halvergate's parish church is dedicated to Saint Peter and Saint Paul and dates from the Fifteenth Century. The church is located within the village on 'The Street' and has been Grade I listed since 1962. St. Peter & St. Paul's is no longer open for Sunday services.

The church was renovated several times during the Victorian era, most notably in the 1870s by Richard Phipson. Despite this, there is still some surviving Fifteenth Century stained-glass windows.

Amenities

Acle & Halvergate Cricket Club play home games at the Queen Elizabeth II Playing Fields close to the village. The club operates several teams including a youth setup with the First XI playing in the Premier Division of the Norfolk Cricket Alliance.

The Red Lion Pub has been open in the village since at least 1789. The pub remains open.

Governance

Halvergate is part of the electoral ward of Marshes for local elections and is part of the district of Broadland.

The village's national constituency is Broadland and Fakenham which has been represented by the Conservative Party's Jerome Mayhew MP since 2019.

References

References

1. "Key to English Place-names".
2. "Halvergate {{!}} Domesday Book".
3. "MNF48179 - Norfolk Heritage Explorer".
4. "Norfolk Mills - Tunstall Stracey Arms drainage windmill".
5. "Norfolk Mills - Halvergate Mutton's drainage windmill".
6. "MNF15358 - Norfolk Heritage Explorer".
7. "Halvergate (Parish, United Kingdom) - Population Statistics, Charts, Map and Location".
8. "CHURCH OF ST PETER AND ST PAUL, Halvergate - 1152737 {{!}} Historic England".
9. "Halvergate: St Peter & St Paul".
10. "Norfolk Churches".
11. "Acle CC".
12. "RED LION - HALVERGATE".