Coordinates: 52°57′04″N 1°01′23″E / 52.951°N 1.023°E
| Blakeney | |
 The Village sign, Blakeney |
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  Blakeney
Blakeney shown within Norfolk |
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| Area | 9.90 km2 (3.82 sq mi) |
|---|---|
| Population | 789 (parish, 2001 census) |
| - Density | 80 /km2 (210 /sq mi) |
| OS grid reference | |
| - London | 129 miles (208 km) |
| Parish | Blakeney CP |
| District | North Norfolk |
| Shire county | Norfolk |
| Region | East |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | HOLT |
| Postcode district | NR25 |
| Dialling code | 01263 |
| Police | Norfolk |
| Fire | Norfolk |
| Ambulance | East of England |
| EU Parliament | East of England |
| UK Parliament | North Norfolk |
| List of places: UK • England • Norfolk | |
Blakeney is a coastal village and a civil parish in the English county of Norfolk.[1] The village is 21.1 miles north west of Norwich, 13.1 miles west of Cromer and 129 miles north north east of London. The village lies 5 miles north north west of the nearest town of Holt. The nearest railway station is at Sheringham for the Bittern Line which runs between Cromer and Norwich. The nearest airport is Norwich International Airport. The village is situated on the northern side of the A149 coast road which links the town of King’s Lynn to Cromer.[2] Blakeney lies within the Norfolk Coast AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) and the North Norfolk Heritage Coast. The North Norfolk Coastal Path passes through the village.[3]
The civil parish has an area of 9.9 km² and in the 2001 census had a population of 789 in 402 households. For the purposes of local government, the parish falls within the district of North Norfolk.[4]
Contents |
Description
Blakeney was a commercial seaport until the early 20th century. Now the harbour is silted up, and only small boats can make their way out past Blakeney Point to the sea. The harbour and surrounding marshes are owned by the National Trust and is a nature reserve where seals can be seen basking on the sand.
Just inland from the harbour is Mariners Hill. This vantage point is believed to be man-made, probably as a lookout point for the harbour. Adjacent to the hill, at the foot of the village's High Street, is the old Guildhall with a 14th-century undercroft.
Higher up the village, the Church of Saint Nicholas has two towers: the main tower is over 100 ft (30 m) high and a well-known landmark for miles around, and the smaller tower was built as a beacon to guide boats into Blakeney harbour.
History
In the Domesday Book of 1085,[5] Blakeney is recorded under the name Esnuterle. The main landholder is Walter Gifford along with William de Noyers. Blakeney was formally called Snitterley and the settlement is first formally mentioned as Blakeney in a document which dates from 1340.[5] Around the same period the then King Edward III’s wife, Queen Philippa is said to have dined on fish caught by Blakeney’s fishermen.[5] From the 12th century Blakeney had a reputation for acts of piracy: between 1328 and 1350 it is recorded that men of Blakeney boarded two vessels from Flanders and sailed them back to Blakeney haven, where they were stripped of their cargoes. Many a foreign merchant ship which sought shelter in the haven found their cargoes stolen. Such was the lawlessness[5] of the residents of Blakeney that the village refused to supply a ship for the battle against the Spanish armada.
Railway
In the 19th century it was planned to build a rail branch line from Holt to a new station at Blakeney, but the scheme was never completed. It would have connected the town to the wider Norfolk rail network.[citation needed]
Tourism
Because of Blakeney's location, it has become popular with tourists during the summer months. The village has two large hotels, The Manor, and The Blakeney Hotel as well as a 15-acre caravan site. Blakeney offers a large range of activities including crabbing, fishing, canoeing and birdwatching. The area of marshland around Blakeney Point is owned by the National Trust and up to a hundred species of birds can be found there throughout the year. As well as the natural features of the village, there are also several pubs in the area that serve food and real ale which attract many visitors.
See also
Gallery
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Blakeney, Norfolk |
 Blakeney Harbour |
 Blakeney, looking out to Blakeney Point and the sea from Mariners Hill |
 Blakeney Harbour restoration March 2003. Blakeney Hotel in background |
 The High Street in Blakeney |
 The entrance to Blakeney Guildhall |
.JPG) The undercroft of the Guildhall |
.JPG) What remains of the outside of the Guildhall |
.JPG) Blakeney Tower Windmill(National Trust) |
 Blakeney Point Lifeboat Station now a visitor centre |
 Seals on Blakeney Point |
 The shingle spit, Blakeney Point |
References
- ^ OS Explorer Map 24” – Norfolk Coast Central. ISBN 0 319 21726 4
- ^ County A to Z Atlas, Street & Road maps Norfolk, ISBN 978 1 84348 614 5
- ^ Ordnance Survey (2002). OS Explorer Map 251 - Norfolk Coast Central. ISBN 0-319-21887-2.
- ^ Office for National Statistics & Norfolk County Council (2001). Census population and household counts for unparished urban areas and all parishes. Retrieved December 2, 2005.
- ^ a b c d The Domesday Book, Englands Heritage, Then and Now, Editor: Thomas Hinde,Norfolk page 182/183, Blakeney, ISBN 1858334403
External links
- Map sources for Blakeney.
- Blakeney literary Links
- Tide tables for Blakeney.
- Information from Genuki Norfolk on Blakeney.
- Blakeney webcam includes tide times.
- Blakeney Guide and Photo Gallery
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
