East Dereham
East Dereham photos (51 available)
East Dereham maps (2 available)
Map of Norfolk
Beautifully hand-drawn and coloured, dating from around 1840
Personalised maps
Create an historic map centred directly on any postcode!
East Dereham books (14 available)
- 3 photos on East Dereham appear in 4 Frith books - View photos of East Dereham
- Read extracts and see photos from these books on East Dereham and Norfolk
East Dereham memories
Read and share memories of East Dereham and Norfolk inspired by Frith photos
My hometown
I was born in 1928 at Woodhill, Gressenhall and moved to Dereham at the age of 6yrs and left when I married some 20 years later. It was a happy childhood in spite of the war years, in fact it added to the excitement of those years, dashing out to crashed planes, collecting shrapnel, army badges etc and of course the generous handouts from the American troops of chocolate, gum, cigs plus the grub when we went on to the bases at Shipdham and Wendling, bearing in mind that our food was rationed.
Then the Evacuees came to Dereham. I was one of the helpers that walked the children to their new homes.
This influx of children meant that the schools ...read more here
Contributed by tony blades
Norfolk memories
My hometown
I was born in 1928 at Woodhill, Gressenhall and moved to Dereham at the age of 6yrs and left when I married some 20 years later. It was a happy childhood in spite of the war years, in fact it added to the excitement of those years, dashing out to crashed planes, collecting shrapnel, army badges etc and of course the generous handouts from the American troops of chocolate, gum, cigs plus the grub when we went on to the bases at Shipdham and Wendling, bearing in mind that our food was rationed.
Then the Evacuees came to Dereham. I was one of the helpers that walked the children to their new homes.
This influx of children meant that the schools ...read more here
A memory of East Dereham contributed by tony blades
SCARNING SCHOOL
At the age of 5yrs I started my education at Scarning School, I lived at Woodhill [see memory of Dereham] which meant about a 2 mile walk to school with my 10 yr old sister usually stopping to play in the stream at Podmore on the way.
School dinners! there was no such thing,it was sandwiches which,regardless of weather had to be eaten in the playground. I can still remember that the head mistress was Mrs Grand who lived in the house attached to the school.
One very vivid memory was of twins Olgar and Hubert. One sad day Olgar ran from behind the school bus to cross the road to school and although in 1933 there were very few ...read more here
A memory of Scarning contributed by tony blades
The Bawdeswell Plane Crash, The Willows and The Rectory.
Although I was just a little lad I can remember seeing the smoking debris of All Saints Church after the Mosquito crashed on it.
I was staying in "The Willows" which is opposite the church with my mum, my sisters, my cousins and my aunts, who were all evacuees from London. It was a miracle that the plane never hit the house.
Next to the Willows was a corrugated iron building and I remember that there were a lot of cars and lorries that seemed to be stored there. I remember how dark it was in The Willows but my mum told me later that it was because there was no electricity, just oil lamps. My mum bless her ...read more here
A memory of contributed by Joe O'Brien
Extracts From East Dereham & Norfolk books
The town enjoys a prosperity founded on more than its market and agricultural traditions, for engineering works were established here in Victorian times; Dereham grew into one of the busiest centres of commerce in central Norfolk. This lovely street, fringed with cobbles, leads down to the White Lion Inn and the old church, where the poet William Cowper, ‘England’s sweetest and most pious bard’, was laid to rest. On the left is Kerrison the butcher’s ornamented shop front, with a refined iron balcony overhead.
An extract from from"East Anglia".
This lovely street, fringed with cobbles, leads down to the White Lion Inn and the old church, where the poet William Cowper, ‘England’s sweetest and most pious bard’, was laid to rest. On the left is Kerrison the butcher’s ornamented shop front, with a refined iron balcony overhead.
An extract from from"Norfolk Photographic Memories".
This lovely street, fringed with cobbles, leads down to the
White Lion Inn and the old church, where the poet William
Cowper, ‘England’s sweetest and most pious bard’, was laid
to rest. On the left is Mr Kerrison the butcher’s ornamented
shop front, with a refined iron balcony overhead.
An extract from from"Norfolk Pocket Album".
A quiet lane on the fringes of the town. Washing dries in the breeze in the gardens of plain, mellow cottages. In the background are the two towers of St Nicholas’s church - the second detached bell tower was built in the churchyard in the 15th century. It has a Norman south doorway and a celebrated panelled font of 1468 which cost £12 13s 9d. On the evening of July, in the year 18-, at East D-, a beautiful little town in a certain district of East Anglia, I first saw the light.’ George Borrow, the ‘gentleman gypsy’, was lucky to have been born in this pleasing old country town. It enjoys a prosperity founded on more than its market and agricultural traditions. Engineering works were established here in Victorian times and Dereham grew into one of the busiest centres of commerce in central Norfolk.
An extract from from"Norfolk Photographic Memories".
A quiet lane on the fringes of the town. Washing dries in
the breeze in the gardens of plain, mellow cottages. In the
background are the two towers of St Nicholas’s church.
George Borrow, the ‘gentleman gypsy’, was lucky to have
been born in this pleasing old country town. It enjoys
a prosperity founded on more than its agricultural and
market traditions—engineering works were established
here in Victorian times and Dereham grew into one of
the busiest centres of commerce in central Norfolk.
An extract from from"Norfolk Pocket Album".