East Dereham
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Template:GBmap East Dereham, also known simply as Dereham, is a town (population 15659Template:Ref) in Norfolk, England. It lies on the site of a monastery founded by Saint Withburga in the seventh century. A holy well in the town supposedly began to flow when her body was moved from the town to Ely.
In the 18th Century an attempt was made to turn Dereham into a new Buxton or Bath by building a bath house over Withburga's Well. It was described at the time as a hideous building of brick and plaster and was never popular. In 1880 the local vicar, Reverend Benjamin Armstrong obtained permission to pull the building down. The spring was then protected by iron railings, but fell out of use and became choked with weeds. Since 1950, however, it has been kept clear of weeds - although the railings still prevent access to the waters.
Notable buildings in the town include the pargetted Bishop Bonners Cottage, built in 1502, the Norman parish church, a windmill and a large mushroom-shaped water tower. The Gressenhall Museum of Rural Life is nearby. The town also hosts the headquarters of the Mid-Norfolk Railway, which runs trains over a 11.5 mile railway to Wymondham, as well as owning the line 6 miles north to North Elmham and County School Station.
Famous people from the town include George Borrow, Brian Aldiss, Beth Orton and William Hyde Wollaston. It is also known as the place where William Cowper died.
Dereham was the home to the "Metamec" clock factory. "Hobbies of Dereham" produced wooden fretwork models and toys which were popular in the days before moulded plastic. The Fruehauf trailer company was a major employer in the town for many decades. The town also boasted several large maltings. Almost all this large scale industry has drifted away since the 1980s.
Dereham labels itself "The Heart of Norfolk" due to its central location in the county. In the spring of 1978, the "Heart" was given the seven-mile £5m part-dual-carriageway A47 bypass. A section of this road, towards Kings Lynn was built along the former railway line towards Swaffham and Kings Lynn. This section of railway had been used as a location for the filming of Dad's Army, where Captain Mainwaring is left dangling from a railway bridge after a flight on a barrage balloon. There are two high schools in the town, Neatherd High School and Northgate High School.
The town is about 25 miles east of West Dereham.
References
- Template:Note Office for National Statistics & Norfolk County Council, 2001. "Census population and household counts for unparished urban areas and all parishes."