Terrington St Clement
Terrington St Clement is a large village in Norfolk, in the UK. It is situated in the drained marshlands to the south of The Wash, 7 miles west of King's Lynn, Norfolk, and 5 miles east of Sutton Bridge, Lincolnshire, on the old route of the A17 trunk road. The village population is 3902[1].
Terrington St Clement has grown substantially and is reputed to be the largest village in Norfolk, extending over an area of 13 square miles.
Amenities
Terrington St Clement enjoys the benefits of many local amenities, including a supermarket, two doctor's surgeries, Post Office, newsagents and also a Kebab house, Fish & Chip Shop, Pizza Shop and two Estate Agents. The village is linked to King's Lynn and Spalding, Lincolnshire by a half-hourly bus service. An excellent family centric village with an abundance of local services and excellent links via road and rail to London, Norwich and the Midlands.
Terrington St Clement has state run primary and secondary schools. They are situated opposite one another on Churchgateway. It also has a village hall, scout hut, and two pubs: King William and The Wildfowler, both of which serve food.
Terrington St Clement is also home to one of the most fascinating of churches. St Clement, known as the Cathedral of the Marshes, is simply enormous standing some 168 feet long with an highly decorative elegant separate tower.
History
In AD 970 Godric gifted part of the lands of Turrintonea to the monks of Ramsey Abbey. The name Terrington comes from the early Saxon “Tun” meaning enclosure or homestead of Tir(a)s people. The settlement is referred to in the Domesday Book as Tilinghetuna.
By the medieval period the small settlement which began on raised ground on the edge of the marsh had grown substantially. The magnificent Parish Church, dedicated to St Clement (i.e. Pope Clement I), known as the "Cathedral of the Marshland", was built in the 14th century by Edmund Gonville, Rector of Terrington, who founded Gonville Hall (now Gonville and Caius College) at Cambridge University.
Methodists arrived in the village in 1813 and during the Victorian era the Wesleyan Methodist Chapel [2] and Primitive Methodist Chapel were established along with a Salvation Army headquarters and 3 other mission chapels. A lively shopping centre had developed by the beginning of the 20th century, but most of the independent traders have now disappeared, along with all but two of the village's pubs.
Famous People
- Edmund Gonville, rector of the parish, 1342-51.
- Terrington St Clement is also the birthplace of the legendary socialite, 'Richard Wilkin' (AKA Dickman). He was born in the village in 1746 and died there 1783. He was known up and down the lands during that time in somewhat mythical status partly due to his habit of exposing himself whenever around Goats!
References
- ^ Office for National Statistics & Norfolk County Council, 2001. "Census population and household counts for unparished urban areas and all parishes."