Edgefield combines a well-defined village centre with architectural and commemorative history, as well as a distinct natural history. The village pond defines the centre; Edgefield Hall, the War Memorial, St Peter and St Paul, and Edgefield Little Wood each appeal to different interests. To understand the place, it is worth keeping these themes distinct: the buildings tell a story of architectural history, the memorial of remembrance, and the wood of conservation status and geological underpinnings.

Village Centre and Architectural History

Edgefield Hall is a farmhouse dating from around 1600, which was later altered. Its most striking feature is the large porch, which extends across three storeys and has polygonal buttresses and pinnacles. These architectural details give the porch its structure and provide a tangible point of interest if you are interested in historic architectural styles. The Hall also has a medieval moat. Edgefield Hall thus brings together the history of a farmhouse and an older landscape feature.

The Edgefield War Memorial was erected around 1920 to commemorate the First World War. Additions commemorating the Second World War were made later. The memorial also remembers five local servicemen who died in the First World War. The chronology is important: the original purpose was to commemorate the First World War; the Second World War additions came later. The memorial thus combines a clearly defined local remembrance with a later expansion of its commemorations.

The history of St Peter and St Paul also spans several building phases. The medieval parish church was taken down in the 1880s and rebuilt at a new location. Only the original church’s octagonal west tower survives. Its origins probably date to the late Anglo-Saxon period. This probable early origin relates to the original church; the rebuilding at a new location took place many centuries later. The building of St Peter and St Paul can be used for concerts. If a concert is important to your visit, please check the specific arrangements in advance.

Edgefield Little Wood and Its Landscape

Edgefield Little Wood offers a different focus from architectural and commemorative history. The area is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). It was designated in 1985. Its geological setting is also relevant: the woodland lies on acidic glacial sands and gravels, on a spur of the Cromer Ridge. Its natural significance can therefore be understood not only through its conservation status, but also through its landform and underlying geology.

If you are particularly interested in architectural history, Edgefield Hall and St Peter and St Paul offer two different perspectives: a farmhouse with a distinctive porch, and a parish church whose original building was taken down and rebuilt elsewhere. The War Memorial adds remembrance of local servicemen who died in the wars, as well as later commemorative additions. Edgefield Little Wood, by contrast, offers a natural history focus, revealed by its conservation designation and glacial geology. The village pond is the focal point in the centre of Edgefield; the historical and natural history themes provide further tangible ways to choose the focus of your stay.

Discover more destinations: Catfield, Norwich, Mundford, Wiveton, Great Snoring, Taverham, Saham Toney, Loddon

For the regional travel overview: Norfolk.