Village Memories by Norman Large

Earliest memories of what the village was like before most of the houses were built and before the ones that were in the village were modernised.


Going to school during the Second World War, you never knew when the air raid sirens would sound. When they did go off, the children were taken across the road, after they had collected their gas masks and coats, to the Old Rectory, where there was a large cellar which they used as an air raid shelter. It was very cold.

Most of the men in the village were farm workers, and because there were not many tractors most of the agricultural land work was done by horses.

Now for a tour of the village before it was built up. We will start at Church Farm, which was one of the main dairy farms and was owned by Mr Robinson, whose wife later became the infant teacher at the school. Opposite Church Farm was the school bungalow which is still there but has had changes. Next to that is the Old rectory. Both the church and the school have been where they are for a long time, as have both the cottages up the school yard. Next to the school it was all apple orchards, no houses or bungalows, until you come to the house where Mrs Pierce now lives. The bee keeper used to live there. The house (The Hollies) which is now up for sale, has also been there a long time.

Going round the Candlestick is where the shop used to be. Before it became a shop it was a pub called the Flower Pot. When it was changed to a shop, Mr Bambridge owned it and he was also the village undertaker.


There was no South Street.

Along the main road there was an old wooden village hall, next to that there was a Filling Station, shop and bakery. As well as there being a wheelwright and carpenter, there was also a blacksmiths.

Carrying on down the main road, then turning left to go down the Fransham Road, you came to Rookery Farm and the wood which have always been there. Next comes Croft Farm, which had some changes made to it. Turning left again for Beeston Road, there were no houses until you come to Tucks Farm, which is the last farm and house in that direction in Great Dunham.

Back along the main road to where Mrs Spencer now lives and which has always been there. There were no more houses until you came to Meadow House.

Up Brocks Yard, Mr Thompson, the shoemaker used to live and most of those cottages have all been changed.

Coming round the corner into Castle Acre Road there was yet another shop which is now one end of Point House. The blacksmith lived opposite in The Old Smithy which is still there.

Another blacksmith lived and had a workshop in a house at the junction of Palgrave Road and Castle Acre Road. Next to Point House stood a row of four cottages, one of which still stands. At Keswick, where Mrs Gathercole now lives there lived a watch maker.

Palgrave Road has not changed much apart from two bungalows being built later and the barns near Wood Farm, being made into homes.
A contractor lived at Wood Farm, who did a lot of ploughing for the farms as he was one of the first people to have tractors in Great Dunham. Wood Farm Cottage and Echo Farm have always been there, then no more houses until you got to Little Dunham.

Coming back up Palgrave Road and round the corner down Castle Acre Road, the cottage opposite Mrs Ga'thercoles was where the chimney sweep lived, and this was one of the last houses to be modernised. From there up to a row of flint cottages known as Briar Row, of which there were four, but now two, there were no other houses until later.

Carrying on down the road and over the crossroads, you come to Canister Farm owned by Mr Ellison, then Hill House (Now Field Barn Cottage) where Mr Gower lives and finally up to Hill Farm which is the last one in Great Dunham in that direction, which was a fruit farm.

Coming back to the crossroads and turning left you come to Rix Farm and going round the corner into Lexham Road, there are two cottages, both of which have always been there. One has had a lot of changes. Going a little beyond them is another cottage which again has seen many changes and is believed to be haunted.

Walking back towards North Street, you came to Spring Cottage Farm which has always been there and been owned by the Warnes' family for some time.

Daffodil House and a row of cottages on the other side of the road have always been there. Then you come to the old pub which was called The Three Horseshoes and Spring Cottage and a little way past that there is or was a well, then nothing but land until you came to a row of four cottages which now have been made into two. A little further are two more cottages, then just before you get to the Chapel, two more cottages standing back. Then the Chapel and two council houses. There is nothing more until you come to East House, then lastly Dunham Hall and back to Church Farm.


As well as having shops in the village there were always various delivery people coming into the village. For example there was Mr Say, who would sell anything from a cup of sugar to a can of paraffin from his car or van. Mr Walthyew sold mainly groceries, fruit and vegetables. Mr Lakey, the Baker, who like Mr Say, both came from Little Dunham. Mr Murton, who delivered newspapers, no matter what the weather, even if it took him all day. And he always seemed happy and would always talk to anyone, even if the weather was really miserable. Also a knife grinder would come on his bicycle to sharpen anything that needed it.

There were not many buses, but there were regular trains and you either had to walk or cycle to the station. No pavement along the main road until much later.

Not many people had flush toilets or bathrooms. You just had an outside toilet which would be emptied once a week by the council and a bath was had in a tin bath in front of the fire.

Mr Rowe, the roads man, would be seen out everyday doing something along the roads which needed doing, but he used to walk with a handcart - no lorry or van.

Clothes washing and bed linen was done by hand in a wash house with a copper and mangle. This was usually in a shed outside and you had to rely on the weather to get it dry. Ironing was done by heating a cold iron on the fire. No washing machines, tumble dryers or electric irons to make it easy.


Not many in the village had fridges, television or central heating.

There was a football and cricket team in the village. Most people would go for a walk on a Sunday afternoon after they had attended either church or chapel.