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Heacham Park (1)
Little has changed about the park in
centuries except that Heacham Hall, former home of
the Rolfes is a modern version, the original was
burnt down during WWII. The
Village Green (2). This was the original
centre of the Village, few of the very old buildings
still stand as they were built from local chalk
which was not as durable as stone. The archway was
added by Charles Fawcette Neville-Rolfe in 1860.
Church House (3)
was built in the early 1700’s and beside it
Turret House (4)
built in 1830 with its’ quirky architecture added to
over time.
Cross back over the road at the river
Pinnacle Row
(5) is
an attractive group of listed cottages that were
originally built to house staff for Holy Lodge. Both
no 11 and no.1 were at one time served as the local
post office.
Turn right at the junction and walk on looking to
your right
The Heacham Declaration
Plaque (6) commemorates 1795, when local
labourers, farmers and squire called on the King and
Parliament to set a fair price for flour. This was a
civilised and organised movement, a fledgling trade
union, long before the Tollpuddle martyrs, fighting
against the real threat of starvation during the
Napoleonic Wars and Enclosures acts.
Caley House (7)
was the main farm in the village. William de Caley
took over lands in 1068 alongside Baron L’Strange.
Retrace your steps to the junction, then cross over
to Lynn Road.
Holy Lodge (8) was built in the early
1800’s of chalk. The origin of the name comes from
a Cistercian cell found here in 1500, based on the
old Pilgrim Road to the shrine at Walsingham, hence
the original name. A key feature are the ornate
chimneys. Loo Water (9) is now Millbridge
Nursing Home, but once the site of an early mill on
the river. The Torrey family of shipping line fame
married into the Rolfe family and lived here up
until quite recently. Loo Water looks across to
Little Mill House, a former dairy much extended in
local chalk and carrstone. The other significant
local water Mill is Caley Mill, which lies further
inland and is home to Norfolk Lavender. Victoria
Cottages (10) a row of 6 cottages built
by the Estate to celebrate Queen Victoria’s
accession in 1837.
Wheatsheaf (11) The public house is not
the original building, but there has been a
Wheatsheaf Inn on this land since the 17th
Century.
Retrace your steps back up Hunstanton Road.
L’Strange Cottages
(12) Now one house was originally several
cottages, built from carrstone for some of the
families that served the Estate.
The Homemead (13)
The house that first stood here was built in
1792 and undergone many changes. The long high wall
is believed to be from the very early 1700’s. The
landowners recently restored the fishing Lake in
the grounds which were part of the parklands of
Heacham Hall
Turn Right into Church Lane
The Queens Cottages
Almshouses (14) commemorates Queen
Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee. In the late 1800s, if
you could not work you had no home. These cottages
were built by local subscription on land gifted by
the Rolfes, for the benefit of parishioners. The bas
relief work in Terracotta was made by Mrs Holcombe
Ingleby. White City (15)
was so named by villagers because of the grand
Chimneys and the Chalk used in its construction. It
was built around 1761 by the Rolfe Family in a bid
to provide better accommodation for local people.
It is now a grade II listed building.
Turn and head back to the Church
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