Document Reference: Survey - Description

Transcribed by: Bert Arter
Date Added: June 05, 2001

The parish of Stibbard lies in Central North Norfolk about four miles east of the county market town of Fakenham roughly midway between King`s Lynn and Norwich. It is a village of about 400 people and has an Anglican Church (the parish church) dating from the 15th century and a Methodist Chapel about 150 year old.

A small number of gravestones are still evident in the graveyard adjacent to the church. Services are held there every fourth week in conjunction with the other parishes managed by the incumbent.

Today the village consists of a mixture of 18th and 19th century cottages, houses and farm houses and has a school for children under 8 years old. Since WW2 a number of new houses have been built, often on sites of demolished older properties.

Until recently there was one general provisions shop but this has now closed. There is a Village Hall that was built in 1934 and is used for various community functions. In 1900 there were five public (beer and spirits) houses. Only one, the "Ordnance Arms", survives today and that includes a Thai restaurant. The residents are either business or retired people.

The village lies about 400 metres from the main Fakenham/Norwich road and is surrounded by fields of wheat, barley, oil seed rape, potatoes, peas, broad beans and sugar beet.

From the West of the county take the A148 road east from King`s Lynn to Fakenham, about 20 miles. Once in Fakenham take the A1067 out of town towards Norwich and at three miles turn left at the Great Ryburgh crossroads. From Norwich find the ASDA junction on the outer ring road to the west of the city and take the A1067 road west towards Fakenham. After about 20 miles pass the village of Guist and a further 1.5 (Ordnance Arms pub) or 2.5 miles (Great Ryburgh crossroads)are right turns signposted
Stibbard.