Gayton, Norfolk
Gayton is a small village in the west of the English county of Norfolk.
| Gayton | |
|---|---|
 The village sign | |
  Gayton Location within Norfolk | |
| Area | 22.84 km2 (8.82 sq mi) |
| Population | 1,432 (2011 census)[1] |
| • Density | 63/km2 (160/sq mi) |
| OS grid reference | TF720190 |
| • London | 109 miles (175 km) |
| Civil parish |
|
| District |
|
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | KING'S LYNN |
| Postcode district | PE32 |
| Dialling code | 01553 |
| Police | Norfolk |
| Fire | Norfolk |
| Ambulance | East of England |
| UK Parliament | |
Location
The village is 7.3 miles (11.7 km) east of the town of King's Lynn, and 10 miles (16 km) north-west of the town of Swaffham. The Gaywood River has its source just north of the village at Derby Fen. The village encompasses the intersection of the B1153 and the B1145 King's Lynn to Mundesley road that dissects North Norfolk west to east.[2]
Overview
The place-name 'Gayton' is first attested in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as Gaituna. The name is thought to mean "Gæga's town or settlement".[3]
The village has a primary school, which was a first school but in March 2011 gained full primary status.
The church in Gayton is St Nicholas' Church.[4] In September 2013, James Meade, son of equestrian champion Richard Meade, and Lady Laura Marsham, daughter of Julian Charles Marsham, 8th Earl of Romney, got married in this church. Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Prince Harry and Pippa Middleton were in attendance at the wedding.
There is one pub in the village, The Crown. The village also has a butcher's shop, Gayton Goslings care/daycare centre, a hair salon, a fish and chip shop and petrol station combining convenience shop/post office. The village formally had a windmill and is currently seeing a large increase in the building of residential housing.
Nearby is Gayton Hall, the home of The Earl & Countess of Romney, whose gardens are open to the public.[5]
Formula One broadcaster and ex-driver Martin Brundle resides in Gayton.
Governance
Gayton is a parish of the Kings Lynn and West Norfolk district council, which is responsible for the most local services. Norfolk County Council is responsible for roads, some schools and social services. For Westminster elections the parish forms part of the North West Norfolk constituency, represented by James Wild (Conservative). An electoral ward of the same name exists. The population of this ward at the 2011 Census was 2,240.[6]
References
- "Parish population 2011". Retrieved 27 August 2015.
- County A to Z Atlas, Street & Road maps Norfolk, ISBN 978-1-84348-614-5
- Eilert Ekwall, The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Place-names, p.194.
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- (http://www.ggmbenefice.uk The web site for St Nicholas Church, Gayton)
- "Gayton Hall". National Gardens Scheme.
- "Ward population 2011". Retrieved 27 August 2015.
External links
Media related to Gayton, Norfolk at Wikimedia Commons