Great and Little Plumstead

{{Infobox UK place

| country = England

| coordinates = {{coord|52.64898|1.41277|display=inline,title}}

| os_grid_reference = TG309111

| official_name = Great and Little Plumstead

| population = 125

| population_ref = (2021 census)

| static_image = Little Plumstead-g2.jpg

| static_image_caption = Little Plumstead St Protase and St Gervase

| shire_district = Broadland

| shire_county = Norfolk

| region = East of England

| civil_parish = Great and Little Plumstead

| constituency_westminster = Broadland and Fakenham

| postcode_district = NR13

| postcode_area = NR

| post_town = NORWICH

| dial_code =

| london_distance =

| area_total_sq_mi = 2.00

}}

Great and Little Plumstead is a civil parish in the English county of Norfolk, consisting of the villages of Great Plumstead, Little Plumstead and Thorpe End.

Plumstead is located {{Convert|4.2|mi|km}} south of Wroxham and {{Convert|5.2|mi|km}} east of Norwich.

History

Plumstead's name is of Anglo-Saxon origin and derives from the Old English for plum-tree place.{{Cite web |title=Key to English Place-names |url=http://kepn.nottingham.ac.uk/map/place/Norfolk/Great%20and%20Little%20Plumstead |access-date=2025-04-05 |website=kepn.nottingham.ac.uk}}

In the Domesday Book, Great & Little Plumstead are listed together as a settlement in the hundred of Blofield.{{Cite web |title=[Great and Little] Plumstead {{!}} Domesday Book |url=https://opendomesday.org/place/XX0000/great-and-little-plumstead/ |access-date=2025-04-05 |website=opendomesday.org}}

In the mid-Twentieth Century, a hospital was set up in the grounds of Little Plumstead Hall treating patients with mental health issues. The building was eventually closed after an arson attack.{{Cite web |date=2023-12-13 |title=The Abandoned Little Plumstead Hospital in Norwich |url=https://www.abandonedyorkshire.com/home/Little%20Plumstead%20Hospital |access-date=2025-04-05 |website=Abandoned Yorkshire Explores |language=en-GB}}

During the Second World War, a starfish decoy site was built in Plumstead to draw Luftwaffe bombers away from Norwich.{{Cite web |title=mnf11783 - Norfolk Heritage Explorer |url=https://www.heritage.norfolk.gov.uk/record-details?mnf11783 |access-date=2025-04-05 |website=www.heritage.norfolk.gov.uk}}

Geography

According to the 2021 census, Plumstead has a population of 125 people which shows a decrease from the 128 people recorded in the 2011 census.{{Cite web |title=Plumstead (Parish, United Kingdom) - Population Statistics, Charts, Map and Location |url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/uk/eastofengland/admin/north_norfolk/E04006457__plumstead/ |access-date=2025-04-05 |website=www.citypopulation.de}}

The junction between the A47, between Birmingham and Lowestoft, and the A1270, the Northern Distributor Road, is located in the parish.

The Witton Run also passes through the parish.

St. Mary's Church

Great Plumstead's church is dedicated to Saint Mary and dates from the Eighteenth Century. St. Mary's is located within the village on Church Road and has been Grade II listed since 1962.{{NHLE |desc=CHURCH OF ST MARY THE VIRGIN, Great and Little Plumstead |num=1152889 |access-date=2025-04-05 }} The church still holds Sunday services three times a month.{{Cite web |title=Great Plumstead: St Mary |url=https://www.achurchnearyou.com/church/10045/service-and-events/events-all/ |access-date=2025-04-05 |website=www.achurchnearyou.com |language=en}}

Many of the medieval features of the church were destroyed in a fire in 1891, with the churchtower being subsequently rebuilt.{{Cite web |title=Great Plumstead |url=http://www.norfolkchurches.co.uk/greatplumstead/index.html |access-date=2025-04-05 |website=www.norfolkchurches.co.uk}}

St. Protase & St. Gervase Church

Little Plumstead's church is dedicated to Saint Gervase and Saint Protase and is one of Norfolk's 124 remaining round-tower churches. The church is located within the village on Hospital Road and has been Grade II listed since 1962.{{NHLE |desc=Church of St. Gervase and St. Protase, Great and Little Plumstead |num=1051528 |access-date=2025-04-05}} The church remains open three times a week for Sunday services.{{Cite web |title=Little Plumstead: St Gervase & St Protase |url=https://www.achurchnearyou.com/church/10047/service-and-events/events-all/ |access-date=2025-04-05 |website=www.achurchnearyou.com |language=en}}

Amenities

The Walled Garden Community Shop and Cafe is a business set in a Victorian Walled Garden in Little Plumstead. It is run as a community benefit society.{{Cite web |last=Cafe |first=The Walled Garden Community Shop & |title=The vision, management committee and other information |url=https://www.thewalledgardenshop.co.uk/about |access-date=2025-04-05 |website=The Walled Garden Community Shop & Cafe |language=en}}

Governance

Great & Little Plumstead are part of the electoral ward of Plumstead for local elections and is part of the district of Broadland.

The village's national constituency is Broadland and Fakenham which has been represented by the Conservative Party's Jerome Mayhew MP since 2019.

War Memorial

Great Plumstead War Memorial is a stone wheel-headed cross inside St. Mary's Churchyard which was unveiled in 1920.{{NHLE |desc=Great Plumstead War Memorial, Great and Little Plumstead |num=1446443 |access-date=2025-04-05 }} Little Plumstead War Memorial is also a wheel-headed cross but is located inside St. Protase & Gervase's Churchyard.{{NHLE |desc=Little Plumstead War Memorial, Great and Little Plumstead |num=1451404 |access-date=2025-04-05 }} Combined, the memorials list the following names for the First World War:{{Cite web |title=Roll of Honour - Norfolk - Great Plumstead |url=https://roll-of-honour.com/Norfolk/GreatPlumstead.html |access-date=2025-04-05 |website=roll-of-honour.com}}{{Cite web |title=Geograph:: Garboldisham to Gunton :: War Memorials in Norfolk |url=https://www.geograph.org.uk/article/War-Memorials-in-Norfolk/9#garboldisham-to-gunton |access-date=2025-04-05 |website=www.geograph.org.uk}}{{Cite web |title=Roll of Honour - Norfolk - Little Plumstead |url=https://roll-of-honour.com/Norfolk/LittlePlumstead.html |access-date=2025-04-05 |website=roll-of-honour.com}}

class="wikitable"

!Rank

!Name

!Unit

!Date of Death

!Burial/Commemoration

Lt.

|Anthony J. Bavin

|HMS Mary Rose

|17 Oct. 1917

|Chatham Naval Memorial

Lt.