Holme-next-the-Sea

Correct pronunciation

"Holme - the 'l' is sounded"; "Holl’m"

History

Holme-next-the-Sea's name is of Anglo-Saxon origin and derives from the Old English for the island next to the sea.

In the Domesday Book, Holme-next-the-Sea is recorded as a settlement of 8 households in the hundred of Smethdon. In 1086, the village was divided between the East Anglian estates of King William I and William d'Ecouis.

Seahenge, a prehistoric timber-circle, is located close to the village. The site was excavated in 1998 and the pieces were removed to the British Museum.

There are numerous post-medieval shipwrecks on the beaches near Holme, including the Vicuna which sank on 7 March 1883 whilst carrying a cargo of ice to King's Lynn Docks and the Carrington, a collier which sank in the Nineteenth Century.

During the Second World War, several defences were built in the parish to defend against a possible German invasion. These defences included anti-tank ditches, barbed wire and mine fields.

Geography

According to the 2021 census, Holme-next-the-Sea has a population of 203 people which shows a decrease from the 239 people listed in the 2011 census.

Holme-next-the-Sea is a prime site for migratory birds in the autumn and is home for two adjoining nature reserves: one owned by the Norfolk Wildlife Trust and the other by the Norfolk Ornithological Association. Gore Point, the north-easterly point of The Wash, is located in the parish.

The meeting point of the Peddars Way and the Norfolk Coast Path is in the village.

St. Mary's Church

Holme-next-the-Sea's parish church is dedicated to Saint Mary and dates from the Eighteenth Century. St. Mary's is located on Kirkgate and has been Grade I listed since 1953. The church holds Sunday service twice a month.

The church holds stained-glass windows and a set of royal arms from the Georgian era as well as a Nineteenth Century marble font. The church also holds a ring of five bells including one that was installed in 1677.

Amenities

The eastern end of Hunstanton Golf Club reaches to Holme.

Governance

Holme-next-the-Sea is part of the electoral ward of Brancaster for local elections and is part of the district of King's Lynn and West Norfolk.

The village's national constituency is North West Norfolk which has been represented by the Conservative's James Wild MP since 2019.

War Memorial

Holme-next-the-Sea War Memorial is a small latin-cross monument in St. Mary's Churchyard. The memorial lists the following names for the First World War:

The following names were added after the Second World War:

References

References

1. Hales, J. and Bennett, W. "Looking at Norfolk" (October 1971), Charles N. Veal & Company
2. https://friendsofnorfolkdialect.com/portfolio-items/norfolk-placenames/
3. "Key to English Place-names".
4. "Holme [next the Sea] {{!}} Domesday Book".
5. "mnf33771 - Norfolk Heritage Explorer".
6. "mnf21961 - Norfolk Heritage Explorer".
7. "mnf21962 - Norfolk Heritage Explorer".
8. "mnf41685 - Norfolk Heritage Explorer".
9. "Holme next the Sea (Parish, United Kingdom) - Population Statistics, Charts, Map and Location".
10. noa. (2023-03-09). "OUR 4 RESERVES - Open To Visitors".
11. "Holme Dunes {{!}} Norfolk Wildlife Trust".
12. "CHURCH OF ST MARY, Holme Next the Sea - 1171431 {{!}} Historic England".
13. "St Mary the Virgin Holme-next-the-Sea".
14. "Norfolk Churches".
15. "Course Overview {{!}} Hunstanton Golf Club".
16. "Holme-next-the-Sea War Memorial, Holme Next the Sea - 1450928 {{!}} Historic England".
17. "Roll of Honour - Norfolk - Holme Next The Sea".
18. "Geograph:: Hackford to Hunworth :: War Memorials in Norfolk".