As North Walsham and Holt are both within a morning’s drive from Cromer,
a brief notice of each may not be unacceptable;—the principal places
lying on the road, or near it, have already been mentioned.
North Walsham stands on an eminence with a declivity northward to the
river Ant, and is distant fifteen miles from Norwich, and nine from
Cromer, and is a pleasant and handsome, though irregularly built
market-town, consisting chiefly of three streets. It has a neat cross,
built by Bishop Thurlby, in the reign of Edward VI., and repaired in 1600
by Bishop Redman, whose arms, with those of the see, are impaled upon it.
The river Ant, which passes within a mile north of the town, is navigable
to Yarmouth.
North Walsham, suffered considerably in 1381, when a body of fifty
thousand insurgents, who had taken up arms in opposition to the odious
poll-tax, levied by Richard II., headed by John Litester, a dyer of
Norwich, were put to the rout by Bishop Spencer. They afterwards
retreated to the town, where they were totally overthrown by the troops
of the prelate, after the destruction of the church and other buildings,
into which they had thrown themselves for security. On the Norwich road,
about a mile south of the town, is a cross, erected on the heath, in
commemoration of this victory. In 1600 it was nearly destroyed by an
accidental fire.
The church, dedicated to St. Nicholas, was rebuilt soon after its
destruction in the rebellion of 1381, and is a noble structure. It is
about one hundred and fifty-six feet long, and sixty-eight broad, having
a nave, chancel, and side-aisles, with a fine south porch of flint and
stone, adorned with boldly sculptured ornaments, amongst which are the
arms of John of Gaunt, and the Abbot of St. Bennet, at the Holm. The
aisles are separated from the body by a range of elegantly formed arches,
supported by light clustered columns. A great part of the massive tower
of this church, which was originally one hundred and forty-seven feet
high, fell down on the 16th of May, 1724; another large portion fell on
April 26th, 1835, when the remaining fragments, being in a very dangerous
state, were removed about four years ago.
The great east window, in which were the arms of the see, with those of
Bishop Freake, in painted glass, was unfortunately destroyed by a storm,
in 1809. On the north side of the chancel is a fine tomb, with the
effigy of Sir Wm. Paston, Knight, who, (as was not unfrequently done in
those times,) in 1607, agreed with John Key, of London, to erect and fit
up his tomb, with his effigy in armour, five feet and a half long, for
which he was to be paid two hundred pounds. Sir William died the
following year: instances, however, are recorded of persons having seen
their own effigy &c., carried away by the sacrilegious soldiers of
Cromwell. This monument was partially cleaned and repaired a few years
ago, but the workman being limited to twenty pounds, he cleaned only the
upper part of the figure, leaving the rest untouched.
The font, which is surrounded by an elegant octagonal railing, attracts
much and deserved attention. The cover, which is profusely ornamented,
is esteemed one of the richest of the kind in the kingdom.
The benefice is a vicarage, of which the Bishop of Norwich is the patron.
It has a grammar-school, founded by Sir William Paston, in which several
eminent men received their education, amongst whom were the great Lord
Nelson; Watson, the author of “Anglia Sacra,” Sir Wm. Hoste, and
Archbishop Tenison. The principal inn is the King’s Arms.