Mill Lodge - Martham
For Sale: Mill Lodge, Back Lane, Martham, Norfolk, NR29 4PE
Martham Village History
Martham has always been a large village. The Saxons settled here
about AD600 and gave the village its name, "the ham of the martens",
the home of the polecats. These cream-coloured ferret-like animals
were found wild in Broadland marshes until about a century ago.
About AD800 Danish colonists settled densely in the Fleggs, giving
their names to many villages which end in "by" (Hemsby, Filby,
Ormesby, Oby etc.). Martham it would appear was large enough to
absorb these newcomers and retain its Saxon name.
At the time of the Norman conquest in AD1066, the manor at Martham
belonged to the bishop of Thetford, Herbert de Losinga. When he
moved to Norwich, built the cathedral there and founded the priory,
he gave his land at Martham to the new monastery. During the middle
ages, Martham provided the monks in Norwich with wheat for their
bread, barley for their beer and peat dug from the marshes for their
fuel.
Martham was a large thriving village about the year AD1300 with a
population of about 1000. Even after the Black Death which was
extremely severe in this area, Martham was wealthy enough to build
the large parish church, which has been dubbed the "Cathedral of the
Fleggs"
When the monasteries were dissolved, the manor was leased to a
series of landlords, many of whom lived away from the village.
Martham has never had a single family that dominated village life.
It was a community of farmers, fishermen, craftsmen and tradesmen.
Nineteenth century directories tell of grocers, butchers, tailors,
drapers, shoemakers, basket makers, wheelwrights, joiners,
blacksmiths, millers, brick makers, bricklayers, thatchers,
glaziers, wherrymen and watchmakers. Indeed a village large enough
to be self sufficient and self supporting.
Brick making was carried on at several places in the parish, one
being near Martham ferry. This is why most bricks in the older
houses are of the same appearance, texture and colour, the so called
"Norfolk Red".
A fair was always held on the village green on the last Tuesday and
Wednesday of July and was probably a general market where traders
and peddlers sold goods not usually available in the village.
The population of Martham in 1890 was 1097 inhabitants, today that
number has increased to over 4000.
Annual Carnival
Martham has a Carnival every year and has done so since the early 30's. Held over a whole weekend with many events, stalls, and shows it is a very popular event. It culminates in closing all the village roads/streets to allow a large motorised carnival to take place where great effort is made to win the Best In Carnival awards. From first school to St John the floats are amazing.