KIMBERLEY, a pleasant village, scattered round a green, 3½ miles N.W. of Wymondham : has in its parish 31 houses, 137 souls, and 1,467a. 1r. 18p. of land, the whole of which, except the glebe and poor's land, is the property of the Right Hon. John Lord Wodehouse, M.P. for the eastern division of Norfolk, who occasionally resides at Kimberley Hall.
It is a spacious and elegant mansion of brick, about a mile east of the village, in a park richly adorned with sylvan beauty, and containing 646a., of which 276a. are in the Downham Division of Wymondham parish, 58 in Carleton Forehoe, and the rest in Kimberley.
The first seat here belonged to the Fastolff family, and stood on the west side of the village. Sir John Wodehouse, who married the heiress of Sir John Fastolff, had it taken down, and erected a moated mansion at the west end of the park.
His descendants occupied this mansion in 1659, when Sir Philip Wodehouse levelled it, and removed to the present hall on the east side of the park, in the parish of Wymondham.
The rivulet on the west side of the hall divides the parishes, and is expanded into a lake, apparently environing a large wood of venerable oaks, below which the serpentine stream bounds a fine lawn. Queen Elizabeth, in her progress through Norfolk, in 1578, lodged at the old hall.
The Wodehouse Family has long been settled in Norfolk, and derives its descent through a succession of knights from the time of Henry I. Sir John Wodehouse, the seventh baronet of his family, represented the county of Norfolk in two Parliaments, and was created Baron Wodehouse, of Kimberley, in 1797, and died aged 96, in 1834.
On the death of the late Lord Wodehouse, in 1847, his grandson, John, born in 1826, the present lord, succeeded to the title and estates.
The Church, dedicated to St. Peter, is a neat structure, the steeple of which was built by the Wodehouse family in 1631, and the whole fabric was repaired and beautified, and one of its windows adorned with stained glass, by the first Lord Wodehouse, of whose family here are a few memorials, and several brasses.
The vicarage, valued in the King's book, at £6 12s. 3d. has been augmented with £200, given by Sir J. Wodehouse, and £200 Queen Anne's bounty.
It is consolidated with the rectory of Barnham Broom. There are 85a. of glebe, awarded in 1766, in lieu of the vicarial tithes. Lord Wodehouse pays £5 a year for 4a. of old poor's land, and £4 for 2a. 2r. awarded to the poor at the enclosure in 1811. A school, conducted on the National system, built in 1847, is supported by Lord Wodehouse.
The Dereham and Fakenham Branch of the Norfolk Railway runs through this parish, and has a station here, whence trains are despatched several times a day.
DIRECTORY—
The Right Hon. John Lord Wodehouse, M.P., The Hall;
Hy. Cheney, station master ;
Willm. Coleman, blacksmith ;
Hy. Kiddle, parish clerk ;
Jph. Lambert, gamekeeper ;
Alex. Lee, gardener, Hall;
Michael Rudderham, cottager ;
Thos. Rudledge, wheelwright;
Eliz. Spinks, schoolmistress ;
Thos. Spore Atkins, Manor House Farm ;
Jas. Cunningham, Park Farm;
Widow and Edw. Matthews, Green Farm ; and
Richd. Smith, Station Farm.
Norfolk: Kimberley
White's History, Gazetteer, and Directory of Norfolk 1845
KIMBERLEY is a small village, scattered round a green, 3½ miles N.W. of Wymondham, and comprises in its parish 148 inhabitants, and 1607A.1R.17P. of land, of which 1372A. are assessable, and 205 are in woods and plantations.
The whole, except the glebe and poor's land, is the property of Lord Wodehouse, of KIMBERLEY HALL, seated 1 mile E. of the village, in a beautiful park, occupying 646A.3R.4P., of which 276A.1R.31P. are in the Downham division of Wymondham parish; 58A.2R. in Carleton-Forehoe, and the rest in Kimberley.
The first seat here belonged to the Fastolff family, and stood on the west side of the village, until Sir John Wodehouse, who married the heiress of Sir John Fastolff, demolished it, and erected a moated hall, with a tower, at the west end of the park. His descendants occupied this mansion in 1659, when Sir Philip Wodehouse levelled it, and removed to the present hall, which stands on the east side of the park, in the parish of Wymondham, and was built by Sir John Wodehouse, but afterwards enlarged and beautified by Sir Armine Wodehouse, who added four large apartments at the angles. It is a large and handsome brick mansion, with many convenient rooms, and some fine paintings, one of which is a portrait of Vandyck, painted by himself, when young. Queen Elizabeth, in her progress through Norfolk, in 1578, lodged at the Old Hall.
The park is richly ornamented with wood and water, but has not so many deer as formerly. The rivulet on the west side of the hall, divides the parishes, and is expanded into a lake, apparently environing a large wood of venerable oaks, below which the serpentine stream bounds a fine lawn.
The WODEHOUSE FAMILY has long been settled in Norfolk, and derives its descent, through a succession of knights, from the time of Henry I.; and one of them distinguished himself at Agincourt. The late Sir John Wodehouse, the seventh baronet of his family, represented the county of Norfolk in two Parliaments, and was created Baron Wodehouse, of Kimberley, in 1797, and died, aged 96, in 1834, when he was succeeded by his son John, the present Lord Wodehouse, who has another seat at Witton. He was born in 1777, and his grandson (John, born 1826) is his heir.
Kimberley CHURCH (St. Peter,) is a small, but neat edifice, with a tower, spire and two bells. The steeple was built by the Wodehouse family in 1631, and the whole church was repaired and beautified by Lord Wodehouse, in 1835; and a few years earlier, two of its windows were filled with stained glass, at the cost of the late Lord Wodehouse, of whose family here are a few monumental inscriptions, and several brasses.
The Vicarage, valued in the King's Book at £6.12s.3d., was augmented in 1722 with £200, given by Sir J. Wodehouse, and in 1744, with £200 of Queen Anne's bounty. It is consolidated with the rectory of Barnham-Broom. The glebe here is 85A., awarded in 1766 in lieu of the vicarial tithes.
Lord Wodehouse pays £5 a year for 4A. of old poor's land, and £4 for 2A.2R., awarded to the poor at the enclosure in 1811.
DIRECTORY:
Lord Wodehouse Lord-Lieutenant, Vice-Admiral, and Custos
Rotulorum of the County of Norfolk,
Kimberley Hall
KIMBERLEY is a village and parish with station on the Wymondham and Dereham railway, 3½ miles west from Wymondham, in the Southern division of the county, Forehoe hundred and union, Wymondham county court district, rural deanery of Hingham, archdeaconry of Norfolk and diocese of Norwich. The church of St. Peter is a small building in the Early Decorated style: it has chancel, nave and south porch, and square tower at the west end containing two bells: in the chancel are three stained windows, those on the east and south side were presented by John, the first Lord Wodehouse: the church was repaired and otherwise beautified in 1835 by the Wodehouse family. The register dates from the year 1753. The living is a vicarage, consolidated with Barnham Broom and Bixton, joint yearly value £604, with 107 acres of glebe, in the gift of the Earl of Kimberley, and held since 1879 by the Rev. Arthur Charles Wodehouse Upcher B.A. of Trinity College, Cambridge, who resides at Barnham Broom. The poor's allotment of 2 acres produces £4 yearly, which is distributed among the poor in fuel. Kimberley House is an ancient spacious brick mansion of the last century, having towers at the four angles, and is the seat of the Earl of Kimberley P.C. the representative of the Wodehouse and Falstolf families, and is situated in a beautiful park containing about 646 acres, 58 of which are in the parish of Carlton Forehoe, 276 in Wymondham (in which the Hall stands), and the rest in Kimberley and Crownthorpe: the park has a fine lake and wood, and is well stocked with deer. The Earl of Kimberley is lord of the manor and sole landowner. The soil is clayey; subsoil, brick earth. The chief crops are wheat, barley, turnips and hay. The area is 1,467 acres; rateable value, £2,488; ad the population in 1881 was 190.
Parish Clerk, James Kiddle.
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Letters through Wymondham, which is the nearest money order & telegraph office. PILLAR LETTER BOX cleared at 6.40 p.m. & on Sundays at 9 a.m.
There is an infants' school supported by the Earl of Kimberley, Miss Allen, mistress; the elder children attend the school at Hardingham
Railway Station, James Raney, station master
CARRIERS TO NORWICH — John Laskey, from Hingham, passes through Kimberley every mon. wed. & sat.; & John Risebrook, every tues. thurs. & sat., returning to Hingham same days
Kimberley Right Hon. Earl of P.C. Kimberley House; & 35 Lowndes Sq. & Brooks' Travellers' & Athenæum & Devonshire clubs, London
Atkins Sydney Geo. frmr.& valr. Prk.fm
Banham Thomas, farmer
Cubitt Thomas, farmer, manor farm
Howes Henry, brick & tile maker
Palmer Walter, blacksmith
Smith Brothers, corn & coal merchants, Kimberley station
Smith Richard, farmer
Extracted from the 1908 Kelly’s Directory
The Directory gives only details of the ‘notables’ and tradesmen within the village
The living is a vicarage, net yearly value £290, including 28 acres of glebe with residence in the gift of Algernon Heber Percy esq. and held since 18095 by the Rev Sydney Gilbert Mansbridge M.A. of Trinity College, Dublin. Here are two Primitive Methodist Chapels. The fuel allotment of 12 acres produces £12.10s yearly, which is given to the poor in coals. The Union House for the Incorporation of Forehoe, in this parish, built in 1777, is available for 450 inmates; average number about 70. The Earl of Kimberley is lord of the manor of Wicklewood and principal landowner, and the lords of the manor of Wicklewood Ampnors are patrons of the living. The soil is clayey: subsoil, brick earth. The chief crops are wheat, barley, turnips and hay. The area is 1,601 acres; rateable value, £2,176; and the population in 1901 was 626, including 9 officers and 71 inmates in the Forehoe Union House. Sexton: James Cooper
Post and Money Order Office, S B & A & I office
Frederick Thomas Anscombe, sub-postmaster. Letters through Wymondham by cycle post arrive at 7.20pm and 6.50pm (to callers only) Box cleared at 8.35am and 6.45pm weekdays only; no Sunday post. Morley St. Botolph, 2 miles distant, is the nearest telegraph office. Pillar letterbox, Cross Roads cleared at 9.55am and 7.20pm
Public Elementary School for the three parishes of Wicklewood, Crownthorpe and Hackford, erected in 1878 at a cost of £1,387.15s for 165 children. average attendance 145; William R. Pryor, master; Mrs Nellie Pryor, mistress.
The Old National School in the churchyard was taken down by faculty in 1895.
Police Station, Charles Lloyd, constable.
TRADESPEOPLE IN WICKLEWOOD ACCORDING TO KELLY'S DIRECTORY
1916
Post Office - Arthur Buck, sub post master
Public Elementary School - Headmaster, William R Pryor, mistress, Mrs Nellie Pryor
Police station - William Ribbons, constable
Church - Rev Sydney Gilbert Mansbridge
Farmer - Mrs Anna Attoe
The Wild Man and farmer - Earnest James Barcham, Edith Barcham
Pork butcher - George Blake
Pig and poultry dealer, Mill House - Henry Blake
Shopkeeper - Mrs Sarah Anne Blake
Vermin destroyer - George Breeze Junior
Farmer, Low St - James Edward Breeze
Wheelwrights Low St - Buck E and Son
Wheelwright , Post Office - Arthur Buck
Farmer, High Common - Edward Bunn
Blacksmith - William Carr
Farmer, Low Farm - William Clarke
Fdk. Farmer. Primrose farm - William Cook
Farmer - Charles Doubleday
Apartments - Mrs E Drake
Farmer, High Common - Arthur Eastell
Farmer - Thomas Filby
Foregone District Isolation Hospital
Butcher - Walter Gibbons
Farmer, The Green - George Goodings
Farmer and overseer, The Green - Robert Goodings
Farmer High Oak - John Head
Farmer, green Farm - Jesse William Long
Master of Workhouse - William Herbert Musto
Farmer - Alfred Read
Buck Public House, High Common - Charles Smith
Farmer, Hall and Boarded, Gates farm - John Tillett
Farmer, High Common - John William Turner
Vermin Destroyer - George Tuttle
Beer retailer - John Tuttle
Miller, Wind and steam - William Wade
Grocer - Walter Walkington
Farmer, Mere - Arthur Watling
Shoe maker - George Weston
Boot and shoe maker - Henry Robert Weston
Farmer High Oak - John Wigby
Dealer - Stephen Wigby
Farmer, Green - Thomas West Wilkinson
Farmer, Church Farm - Robert Youngman