North Pickenham

North Pickenham
St Andrew's church
North Pickenham
North Pickenham shown within Norfolk
Area	10.15 km² (3.92 sq mi)
Population	472 UK census 2011
• Density	47/km² (120/sq mi)
OS grid reference	TF8646606864
District	Breckland
Shire county	Norfolk
Region	East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	SWAFFHAM
Postcode district	PE37
Dialling code	01760

Police	Norfolk
Fire	Norfolk
Ambulance	East of England
EU Parliament	East of England
UK Parliament	South West Norfolk
List of places UK England Norfolk 52°37′39″N 0°45′13″E / 52.6275°N 0.753611°E / 52.6275; 0.753611Coordinates: 52°37′39″N 0°45′13″E / 52.6275°N 0.753611°E / 52.6275; 0.753611

North Pickenham is a village in the Breckland district of mid-Norfolk, East Anglia, England. It lies three miles, as the crow flies, from the Georgian market town of Swaffham.

At the 2001 census it had a population of 500 and an area of 1,015 hectares (3.92 square miles) reducing to 472 at the 2011 Census. Norfolk (pop. 832,400) has about one-thirtieth of the population density of Central London, the tenth lowest density county in the country, with 38% of the county's population living in the three major urban areas of Norwich (194,200), Great Yarmouth (66,400) and King's Lynn (40,700).

The River Wissey cuts through the village at Houghton Lane bridge, following the course of Meadow Lane, close to the river's source at Bradenham. Its sister village South Pickenham is two miles away through pretty, narrow country lanes.

North Pickenham has a Parish Council Tax (Band D).

The village is after its Saxon leader Pinca, Pica or maybe Piccea with ham meaning homestead, it became a pagan Anglo Saxon settlement in the 5th century AD. It remained part of a Saxon kingdom until the Norman Conquest in 1066 when it became part of the honour of the Earl of Richmond, Yorkshire. The old village sign showed a Saxon (left) and a Norman (right) warrior (see Great Britain in the Middle Ages) with Richmond Castle and the river Wissey in the background; The sign was designed by Ben Ripper, a local historian, and carved by Steve Eggleton. A new village statue by Tom Yorke replaced the deteriorating old sign and was unveiled by the incumbent MP George Freeman on 22 October 2010.

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Wikipedia