Tottington, Norfolk

Tottington
Saint Andrew Church in Tottington.
Tottington
Tottington shown within Norfolk
Area	13.12 km² (5.07 sq mi)
Population	0 (2001 Census)
• Density	0/km² (0/sq mi)
OS grid reference	TL895955
District	Breckland
Shire county	Norfolk
Region	East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	THETFORD
Postcode district	IP24

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°31′28″N 0°47′31″E / 52.52441°N 0.79189°E / 52.52441; 0.79189Coordinates: 52°31′28″N 0°47′31″E / 52.52441°N 0.79189°E / 52.52441; 0.79189

Tottington is a deserted village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It is situated some 6.2 miles (10.0 km) north of the town of Thetford and 25 miles (40 km) south-west of the city of Norwich. Any population at the 2011 Census was included in the civil parish of Thompson.

Tottington means "hill of a man called Totta", from the Old English personal name Totta (genitive -n) + dun "hill". A record of the name as Tutindone in 1165 backs up this evidence. The -ington of the place-name is misleading; similar with Islington.

Tottington has an entry in the Domesday Book of 1085. In the great book Tottington is recorded by the name of totintune. The main land holder being Ralph FitzHelwin. The survey also states there are fifteen mares. Samson of Tottington was Abbot of Bury St Edmunds from 1182 to 1211, and Thomas of Tottington filled the same role from 1302 to 1311.

During the Second World War, the village was taken over by the British Army when it was incorporated into the Stanford Battle Area. The military ranges were needed to prepare Allied infantry for Operation Overlord, (the Battle of Normandy in 1944). Though some villagers were said to be happy to give up their homes to help the British War effort, the majority were less than enthusiastic with a number of heated village meetings and some refusing to leave the area. This was the subject of a book written by Lucille Reeve, one such person who refused to leave, under the pseudonym A Norfolk Woman called Farming, on a Battle Ground.

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