Methwold

This article is about the Norfolk village. For the seventeenth-century English merchant, see William Methwold.

Methwold
St George, Methwold
Methwold is located in Norfolk
Methwold
Methwold
Location within Norfolk
Area49.12 km2 (18.97 sq mi)
Population1,502 (29011)
• Density31/km2 (80/sq mi)
OS grid referenceTL731940
Civil parish
  • Methwold
District
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townTHETFORD
Postcode districtIP26
Dialling code01366
PoliceNorfolk
FireNorfolk
AmbulanceEast of England
List of places
UK
England
Norfolk
52°31′00″N 0°33′00″E / 52.5167°N 0.55°E / 52.5167; 0.55

Methwold ("Middle forest"[1]) is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk, on the edge of the Norfolk Fens and Breckland. With an area of 49 km2 (19 sq mi) it is the second largest parish in Norfolk. It had a population of 1,502 in 591 households at the 2011 Census,[2] up by less than 2% from 1,476 at the 2001 census,[3] For the purposes of local government, it falls within the district of King's Lynn and West Norfolk.

The parish also includes the hamlets of Methwold Hythe, approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) east of the town and on the edge of the fens, and Brookville to the north west.[4]

Its economy is based on agriculture with a little light industry,[5] some of which now occupies the former WWII bomber base, RAF Methwold, located just to the south of the village.[6] The village is situated about 20 miles (32 km) from King's Lynn and 15 miles (24 km) north west of Thetford (its postal town).

The Duchy of Lancaster Methwold CofE Primary School is in the parish, as are the secondary and sixth form departments of Iceni Academy, previously known as Methwold High School.

Methwold parish is the second largest parish in Norfolk in terms of land. The parish currently has approximately 20 farms ranging from about 60 acres (243,000 m2) up to 1,000 acres (4.0 km2). Farming in Methwold and the surrounding areas accounts for a vast majority of jobs in the fens. Even if people don't farm, much of the work is connected with the land.

Methwold became famous for its abundance and excellence of its rabbits which were sold by poulterers as "Muel Rabbits". According to John Marius Wilson, Methwold was formerly a market town.[4] A meal of Muel Rabbits was reputed to have pleased the king to such an extent that he granted the village a charter for the market to be held.

The village was struck by an F1/ T2 tornado on 23 November 1981, during the record-breaking nationwide tornado outbreak on that day.[7]

  1. ^ "Methwold". English Place-Name Society database. University of Nottingham. Retrieved 14 October 2010.[permanent dead link‍]
  2. ^ "Civil Parish population 2011". Retrieved 28 August 2015.
  3. ^ Census population and household counts for unparished urban areas and all parishes. Office for National Statistics & Norfolk County Council (2001). Retrieved 20 June 2009.
  4. ^ a b Wilson, John Marius (1872). Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales. (quoted online at: "Methwold Norfolk". A Vision of Britain Through Time. 2009. Retrieved 12 August 2010.)
  5. ^ "Meat-free food giant Quorn investing in Norfolk factory". Eastern Daily Press edp24.co.uk. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
  6. ^ "Methwold Farm - IP26 4DU, Warren Energy Limited: environmental permit issued - EPR/ZP3436AU/V002". .gov.uk. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
  7. ^ "European Severe Weather Database".