Cawston is a village and civil parish in the Broadland district of Norfolk, England. The village is approximately 11 miles (18 km) north of Norwich on the B1145 road, a route which runs between King's Lynn and Mundesley. Nearby towns are Reepham and Aylsham.

History

Cawston's name is of Anglo-Saxon origin and derives from the Old English for Kalfr's farmstead or settlement.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, Cawston was recorded as being a settlement of 26 households in the hundred of South Erpingham. In 1086, the village was divided between the estates of King William and William de Warenne.

Cawston was the scene of Norfolk's last duel, which occurred illegally in August of 1698 between Sir Henry Hobart of Blickling Hall and Oliver Le Neve of Great Witchingham. The duel was fought with swords and ended with the fatal wounding of Hobart, resulting in Le Neve fleeing to the Netherlands. Today, a memorial stone to the duel is maintained by the National Trust.

Geography

In the 2011 Census, Cawston was recorded as having a population of 1,640 residents living in 704 households.

Cawston falls within the constituency of Mid Norfolk and is represented at Parliament by George Freeman MP of the Conservative Party.

St. Agnes' Church

Cawston's Parish Church is of Norman origin and is dedicated to Saint Agnes. St. Agnes' was heavily restored in the Fourteenth Century at the request of Michael de la Pole, the new lord of the manor. The church holds many good examples of Medieval stained-glass windows and several panel paintings depicting the lives of saints. Its finest feature is probably its outstanding hammerbeam roof, embellished with life-size carved wooden angels.

Transport

Cawston railway station opened in 1880 as part of the Great Eastern Railway and closed in 1952 due to declining passenger numbers. The station building is now a private residence.

Amenities

Local children attend Cawston Church of England Primary School which moved into its current building in 1953. The school was awarded a 'Good' rating by Ofsted in 2016.

Notable residents

• Matthew Fletcher- British fundraiser and student

War memorial

And, the following for the Second World War:

• Flying-Officer Leonard A. Barham (1915–1944), No. 199 Squadron RAF
• Able-Seaman S. Frederick Gaskin (1923–1942), HMS Cornwall
• Lance-Corporal Eric G. Monsey (1925–1945), 1st Battalion, East Surrey Regiment