Dersingham is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It is situated some 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) north of the town of King's Lynn and 70 km (43 mi) north-west of the city of Norwich, opening onto The Wash.

History

Dersingham's name is of Anglo-Saxon origin and derives from the Old English for the village or settlement of Deorsige's people.

In the Domesday Book, Dersingham is listed as a settlement of 115 households in the hundred of Freebridge. In 1086, the village was divided between the estates of Eudo, son of Spirewic and Peter de Valognes.

Geography

According to the 2011 Census, Dersingham has a population of 4,640 residents living in 2,394 households.

Dersingham falls within the constituency of North West Norfolk and is represented at Parliament by James Wild MP of the Conservative Party.

The nearby Dersingham Bog National Nature Reserve, managed by Natural England (formerly English Nature), contains habitats ranging from marshland to heathland and woodland. Birds such as the redpoll, crossbill, long-eared owl, tree pipit, sparrowhawk and nightjar can be found there.

St Nicholas' Church

Dersingham's parish church is of Norman origin and is dedicated to Saint Nicholas. The Church of St Nicholas is a Grade I listed building. The church holds a good example of a 14th-century chancel with stained glass depicting Jesus, Saint Agnes and Saint Luke installed by James Powell and Sons and Charles Eamer Kempe in the early 20th century. The wooden parish chest, dating from the middle of the 14th century, is carved elaborately with the symbols of the four Evangelists; on the lid, there is part of an inscription.

Sandringham House

Sandringham House, a favoured Royal residence of Queen Elizabeth II and several of her predecessors, lies just to the south of Dersingham in the parish of Sandringham. The Queen visited Dersingham Infant School to mark her Diamond Jubilee in February 2012.

Notable residents

• Ginger Baker- drummer, rented Dersingham Hall during his Baker Gurvitz Army period
• Sir Arthur Bryant- English historian and writer
• Phil Collins- English musician and frontman of Genesis
• Arthur Harry Cross - organist at Sandringham Church for 28 years
• John Dolignon- Norfolk and Marylebone Cricket Club cricketer
• Claire Goose- British actress
• Thomas Kerrich- English clergyman, librarian and antiquarian