Reepham, Norfolk

Description
Reepham, a small town on the banks of the Eyn, a tributary of the Wensum in Norfolk, 6 1/4 miles SW by W from Aylsham, 7 E by N from Elmham, and 12 NW from Norwich. It has a station on the East Norfolk branch of the N.E.R., and one at Whitwell, 1 1/2 mile S from the town on the Midland and Great Northern Joint railway. The town extends into the parishes of Reepham, with Kerdiston, and Hackford, and Whitwell, and is an ancient place. It has a post, money order, and telegraph office under Norwich; is a seat of petty sessions, and has a police station, with magistrates' room and offices attached. A weekly market is held on Wednesday for cattle, and there is a fair on 29 June for stock and horses. A large stock sale is also held weekly in the New Market sale ground. There is a tannery at Whitwell, and a large horse-breaking establishment is maintained at Hackford. There is a reading-room and library in the market-place. The living of Reepham is a rectory, with Kerdiston annexed, in the diocese of Norwich ; joint net value, £521 with residence, in the gift of Trinity College, Cambridge. The church is an ancient building of flint in the Decorated style, consisting of chancel, nave, aisles, S porch, and an embattled tower on the S side. It contains a very remarkable and interesting altar-tomb of Sir Roger de Kerdiston (06.1337), some ancient brasses, and some good stained windows. The church of Whitwell, which stands in the same churchyard, is a fine ancient building of flint chiefly in the Perpendicular style, consisting of chancel, nave, S porch, and an embattled western tower. In earlier times the church of Hackwell also stood in the same churchyard, but this was destroyed in 1543. The living of Whitwell is a vicarage, with the rectory of Hackford annexed, in the diocese of Norwich ; joint net value, £251 with residence. Acreage, 4870; population of the civil parish, 1516; of the ecclesiastical, with Kerdiston, 447; of the ecclesiastical parish of Hackford, with Whitwell, 1069.