Dilham

Dilham is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk.

Dilham
St. Nicholas' Church
Dilham Location within Norfolk
Area	6.54 km2 (2.53 sq mi)
Population	331 (2021 census)
• Density	51/km2 (130/sq mi)
OS grid reference	TG332245
• London	110 miles
Civil parish	Dilham
District	North Norfolk
Shire county	Norfolk
Region	East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	NORTH WALSHAM
Postcode district	NR28
Dialling code	01692
Police	Norfolk
Fire	Norfolk
Ambulance	East of England
UK Parliament	North Norfolk
List of places UK England Norfolk 52.76815°N 1.45618°E / 52.76815; 1.45618

The village is located 4.3 miles (6.9 km) south-east of North Walsham and 12 miles (19 km) north-east of Norwich, along the course of the River Ant.

History

Dilham's name is of Anglo-Saxon origin, and derives from the Old English for a farmstead or homestead with an abundance of dill.^[1]

In the Domesday Book of 1086, Dilham is listed as a settlement of 23 households in the hundred of Tunstead. In 1086, the village was divided between the estates of Alan of Brittany, Robert Malet, Roger Bigod and St Benet's Abbey.^[2]

Nearby Dilham Castle was built in the fifteenth century as a fortified manor house for Sir Henry Inglose; all that remains of the castle is the Grade II listed tower currently attached to Hall Farm.^[3][4]

During the Second World War, the North Walsham and Dilham Canal was designated as a line of defence against a possible German invasion which meant that bunkers, barbed wire and mortar-emplacements were built in the parish.^[5][6]

Geography

According to the 2021 census, Dilham has a population of 331 people which shows a small increase from the 319 people recorded in the 2011 census.^[7]

Dilham marks the limit of Broads navigation for larger boats, but smaller boats can continue on the North Walsham and Dilham Canal until Honing.

St. Nicholas' Church

Dilham's parish church is dedicated to Saint Nicholas and was re-built in the 1930s. St. Nicholas' is located outside of the village on Church Road.^[8]

Governance

Dilham is part of the electoral ward of Hoveton & Tunstead for local elections and is part of the district of North Norfolk.

The village's national constituency is North Norfolk, which has been represented by the Liberal Democrat Steff Aquarone MP since 2024.

War Memorial

Dilham's war memorials are two marble plaques inside St. Nicholas' Church. The memorials list the following names for the First World War:^[9][10]

Rank	Name	Unit	Date of Death	Burial/Commemoration
Lt.	William J. Faulke	9th Bn., Norfolk Regiment	21 Mar. 1918	Arras Memorial
LCpl.	Harold Fiske	2nd Bn., Essex Regiment	15 Jul. 1918	Niederzwehren Cemetery
Pte.	Frederick W. Durrant	7th Bn., Border Regiment	20 Nov. 1917	Tyne Cot
Pte.	Arthur Morter	1st Bn., Essex Regiment	13 Aug. 1915	Helles Memorial
Pte.	Sidney Morter	1st Bn., Essex Regt.	13 Aug. 1915	Helles Memorial
Pte.	Lawson J. Dewing	29th Bn., Middlesex Regiment	25 Feb. 1919	St. Nicholas' Churchyard

And, the following for the Second World War:

Rank	Name	Unit	Date of Death	Burial
Bdr.	Gilbert Hannant	1st Regt., Royal Horse Artillery	29 May 1942	Knightsbridge War Cemetery
Gnr.	Bertie Mortimer	72 (Anti-tank) Regt., Royal Artillery	4 Jun. 1944	Caserta War Cemetery
Pte.	Basil A. Golder	4th Bn., Royal Norfolk Regiment	13 Feb. 1942	Kranji War Cemetery
Pte.	Sidney H. Fiske	6th Bn., Royal Norfolks.	26 Jan. 1942	Kranji War Memorial
Pte.	Alexander Simpson	7th Bn., Royal Norfolks.	12 Jun. 1940	St. Marie's Cemetery