Helhoughton

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

Helhoughton
All Saints Church
Helhoughton Location within Norfolk
Area	2.64 sq mi (6.8 km2)
Population	503 (2021 census)
• Density	191/sq mi (74/km2)
OS grid reference	TF8626
• London	112 miles (180 km)
Civil parish	Helhoughton
District	North Norfolk
Shire county	Norfolk
Region	East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	FAKENHAM
Postcode district	NR21
Dialling code	01485
Police	Norfolk
Fire	Norfolk
Ambulance	East of England
UK Parliament	North Norfolk
List of places UK England Norfolk 52.80364°N 0.77029°E / 52.80364; 0.77029

Helhoughton is located 4.2 miles (6.8 km) west-south-west of the town of Fakenham and 29.3 miles (47.2 km) west-northwest of Norwich.

History

Helhoughton's name is of mixed Anglo-Saxon and Viking origin and derives from the Old Norse name Helgi and the Old English for a farmstead.^[1]

In the Domesday Book, Helhoughton is listed as a settlement of 73 households in the hundred of Brothercross. In 1086, the village was part of the East Anglian estates of King William I, Peter de Valognes, William de Warenne and Hugh de Montfort.^[2]

Parts of the parish made up RAF West Raynham which was used by No. 2 Group RAF during the Second World War.^[3]

Geography

According to the 2021 census, Helhoughton has a population of 503 people which shows an increase from the 346 people recorded in the 2011 census.^[4]

All Saints' Church

Helhoughton's parish church dates from the Eighteenth Century and is located within the village on 'The Street.' All Saints' has been Grade II listed since 1959.^[5] The church holds Sunday services twice a month.^[6]

All Saints' features a brass memorial to William Stapleton from 1440 and a set of royal arms from the reign of King James I which were subsequently re-lettered in the reign of Queen Anne.^[7]

Governance

Helhoughton is part of the electoral ward of The Raynhams 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.

Notable Residents

• Marshal Sir David Craig OBE was created Baron Craig of Radley, of Helhoughton in the County of Norfolk in 1991.

War Memorial

Helhoughton's war memorial is a stone plaque fixed to the exterior of the churchtower which lists the following names for the First World War:^[8]

Rank	Name	Unit	Date of Death	Burial/Commemoration
Gnr.	William H. Nudds	Royal Field Artillery	28 Jul. 1917	Coxyde Cemetery
Pte.	Robert T. Raines	4th Bn., Coldstream Guards	15 Sep. 1916	Thiepval Memorial
Pte.	George J. Shreeve	1st Bn., Norfolk Regiment	14 Feb. 1915	Wulverghem Road Cemetery
Pte.	Philip A. Shreeve	2nd Bn., Norfolk Regt.	16 Jan. 1916	Amara War Cemetery
Pte.	John H. Barber	5th Bn., Norfolk Regt.	12 Aug. 1915	Helles Memorial
Pte.	William Griffin	5th Bn., Norfolk Regt.	19 Apr. 1917	Jerusalem Memorial
Pte.	Walter J. Howard	11th Bn., Suffolk Regiment	3 Aug. 1916	Thiepval Memorial

The following names were added after the Second World War:

Rank	Name	Unit	Date of Death	Burial/Commemoration
FSgt.	Richard A. Francis	No. 272 (Coastal) Squadron RAF	25 Oct. 1942	Alamein Memorial