Geology, geography and climate The geology and geography in the vicinity of Walcott have been shaped by past ice ages, sea incursions and rivers that have deposited material over the underlying chalk. The last ice sheet left Norfolk around 16,000 BC allowing pine trees to colonise the region. Between 10,000 – 6000 BC the climate became warm and dry allowing alder, oak, elm & lime into the region. The increasing temperature caused the sea level to rise and around 5000 BC the North Sea was first connected to the English Channel via a narrow strait. Eventually there were wide inter-tidal estuaries around Norfolk, which started to deposit marine clay over the original peat in the Broadland area. Around 3000 BC the Norfolk coastline was roughly similar to today's outline, although the local cliffs continued to erode. Some of the eroded material goes to form the sand bar, a few miles (kilometres) offshore, that runs parallel with the coastline and is a danger to local shipping. During the Bronze Age (2,500 – 800 BC) the climate slowly became cooler although the sea level continued to rise and around 750 BC the sea started to breach the spits across the estuaries further south. This resulted in Walcott becoming part of a large peninsula with numerous islands and waterways in the south and east. This peninsula would have made an ideal area for man to colonise with fresh water, fishing and reeds (for thatch) in the west, sea fishing in the east. The good farming land and its isolation would have offered some degree of defence. From the Iron Age to the end of the Roman period (800 BC – 410 AD) the climate became wet and cold and locally the sea level probably reached about above today's average. Around 500 AD (during the Anglo-Saxon period) spits of land further south started once again to exclude the sea from the local estuaries and the inlets forming the peninsular began to 'dry out'. These natural barriers have subsequently been maintained by man to protect the farmland behind. The coastal erosion in the vicinity has been estimated at an approximate rate of per year and accounts for the loss of an approximate wide strip of land since the Roman invasion of AD 43 as a result of which several medieval villages (e.g.
Waxham Parva,
Markesthorpe) disappeared into the sea. Note: Details of the past vegetation and climate of the region have been determined from borehole logs (and pollen analysis) such as that at
Ranworth Broad.
Prehistoric The climate was very different during the
Palaeolithic or
Old Stone Age Era (pre 10,000 BC) as shown by the bones of elephants, rhinoceros, hippopotamus, hyena, etc. found in East Anglia. However, it is considered that only intermittent human occupation occurred at this time. The majority of the artefacts recorded in the vicinity of Walcott from this period were flint hand axes, which suggests forest clearance. Little activity is noted in the vicinity during the
Mesolithic or
Middle Stone Age Era (10,000 – 5000 BC) with few artefacts recorded. It is possible that east Norfolk (including Walcott) may have been occupied by one of these smaller (possibly poorer) tribes, which could explain the general lack of finds. Some historians consider that the west side of Norfolk was settled before the east side and that society underwent a progressive fragmentation during the Iron Age until around 60 BC when larger groups started to emerge.
Roman The number of artefacts recorded in the vicinity increases significantly during the Roman occupation (43 AD – 410 AD) with a small concentration on high ground near Happisburgh and large concentrations in the
Stalham/
Ingham/
Wayford area.
Early Middle Ages The vicinity shows economic recession and technological regression in the post Roman period. Grave goods found from this period strongly suggest a large influx of people from the
Anglian region of
Schleswig in north Germany/south Denmark (the Angles), confirmed by the
Venerable Bede. During the Middle Saxon period (AD 650 – 865), the archaeological evidence in Norfolk changes (shortly after AD 700) and suggests that the region was arguably more Christian than
pagan. Late Anglo-Saxon (865–1066) artefacts recorded in the vicinity are few in number but of high quality and are indicative of high status. and it remained under Scandinavian control until 917 when the West Saxons re-conquered East Anglia. It is thought that this was the start of the system of Hundreds – areas of land containing approximately 100 families. Walcott is in the
Happing Hundred The cutting of
peat that resulted in the formation of
The Broads is thought to have started around AD 900. This practice may have been introduced by the Angles and could indicate the scarcity of firewood at the time.
Medieval Before the
Norman Conquest Walcott was held by Eadric de Laxfield. There were 4
carucates and 6 acres (about 486 acres) of (arable) land, 8 villagers and 16 smallholders. The lord had 2 ploughs and there were 2 other ploughs. There were of meadow, 1 mill, 3 cattle, 4 pigs & 80 sheep. There was a church with . There were 7 freemen with and 2 ploughs, and there were 5 other ploughs. The value of the manor was 40 shillings. South Erpingham Hundred held 3 freemen in Walcott with and 3 ploughs. Eadric was a major
Thane (noble) at that time, based at
Eye in Suffolk, with numerous manors and lands in Norfolk, Suffolk and
Wiltshire. Whilst some historians consider him to have been Danish, as depicted on the village sign at Happisburgh, all (admittedly slender) evidence relating to his origin suggests that he was English. Immediately after the Conquest Walcott was given to
Robert Malet who died before the Domesday Survey of 1088 when it was granted to Ralph (Ranulf), brother of Iger and held by Humphrey, possibly his nephew. There were 4 carucates and of land with 3 ploughs, 8 villagers & 16 smallholders. 2 other ploughs, of meadow, 1 mill, 2 cobs (horses), 16 cattle, 24 pigs, 70 sheep & 4 beehives. 1 church with , 7 freemen with , 5 other ploughs. Another 4 freemen with . The value of the manor was 60s. South Erpingham Hundred held 3 freemen in Walcott with 2.5 ploughs. As only men were recorded in the survey, and assuming each man had a wife and 2.4 children, the approximate population of Walcott in 1088 was around 170. The eponymous
de Walcott family were
Lords of the Manor of Walcott from about the late 12th century until about the late 14th century. The church at Walcott is dedicated to
All Saints and dates from the middle 14th century. The
Font is 13th century. The font stands on a Celtic limestone memorial slab and both are from an earlier church, the foundations of which may have been discovered in a nearby garden. During the reign of
King Edward I (1239–1307), the church was valued at 20 marks (£13 6s 8d) per year and the
Peter pence was 20d. Originally there were two Halls in Walcott, East Hall and West Hall. William Faden's map of Norfolk dated 1797 shows Walcott Hall but unfortunately it is not entirely clear if this is West or East Hall. However, between 1386 & 1486, there is note of a manor called 'Masons' in Walcott. The de Engain family of Brumstead and Walcott is first noted in 1404 when Thomas de Engain married Margaret, daughter of John Ellis of Great Yarmouth. In 1405, he passed the manor of West Hall to Lord Willoughby and hence West Hall was united to East Hall in Walcott. In 1360 the Stapleton family of Ingham established a college of
Friars of the
order of the Holy Trinity and St Victor to serve Ingham and Walcott. Originally it consisted of a
Prior, a
Sacrist (who acted as
Vicar and lived above the porch) and two brethren. The church is dedicated to the
Holy Trinity and was rebuilt in 1360, the
Chancel dates from the 1340s and the Font is 13th century. There is a monument to Sir Oliver de Ingham and Lord & Lady de Boys, there was a brass of Sir Miles Stapleton and his wife. To help pay for a
crusade in the
Holy Land, in 1254 a special tax was introduced called the
Norwich Tax. For Walcott the figures were 25 marks (£16 13s 4d) (the Prior of
Bromholm's portion was £1 0s 0d). Between 1250 and 1350,
manorial accounts from
Lessingham suggest that the main agriculture in the vicinity was about 50%
Barley, 20%
Legumes, 15% Wheat and the remaining 15% was
Rye,
Oats and mixed grain. Livestock consisted of about 55% cattle, 30% sheep and the remaining 15% was horses,
oxen and
pigs. The
Nomina Villarum was a list of lords in 1316 (86) and shows that Peter Roscelyn & Alexander de Walcott held
Lordships in Walcott. To pay for another crusade in the Holy Land, an assessment of tax was made of individual parishes in 1334, which gives an idea of the comparative wealth of each parish and any changes since the Norwich Taxation of 1254. For Walcott the amount was £6 0s 0d. The
Black Death arrived in Norfolk in the spring of 1349 and spread up the river valleys from
Yarmouth, suggesting that it arrived by ship and was spread by river craft. In the autumn of 1349, the harvest in the vicinity brought in less than half the usual amount of corn. High inflation followed the Black Death as a result of the reduction in the population and the King responded by legally forcing wages down and imposing a Poll (or head) Tax. Needless to say this was very unpopular and there were rebellions in the vicinity (the so-called
Peasants' Revolt).
Bromholm Priory was attacked and documents were destroyed in June 1381. Eventually the uprising was crushed and in July 1381 a commission was appointed to deal with the insurgents in Norfolk and Suffolk. There is evidence from their enquiry of the work of a
Martham stonemason in Walcott and Ingham between 1440 & 1470.
Post Medieval Most
parish registers start shortly after the medieval period and in 1603 an incomplete list of church
communicants for each parish was compiled. For Walcott the parish registers start in 1558 and there were 110 communicants in 1603. In 1830 there was another rebellion due to the introduction of new farming techniques and machinery that put men out of work. The '
Swing riots' were so called because farmers would receive threatening letters signed by a '
Captain Swing', whose identity has never been determined. Farm machinery in Walcott was destroyed. From the Whites Trade Directory dated 1845, Walcott had a population of 172 and of land. S. Bignold was
lord of the manor. Robert Atkinson was
High Constable. There was a
Shopkeeper &
Smith, a
Wheelwright, John Warner ran the Light House Public House and there were seven
Farmers ==Village amenities==