Tottington, Norfolk

Tottington is a deserted village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It is situated some 6.2 miles (10.0 km) north of the town of Thetford and 25 miles (40 km) south-west of the city of Norwich. Any population at the 2011 Census was included in the civil parish of Thompson.

Tottington

Saint Andrew Church in Tottington.
Tottington
Location within Norfolk
Area13.12 km2 (5.07 sq mi)
Population0 (2001 Census)
• Density0/km2 (0/sq mi)
OS grid referenceTL895955
District
  • Breckland
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townTHETFORD
Postcode districtIP24
PoliceNorfolk
FireNorfolk
AmbulanceEast of England
UK Parliament

Name

Tottington means "hill of a man called Totta", from the Old English personal name Totta (genitive -n) + dun "hill". A record of the name as Tutindone in 1165 backs up this evidence. The -ington of the place-name is misleading; similar to Islington.

History

Tottington has an entry in the Domesday Book of 1085.[1] In the great book Tottington is recorded by the name of totintune. The main land holder was Ralph FitzHelwin. The survey also states there are fifteen mares. Samson of Tottington was Abbot of Bury St Edmunds from 1182 to 1211, and Thomas of Tottington filled the same role from 1302 to 1311.

Evacuation

During the Second World War, the village was taken over by the British Army when it was incorporated into the Stanford Battle Area. The military ranges were needed to prepare Allied infantry for Operation Overlord, (the Battle of Normandy in 1944). Though some villagers were said to be happy to give up their homes to help the British War effort,[2] the majority were less than enthusiastic with a number of heated village meetings and some refusing to leave the area.[3] This was the subject of a book written by Lucille Reeve, one such person who refused to leave, under the pseudonym A Norfolk Woman called Farming, on a Battle Ground.[4]

However at the close of World War II, the former villagers were never allowed to return to their homes by the War Office. Most of the inhabitants of Tottington were not landowners, and rented the houses and farmed the land belonging to the Walsingham estates. Though they had been promised that they could return to their homes after the war, the government later reneged on the promise and bought the land, threatening Walsingham with a compulsory purchase order.[5] As the majority of the inhabitants were not landowners, they received very little in compensation, were put into council housing and many lost their livelihoods. They continued to fight for many years to return to their homes and farmland but the beginnings of the Cold War and the need for dedicated training areas removed all chances of a return.

Since the evacuation, the village and its parish remain within the Ministry of Defence's Thetford infantry training area. Access is not permitted without special permission.

The Parish Church of St Andrew

The church is situated at the northern end of the village.[2] Today the roof of the church is clad in blast-proof sheeting which was installed to protect the structure of the church. The original pantiles are stored inside the church ready to be restored if the village is given back to the public. The outside of the church is surrounded by wire fencing to protect the church from the military manoeuvres .

In October 2009 a World War II veteran, who had been born in the village, was buried in St Andrew's churchyard after permission for the interment was given by the Ministry of Defence. It was the first burial in the graveyard for more than 50 years.[6]

Governance

The civil parish has an area of 5.07 square miles (13.1 km2) and in the 2001 census had no inhabitants. For the purposes of local government, the parish falls within the district of Breckland.

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References
  1. The Domesday Book, Englands Heritage, Then and Now, Editor: Thomas Hinde,Norfolk page 186 ISBN 1-85833-440-3
  2. Information about the Evacuation
  3. Breckland exodus - the forced evacuation of the Norfolk Battle Area 1942:Part 1
  4. Lucille Reeve - Eastern Daily Press
  5. Breckland exodus - the forced evacuation of the Norfolk Battle Area 1942:Part 2
  6. "Veteran buried in 'ghost village'". BBC. 3 October 2009..
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