Docking, Norfolk

Docking

Signpost in Docking
Docking
Docking shown within Norfolk
Area 25.79 km2 (9.96 sq mi)
Population 1,200 (2011)
• Density 47/km2 (120/sq mi)
OS grid reference TF765370
Civil parish
  • Docking
District
Shire county
Region
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town KING'S LYNN
Postcode district PE31
Police Norfolk
Fire Norfolk
Ambulance East of England
EU Parliament East of England

Docking is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk and contains the highest point in North West Norfolk. It covers an area of 25.79 km2 (9.96 sq mi) and had a population of 1,150 in 469 households at the 2001 census,[1] including Barwick and rising to 1,200 at the 2011 census.[2] For the purposes of local government, it falls within the district of King's Lynn and West Norfolk.

Docking is close to the coastal resorts of Hunstanton, Heacham and Brancaster. Other surrounding villages include Bircham, Bircham Newton, Ringstead, Sedgeford, Stanhoe, Syderstone, and Burnham Market.

The small inland village of Docking can trace its origin back to Roman times. In the past it used to be known as Dry Docking as it had no water supply of its own. In the 1760s a well was sunk some 230 feet down which provided domestic water for the village at a farthing per bucket. The use of this well continued until 1936 when water was eventually piped into the village.

Governance

An electoral ward in the same name exists. This ward had a population of 1,937 at the 2011 Census.[3]

The village church is St Mary the Virgin which is mostly 14th and 15th century in date with Victorian restorations.[4] There is currently a village archaeological project to locate the site of a lost priory believed to have been in the area during the 13th and 14th century.

RAF Docking

RAF Docking was a former Royal Air Force airfield open from 1940 until 1958. During the war it was a satellite airfield of RAF Coastal Command and home to several Royal Air Force and Royal Canadian AIr Force squadrons. Aircraft carried out Coastal Command patrol duties and meteorological flights. RAF Bircham Newton and RAF Sculthorpe were also nearby but are also now inactive. Bircham Newton now houses the Construction Industry Training Board. During their RAF enlistment actors Richard Burton, Robert Hardy, Warren Mitchell and footballer Danny Blanchflower were based in Docking Hall. The hall at that time was used as RAF accommodation and was used at the end of the war to place personnel who were not required and were awaiting de-mobilisation. Burton's brother recalled that Burton's nickname was: 'the squire of Docking'.[5]

Transport

Until 1952 the village had its own Docking railway station, on the line between King's Lynn and Wells. It was closed along with the rest of line as part of cutbacks of Britain's railways.

Mythology

On 19 June 1969 at 12.25am, Robin Peck, a radio and television engineer, is alleged to have witnessed a bright-blue object shaped like an inverted mushroom that hovered around 40 metres high in the air at a distance of 400 metres. Adding to his claims are alleged electromagnetic interference effects from the object that caused his Ford Thames van's electrical system to completely cut out when in the object's presence; he felt a lot of static electricity in the air.[6]

Notable residents

Notes

  1. ↑ Census population and household counts for unparished urban areas and all parishes. Office for National Statistics & Norfolk County Council (2001). Retrieved 20 June 2009.
  2. ↑ "Parish population 2011". Retrieved 26 August 2011.
  3. ↑ "Ward population 2011". Retrieved 27 August 2015.
  4. ↑ St Mary the Virgin
  5. ↑ Up In All Weather, the story of RAF Docking by David Jacklin 2004
  6. ↑ UFO Sightings
  7. ↑ see 5


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.