Horsford
Horsford is a village six miles north of Norwich, England which is surrounded by the Horsford Forest and is named after the dried up section of the River Hor. Its population has seen a steady increase since the Second World War, growing from 750 in 1945 to 4,163 at the 2011 Census.
| Horsford | |
|---|---|
 All Saints church | |
  Horsford Location within Norfolk | |
| Area | 19.56 km2 (7.55 sq mi) |
| Population | 4,163 (2011 Census)[1] |
| • Density | 213/km2 (550/sq mi) |
| OS grid reference | TG195165 |
| Civil parish |
|
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | NORWICH |
| Postcode district | NR10 |
| Dialling code | 01603 |
| Police | Norfolk |
| Fire | Norfolk |
| Ambulance | East of England |
| UK Parliament | |
There are various explanations of the village name. It is usually said to derive from 'horse ford', but it has also been suggested that it comes from the River Hor on which the village stands (more usually known to locals as 'the Beck'). A third explanation is that it comes from Horsa, the name of a Saxon chief.
The surrounding Horsford Forest has been designated a County Wildlife Site. The rare silver-studded blue butterfly has a colony in this forest.
The motte of the demolished Horsford Castle lies to the east of the village.
Sport
The village has produced two footballers of note: Barry Bridges, who returned to Horsford to manage the village team Horsford United,[2] and Chris Sutton. The village has two football clubs Horsford F.C. and Horsford United F.C.
The Manor Park cricket ground is home to the village team and the Norfolk County Cricket Club.
References
- "Civil Parish population 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Civil Parish population 2011. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
- Horsford United F.C. Retrieved 2 March 2010
