Coordinates: 52°51′36″N 0°43′00″E / 52.85996°N 0.71667°E
| Syderstone | |
 Signpost in Syderstone |
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Syderstone
Syderstone shown within Norfolk |
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| Area | 9.94 km2 (3.84 sq mi) |
|---|---|
| Population | 532 |
| - Density | 54 /km2 (140 /sq mi) |
| OS grid reference | |
| Parish | Syderstone |
| District | King's Lynn and West Norfolk |
| Shire county | Norfolk |
| Region | East |
| 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 |
| List of places: UK • England • Norfolk | |
Syderstone is a civil parish in the English county of Norfolk near the town of Fakenham. It covers an area of 9.94 km2 (3.84 sq mi) and had a population of 532 in 224 households as of the 2001 census.[1] For the purposes of local government, it falls within the district of King's Lynn and West Norfolk.
Its church, St. Mary's, is one of 124 round-tower churches in Norfolk.
It is famous for the Natterjack Toad which have been seen near the popular but overgrown duck pond. Between 1997-2001 it was rumoured that a pond just north of the village near Wicken Green concealed an old highwayman's coach/cart which crashed many years before. It was soon proved incorrect as when the pond was low during the summer months there was no cart to be seen. Syderstone is also famous for its common which spans roughly 4 square miles. Much wildlife can be seen there including snakes, hares, rabbits and foxes.
In a field alongside the road that passes the duck pond there is a World War II Home Guard pill box. Some visitors on bikes visited the pill box in the field which, in their opinion as quoted was, "A fantastic reminder of times gone by". However they did say that it was rather unstable.
For a more sophisticated experience, try the famous trail that links the pond and the village shop. En route, one will experience the brisk easterly winds blowing in from across the North Sea and on a clear day one can see the Dutch shipping port of Zeebrugge. The end of the trail is the entrance to the village shop: unique in itself for having 12 owners in the last 8 years (believed to be an East Anglian record) according to the Norfolk Broads land registry.
During the Second World War, Syderstone played a key role in defence. ack-ack guns were stationed around the village to protect high ranking officers who visited a 'secret' house which was used to plan the protection of Winston Churchill when he made his trips to Norfolk.
During the winter of 1940 a German pilot bailed out over South Creake (a village 3 miles away) and successfully made his way to Syderstone where he held the village's vicar hostage. The Home Guard were called in and detained the pilot and the vicar was freed. This has gone relatively unnoticed in the village's history until 2001 when some of the 1939-1942 secret documents were finally released. The pilot was sent back to his home in Zeebrugge which ironically can be seen from the famous 'Syderstone Zeebrugge viewpoint'.
The eldest resident from Syderstone was a George Atwell who lived to be 91. He owned the small local shop during the war and had several children and grandchildren. It was believed that he was a fighter pilot during the war.
  | Website with photos of Syderstone St. Mary - Syderstone St Mary |
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