Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Aug 8, 2026

Knapton

Knapton is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk.

Last revised
Aug 8, 2026
Read time
≈ 3 min
Length
793 w
Citations
15
Source
Wikipedia ↗
Knapton
Knapton village sign
Knapton
Location within Norfolk
Area2.24 sq mi (5.8 km2)
Population389 (2021 census)
• Density174/sq mi (67/km2)
OS grid referenceTG305340
• London134 miles (216 km)
Civil parish
  • Knapton
District
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townNORTH WALSHAM
Postcode districtNR28
Dialling code01263
PoliceNorfolk
FireNorfolk
AmbulanceEast of England
UK Parliament
WebsiteParish Council

Knapton is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The parish is inland from the coastal village of Mundesley, and is about 9 miles (14 km) south-east of Cromer and 19 miles (31 km) north-east of Norwich, along the B1145.

Besides Knapton village, the only other settlement in the parish is the hamlet of Old Hall Street.1

Pronunciation

"Napt'n", with emphasis on the noun in the first syllable.2

History

Knapton's name is of Anglo-Saxon origin and derives from the Old English for Cnapa's farmstead.3

In the Domesday Book, Knapton is listed as a settlement of 32 households in the hundred of North Erpingham. In 1086, the village was part of the East Anglian estates of William de Warenne.4

New Hall was built in the village in 1800 and is now a hotel.5 Knapton House was built around the same period.6

In 1943, a Bristol Blenheim crashed in the parish. The crew escaped and one of the propellers has been subsequently recovered.7

Geography

At the 2021 census, Knapton had a population of 389 people which shows an increase from the 364 recorded in the 2011 census.8

Church of St. Peter & St. Paul

Knapton's parish church is jointly dedicated to Saint Peter and Saint Paul and dates from the 14th century. The church is on 'The Street' and has been Grade I listed since 1955.9 The church is no longer open for Sunday services and has received several grants from the National Churches Trust.10

The church has one of the widest double hammerbeam roofs in England, which is complete with carved angels at the end of the beams. The church was restored in the Victorian era by George Gilbert Scott. There is an ornate font cover in the Palladian style.11

  • The covered font
    The covered font
  • Some of the carved angels
    Some of the carved angels
  • The double hammerbeam roof
    The double hammerbeam roof

Notable residents

Governance

Knapton is part of the electoral ward of Trunch for local elections and is part of the district of North Norfolk.1

The village's national constituency is North Norfolk, which has been represented by the Liberal Democrat Steff Aquarone MP since 2024.

War Memorial

Knapton War Memorial is a rough-hewn stone cross in the Churchyard of Saint Peter and Saint Paul which lists the following names for the First World War:121314

Rank Name Unit Date of death Burial/Commemoration
2Lt. Douglas Lambert 6th Bn., The Buffs 13 Oct. 1915 Loos Memorial
Sjt. Tom C. Barcham 7th Bn., Norfolk Regiment 12 Oct. 1916 Thiepval Memorial
Dvr. Robert C. Yaxley 45th Bty., Royal Field Artillery 1 May 1917 Duisans British Cemetery
Pte. Albert J. Mace 7th Bn., Lincolnshire Regiment 22 Mar. 1918 Hermies Hill Cemetery
Pte. Percy W. Swann 1st Bn., Norfolk Regiment 23 Apr. 1917 Arras Memorial
Pte. George Turner 8th Bn., Norfolk Regt. 19 Jul. 1916 Thiepval Memorial
Pte. George Wild 7th Bn., Royal Sussex Regiment 9 Aug. 1918 Vis-en-Artois Memorial

The following names were added after the Second World War:

Rank Name Unit Date of death Burial/Commemoration
FO Thomas R. R. Wood DFC No. 115 Sqdn. RAF (Wellington) 3 Jun. 1942 Becklingen War Cemetery
Cpl. Frederick Watts Royal Ulster Rifles 14 Jan. 1945 Imphal War Cemetery
Rfn. Sydney E. Woollsey 7th Bn., King's Royal Rifle Corps 26 May 1940 Les Hemmes Churchyard
References

References

  1. "Election Maps: Great Britain". Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 3 August 2026.
  2. https://friendsofnorfolkdialect.com/portfolio-items/norfolk-placenames/ (text and recorded audio)
  3. "Key to English Place-names". kepn.nottingham.ac.uk. Retrieved 9 June 2025.
  4. "Knapton | Domesday Book". opendomesday.org. Retrieved 9 June 2025.
  5. "MNF11567 - Norfolk Heritage Explorer". www.heritage.norfolk.gov.uk. Retrieved 9 June 2025.
  6. "MNF31156 - Norfolk Heritage Explorer". www.heritage.norfolk.gov.uk. Retrieved 9 June 2025.
  7. "MNF49493 - Norfolk Heritage Explorer". www.heritage.norfolk.gov.uk. Retrieved 9 June 2025.
  8. "Knapton (Parish, United Kingdom) - Population Statistics, Charts, Map and Location". www.citypopulation.de. Retrieved 9 June 2025.
  9. Historic England. "Church of St Peter and St Paul (1306264)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 3 August 2026.
  10. "Knapton St Peter and St Paul | National Churches Trust". www.nationalchurchestrust.org. Retrieved 10 June 2025.
  11. "Norfolk Churches". www.norfolkchurches.co.uk. Retrieved 10 June 2025.
  12. "Knapton War Memorial, Knapton - 1437866 | Historic England". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 10 June 2025.
  13. "Geograph:: Ickburgh to Knapton :: War Memorials in Norfolk". www.geograph.org.uk. Retrieved 10 June 2025.
  14. "Roll of Honour - Norfolk - Knapton". roll-of-honour.com. Retrieved 10 June 2025.
External links

Media related to Knapton at Wikimedia Commons