Larling is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Roudham and Larling, in the Breckland district, in the county of Norfolk, England.[1] The village is 8.5 miles east north east of Thetford, 21.4 miles west south west of Norwich and 94 miles north east of London.[2] In 1931 the parish had a population of 159.[3]

Larling
St Ethelbert’s Parish Church, Larling
Larling is located in Norfolk
Larling
Larling
Location within Norfolk
OS grid referenceTL9889
• London94 miles (151 km)
Civil parish
District
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townNORWICH
Postcode districtNR16
Dialling code01953
PoliceNorfolk
FireNorfolk
AmbulanceEast of England
List of places
UK
England
Norfolk
52°28′10″N 0°55′01″E / 52.4695°N 0.916897°E / 52.4695; 0.916897

History

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The village’s name means 'Lyrel's people'.[4] Earlier spellings include Lurling, Lirling, Lerling, or Lerlingford.[5]

Larling has an entry in the Domesday Book of 1086.[6] In the great book Larling is recorded by the name ‘’Lur(i)inga’’. The main landholder is William de Warenne with the main tenant being Hugh. The survey also mentions a mill.

On 1 April 1935 the parish was abolished and merged with Roudham.[7]

The Parish Church of Saint Ethelbert

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The still-standing medieval church was built in the 12th century, and was expanded in the 1340s creating the chancel, with a tower later being added in the 16th century.[8] The church is built of flint, with stone used only for dressings. The tower is in the 15th-century Perpendicular style. On the north side there is a staircase turret that leads to the belfry. The windows date from the 15th century also. There is an ornamented Norman doorway, with one of the pillars carrying a mass dial. Inside the church is a four-sided font from the 12th century.[9] The walls used to be covered in decorative paintings, one of them including a large painting of St Christopher. An organisation under the name 'Friends of Thurton Church' continue to help raise money for future restorations and the ongoing maintenance of the church.

Transport

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The nearest railway station with a full service is at Thetford for the Breckland Line which runs between Cambridge and Norwich, but Harling Road station offers two trains a day in each direction.[10] The nearest airport is Norwich International Airport. The village is situated a little north of the A11 Trunk road.

Shrubb Family

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Shrubb family is one of the longest-running communal communities in England. Founded in 1970 in a 17th-century cottage near the old A11 and the Angel pub, the membership and fortunes of the community have fluctuated over the years, but the ethos of low-impact living and environmental harmony has persisted.[11]
Shrubb is listed on the Diggers and Dreamers online directory, and there is a video of the early days at Shrubb on YouTube titled 'Shrubb Family 1973 part 1 & 2'. Shrubb is featured in "Communes in Britain" by Andrew Rigby, 1974. As of recent years the membership of the group has fluctuated and has been left with around 6 members.[12]

References

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  1. ^ OS Explorer Map 236 - King’s Lynn, Downham Market & Swaffham. ISBN 978-0-319-46408-3.
  2. ^ County A to Z Atlas, Street & Road maps Norfolk, ISBN 978-1-84348-614-5
  3. ^ "Population statistics Larling AP/CP through time". A Vision of Britain through Time. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  4. ^ "Key to English Place-names".
  5. ^ Blomefield, Francis (1805). An Essay Towards a Topographical History of the County of Norfolk. London: William Miller. p. 428. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  6. ^ The Domesday Book, Englands Heritage, Then and Now, Editor: Thomas Hinde,Norfolk page 191, Larling, ISBN 1-85833-440-3
  7. ^ "Relationships and changes Larling AP/CP through time". A Vision of Britain through Time. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
  8. ^ "The Church of England". The Church of England. Archbishops' Council. 2016. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
  9. ^ The King’s England series, NORFOLK, by Arthur Mee,Pub:Hodder and Stoughton,1972, page 154 Larling, ISBN 0-340-15061-0
  10. ^ Greater Anglia Trains. "Harling Road". www.greateranglia.co.uk. Greater Anglia. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  11. ^ Diggers and dreamers : the 1990/91 guide to communal living, edited by Vera Ansell et al. Dunford Bridge, Sheffield, [England]: Communes Network. 1989. ISBN 978-0-9514945-0-9.
  12. ^ Ansell, Vera. "Diggers and Dreamers". Diggers and Dreamers: the guide to communal living. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
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