Descriptive Gazetteer Entry for METHWOLD

METHWOLD, a village, a parish, and a sub-district, in Thetford district, Norfolk. The village stands 2¼ Miles SSW of the river Wissey, 2¼ WNW of the Devil's dyke, and 5¾ NW by N of Brandon r. station; was once a market-town; has still a cattle market on Mondays, and a cattle fair on 23 April; and has a post office under Brandon. The parish contains also the hamlet of Methwold-Hithe, situated 1 mile W by N of the village. Acres, 13,192. Real property, £11,438. Pop. in 1851, 1,669; in 1861,1,509. Houses, 332. The property is much subdivided. An extensive tract was formerly heath, famous for rabbits, known as Muel or Methwold rabbits; and is now all under cultivation. The inhabitants a re exempt from serving on juries out of the manor, and from tolls at markets and fairs. A small priory, a cell to Castle-Acre, was once at Slevesholm, and has left some traces. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Norwich. Value, £340.* Patron, the Lord Chancellor. The church consists of nave, aisles, and chancel, with pinnacled tower and octagonal lantern and spire; and is large, good, and beautiful. There are a large Wesleyan chapel, chiefly of flint; a daily school, supported by the duchy of Lancaster; and charities £50.—The sub-district contains also eleven other parishes, and three extra-parochial tracts. Acres, 68,693. Pop., 8,869. Houses, 1,978.


(John Marius Wilson, Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales (1870-72))

Linked entities:
Feature Description: "a village, a parish, and a sub-district"   (ADL Feature Type: "populated places")
Administrative units: Methwold CP/AP       Methwold SubD       Thetford RegD/PLU       Norfolk AncC
Place: Methwold

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