Burnham NortonConservation AreaCharacter Statement

Designated: March 1977Revised: February 1992

BURNHAM NORTON, 1 mile N. of Burnham Market, is a parish, with a small humble village in a gentle ascent above the marshes. The church is above half a mile south of the village, on the western acclivity of a fertile valley.

WILLIAM WHITE 1845

Contents

1Introduction

1Setting and Location

2Origins and Historical Development

4Character Overview

4Spaces and Buildings

9Listed Buildings

9Important Unlisted Buildings

10Traditional Materials

10Archaeological Interest

10Detractors

11Conservation Objectives

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Burnham Norton Conservation Area

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Character Statement

Introduction

A Conservation Area - “An area of specialarchitectural or historic interest, the characteror appearance of which it is desirable topreserve or enhance”.

The conservation of the historic environmentis part of our quality of life, helping to fostereconomic prosperity and providing anattractive environment in which to live orwork. The Borough Council is committed tothe protection and enhancement of WestNorfolk’s historic built environment andsignificant parts of it are designated asconservation areas.

Conservation areas were introduced by the1967 Civic Amenities Act. Local Authoritieswere required to identify areas of specialarchitectural or historic interest, whosecharacter or appearance it is desirable topreserve or enhance, and to designate themas conservation areas.This duty is now partof the 1990 Planning (Listed Buildings &Conservation Areas) Act which also requiresthe review of existing conservation areasand, where appropriate, the designation ofnew ones. The quality and interest of aconservation area depends upon acombination of factors including therelationship and architectural quality ofbuildings, materials, spaces, trees and otherlandscape features, together with views intoand out of the area.

The Burnham Norton Conservation Area wasfirst designated in 1977. This documenthighlights the special qualities that underpinthe character of the conservation area,justifying its designation. It also seeks toincrease awareness of those qualities so thatwhere changes to the environment occur,they do so in a sympathetic way withoutharm to the essential character of the area.

This includes demolition and newdevelopment within the conservation areaand new development on land adjoining theconservation area which might affect itssetting or the views in or out of the area.This type of assessment has beenencouraged by Government Advice and thecharacter statement has been adopted bythe Borough Council as policy.

This character statement does not addressenhancement proposals. Community ledenhancement schemes will be consideredas part of a separate process.

Setting and Location

The hamlet of Burnham Norton, 18km eastof Hunstanton, 10km west ofWells-next-the-Sea and 18km north ofFakenham, lies within the North NorfolkCoast AONB. The settlement is strung outalong a minor road known as The Street thatruns north from the A149 main coast road.It is situated on a spur of slightly higherground above the grazing marshes of theBurn valley to the east. At its northern end

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Burnham Norton Conservation Area

The Street slopes gently down to themarshes, turns abruptly westwards in theshape of Marsh Lane and curves round torejoin the A149.

The best position to appreciate BurnhamNorton's exposed and isolated position isfrom St Margaret's churchyard a mile to thesouth. From here there are commandingviews in all directions with the warm orangepantile roofscape of the village spread outbelow along The Street with the marshesbeyond.

The best approach along the A149 is fromthe east where, from Burnham Overywindmill, the land falls away and across themeadows the full extent of Burnham Norton

is clearly visible with Marsh Farm an outlierof habitation at the most northerly point.Further along on the causeway beyond thewatermill, the irregular roofline comes moreclearly into focus across reed fringed watermeadows, broken only by groups of maturetrees in the grounds of the few larger housessuch as Norton Hall Farm.

Origins and HistoricalDevelopment

Recent archaeological finds within the parishhave added significantly to our knowledgeof the origins and changing pattern ofsettlement in Burnham Norton. Theproximity of Branodunum to the west andthe Romano British fort in the marshes atHolkham led to increasing activity along theintervening stretch of coast road. At the footof the hill, north of St Margaret's Church, awide scatter of Romano British pottery wasdiscovered in the early 1980's near the road,together with a concentration of flint rubblethat suggested the site of a single building.

Today Burnham Norton church standsisolated on a ridge of higher ground betweenthe Burn valley to the east and its tributary,

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Character Statement

Goose Beck, to the south, but marks the siteof the original village. Burnham Norton wasnot mentioned separately in the DoomsdayBook but was probably one of the outlyinghamlets of Breccles Manor. The Manor'sexact whereabouts is not known but it owneda salt pan on Norton marshes and most ofthe parish. St Margaret's round tower withits round headed windows survives from theoriginal building and suggests a foundationin the late 11th century but the doorway intothe nave could well be Anglo Saxon, thenearest parallel being at Burnham Deepdale.

Recent archaeological finds from the fieldopposite the church on the east side ofBellamy's Lane provide evidence of aremarkable sequence of activity fromprehistoric flints through to the medievalperiod with a preponderance of pottery andbronze fittings from the pagan Saxon period.The claim for this area to represent the siteof the first village is strengthened by the siteof the Carmelite Friary a few hundred metresfurther east on the edge of the watermeadows. The area between the Friary andthe church, linked by an ancient trackway,has proved rich in Saxon and medieval finds- buckles, brooches, strap and book fittings,coins and finger rings, as well as potterysherds that provide a glimpse of life in theMiddle Ages.

Founded in 1241 by Sir William deCalthorpe, the original monastic site of theWhite Friars was at Bradmere (Broad mereor shallow lake) on the edge of the marshesnear the parish boundary with BurnhamDeepdale. By 1253 it was granted a licenceto enlarge but chose to forsake what musthave been a most inhospitable location fora more accessible site by the river Burn.The discovery of a spring or Holy well nearbymay also have made the move moreattractive.

The abandonment of the settlement on thehill and the move north to its present positionhappened gradually over several centuriesbut had probably begun by the 14th century.The initial impetus may have been the siltingup of the river Burn, once navigable as faras Burnham Thorpe, the growth of BurnhamMarket nearby and the effects of Tudorsheep farming. The centre of economicactivity shifted downstream to BurnhamOvery Staithe and a smaller staithe on theedge of Norton marshes.

A petition in 1646 from the poor fishermenof the Burnhams claimed that the enclosureof the salt marshes had deprived them oftheir common rights, had impounded theircattle and stopped up their havens so thattheir boats could not reach home. This isclear evidence that the marshes were beingdrained by the 17th century and the earliestbuildings along The Street - Norton HallFarmhouse and several cottages - date fromthis period.

This process gathered pace during the early19th century with the help of Thomas Telford,the canal builder. Faden's map of 1793shows the network of creeks draining Nortonmarshes and a short length of embankmentbut 33 years later Bryant's map shows the

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Burnham Norton Conservation Area

great sweep of raised bank from BurnhamDeepdale to Burnham Overy mill thatsurvives today, with fresh marshes on thelandward side and salt marshes beyond.The village grew with this new agriculturalprosperity; Norton Hall Farm became themain employer and its workforce lived inlabourer's cottages. In this way the shapeand character of the village was establishedby c1850.

Character Overview

Tucked away off the busy coast road, thecharacter of Burnham Norton is that of aquiet rural hamlet with a loose knit plan formstrung out along a country lane.

The buildings are predominantly 19th centuryfarm labourers' cottages and agriculturalbuildings constructed of clunch, flint and claypantiles and linked by low roadside walls.

Today there are a small number of new buildproperties and the stock of traditionalarchitecture has largely been converted intoweekend and retirement cottages, often quitetastefully, but the decline in agriculturalemployment and associated trades has leftBurnham Norton rather deserted during thewinter months.

Spaces and Buildings

Approaching the village from the south offthe A149 the cluster of cottages in the anglebetween the two roads is a prelude to themain body of Burnham Norton. Separatedfrom it by the grounds of Norton Hall Farm,this domestic group establishes the form andcharacter of the Conservation Area. The

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Character Statement

mixture of red brick, clunch and flint rubblewalls is knit together by a single roof material- orange clay tiles.

The spaces are defined by cottages eitherin pairs or short terraces. Some are setalongside the road, others running at rightangles to it. These are separated by smallfront gardens bordered by neat privet hedgesand low, coped brick walls. The overalleffect is attractive and small scale, spoilt onlyby some badly proportioned replacementwindows.

Immediately beyond, the road curves gently,lined on the western side by a tall thornhedge and on the other, by a hedge and lowwall beyond which the meadow slopes downgently to the ditch, marking the edge of thegrazing marsh.

The views are extensive across the widemouth of the Burn valley to the low hillsbeyond and the outline of Burnham Overywindmill. Ahead the view into the village isframed by mature horse chestnuts and holmoak overhanging a roadside wall in brick andchalk rubble; this strong linear featuredefines the entrance to Norton Hall Farm.

In the absence of a rectory or small countryhouse, Norton Hall farmhouse is the onebuilding of real distinction. Set back with itsview framed by large trees including onehuge holm oak, its 17th century origins areevident in a steeply pitched roof and rangeof leaded cross casements. The sashes,delicate portico and black glazed pantiles

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Burnham Norton Conservation Area

which in North Norfolk were only ever usedon larger houses, are all part of its 18thcentury gentrification.

The Norton Hall complex of farm buildingsis arranged around a courtyard north of thehouse. Its main contribution to the streetscene is in the form of long low red brick andclunch rubble buildings flanking the road withtheir ubiquitous pantile roofs.

A little further along the road on the easternside, the first visible group of farm buildingsruns downhill towards the marsh. Gable endto the road, the most notable is a weatherboarded granary/cartshed and smaller singlestorey agricultural buildings beyond.

Next on the east side stands a 17th centuryflint cottage, the roof of which was raised inthe early 19th century. Because of anotherslight realignment of the road, it juts out andcatches the eye, helped by the red K6telephone box tucked into its gable end.Theinterest here is still very much on the eastside of the road with more views out acrossgardens between cottages to the marshes.

Rooflights and chimney stacks are clearevidence of barns discreetly converted. Withsimply detailed openings they sit attractivelydownslope, each in its own open paddock.Further along The Street on the east side,the same pattern of gable end cottagesemerging from a line of telegraph poles andintervening garden trees is repeated withsubtle variations.

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Character Statement

Prince of Wales House is another 17thcentury survival in clunch with coped gablesand most rear windows bricked up againstthe infamous north wind. The use of brownstained joinery does little to highlight thetraditional pattern of sash windows. The nextterrace is early 19th century in warm redbrick, its long roofline broken by copedparapet gables and chimneys; the overalleffect spoilt by small pane 'neo Georgian'replacements for the original casements.

Moving northwards from Hall Farm Buildings,the character of the western side of the roadchanges with Creek Cottage followed by twopairs of Local Authority housing set backfrom the road, although the low brick wallsto the front gives a sense of continuity.

Next along The Street, ‘The Step’ is aninteresting modern re-work. This is followedby undistinguished, modern houses set backfrom the road, before ‘The Dunlins’, muchrestored in brick and clunch, sits hard ontothe road and brings some definition to thelane again.

Opposite the Local Authority housing on theeastern side is an open square, framed bya modern terrace of chalk and brickcottages. No.7 opposite has a coursedcobble gable which is a trademark of 17thcentury work. Its raised parapet, flint gardenwall and catslide dormers are an attractivecombination of traditional details set againsta backcloth of beech, scots pine and holmoak in the grounds of Norton Lodge. To thesouth, the square is closed by a singlemodern house in traditional materials whichtakes its proportion and detail from thecottages.

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Burnham Norton Conservation Area

Interest finally switches back to the west sideof the lane as it makes one last realignment.The blank brick gable of Marshgate assertsitself briefly but hidden behind tall sculpturedhedges, this white-washed cottage and itsneighbour, Norton Cottage, further up thedriveway, are more private.

On the east side is Norton Lodge. Atile-hung, 1930's house, it is important for itsmature grounds rather than its architecturalcontribution. Most notable is the row ofpollarded lime trees alongside the road, astrong linear feature that defines the viewahead as The Street curves and drops downto a sudden view of the open marsh.

The view here is expansive across a widearea of flat grazing marshes with MarshFarm, an isolated and attractive group ofbuildings including one 3 stead clunch barnat the end of a track lined by thorn bushes.To the right (east) is a short unmade up roadleading to 'The Stable Flat', now a separatedwelling, and the paths across the marsh.

Marsh Lane running east-west alongside themeadows is lined on the landward side by amixture of detached houses with matureplanting including some very tall conifers.

Only at the far end is some greater definitionachieved by brick and clunch cottages hardby the road, before it curves back betweenfields to rejoin the A149.

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Character Statement

This last section of the Conservation Areais memorable for one outstandingneo-vernacular house, recently completed.St Anthony's Cottage, a sizeable L shapedhouse in flint and red brick with dormers, hasan impressive wing with a cruciform patternof square chalk blocks, tumbled brickworkand large bull's-eye window. The bolddesign and strongly defined details make asignificant contribution to this part of theConservation Area.

Listed Buildings

There are 2 listed buildings in theConservation Area. The statutory list wasrevised in 1985 and there have been nofurther additions.

Grade 2 Buildings

Norton Hall Farmhouse, The Street. 17cwith later alterations. Flint and clunch withbrick dressings, black glazed pantiles.Sashes and cross casements with leadglazing bars. 2 ranges late Georgianwooden portico, 6 panel door andsemi-circular fanlight.

Prince of Wales House, The Street. 17chouse. Clunch with brick dressings, redpantile roof. C1900 plate glass sashes,steeply pitched roof with coped gables.Blocked 17c rear windows.

Important Unlisted Buildings

Because there are very few listed buildingsin Burnham Norton Conservation Area, theform and character of the settlement islargely dependent on the vernacular style ofits many unlisted traditional buildings.Although none are distinctive enough tosingle out, all are of local importance andhave been identified either because of theirprominence or their relatively unspoiltcharacter and their relationship to otherhistoric buildings in the street scene.

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Burnham Norton Conservation Area

Traditional Materials

The unified character of Burnham NortonConservation Area is determined largely bythe predominance of a few traditionalmaterials and the way they have been usedin combination to create subtle variations incolour, pattern and texture. They include:

Orange clay pantilesClunch (coursed, squared and random)Red brickCobble (coursed and random)Colourwash

Archaeological Interest

There are no Scheduled Ancient Monumentsin the Conservation Area and no sitesrecorded on the County Sites andMonuments Record. This may simply reflectthe concentration of investigative activityelsewhere in the parish between the Churchand remains of the Friary.

Detractors

The special quality of Conservation Areascan easily be eroded by seemingly minoralterations such as unsuitable replacement

windows and doors, inappropriate materialsor unsympathetic paintwork, removal ofwalls, railings, trees and hedges.

Within the Burnham Norton ConservationArea there are a few features which detractsignificantly from its intrinsic character. Theyinclude:

The large asbestos barn at Norton HallFarm, clearly visible from the A149.Unsuitable replacement windows tomany cottagesExotic conifers in some gardensOverhead wires

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Character Statement

Conservation Objectives

Statement 1

The overall conservation objective is to protect and reinforce the establishedspecial character of Conservation Areas and their setting.

This will be achieved by:

Encouraging the retention and maintenance of buildings which contribute to theoverall character of each conservation areaEnsuring that new development is sympathetic to the special qualities and characterof each conservation areaProtecting the setting of the conservation area from development which adverselyaffects views into or out of the areaThe retention, maintenance and locally appropriate new planting of treesMaintaining and enhancing local features and details which contribute towards anarea's local distinctivenessWorking with the community to prepare schemes of enhancementEncouraging the removal of detractors to the special character of each conservationarea

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Burnham Norton Conservation Area

Contacts and advice

Within conservation areas, a number of special controls apply and it is advisable that anyone proposing to carry out new development, alteration, extensions, installations or demolition should seek advice from Development Services at an early stage. Special controls also apply to the trees sand some may be subject to Tree Preservation Orders. Anyone wishing to carry out work to trees within a Conservation Area should therefore seek advice from Development Services.

King’s CourtChapel StreetKing’s LynnNorfolk PE30 1EXTel: (01553) 616200Fax: (01553) 691663DX 57825 KING’S LYNN

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NOTATION

LISTED BUILDINGS

IMPORTANT UNLISTED BUILDINGS

CONSERVATION AREA BOUNDARY

BURNHAM NORTONCONSERVATION AREA

DESIGNATED 20.10.77

REVISED 06.02.92

REVISED 21.02.03

This Map is reproduced from Ordnance Survey material with the permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of the Controllerof Her Majesty’s Stationery Office © Crown Copyright. Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown Copyright and may leadto prosecution or civil proceedings. Borough Council of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk. LA086045. 2001.

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