Welcome to Shotesham Heritage Trail
Most admirers of the village have described Shotesham as one of Norfolk’s prettiest villages and like many in these parts it is a little scattered. Perhaps the reason for is that at one stage it was divided into a dozen parts, with four capital manors and four parish churches.
The name Shotesham comes from the Saxon word ‘Scots’meaning part. At one time it was called ‘Scotessa’or ‘Scotessam’and the Conqueror speaks of twelve ‘parts’of Shotesham.
More than a thousand years of history greets the visitor to this village of just under 500 people. The heart of Shotesham surrounds a mile long common through which flows a tributary of the River Tas. At one time when the Tas was deeper, boats could sail from the port of Norwich as far as All Saints Church, which like a sentinel has watched over the villagers from its commanding high ground since Saxon days.
Like most villages there are a number of interesting old houses and cottages. At one end of the village stands what was once ‘Town House’- 18th century poor house, Grove Farm, birthplace of the Earl of Northampton in the centre of the village and the Old Dukes Head, opposite All Saints Church, which was the home of several prominent villagers, and during its days as an inn, was frequented by Sir Alfred Munnings, the distinguished artist.
At Hawes Green lies the little cottage hospital complex, the first of its kind in England. It consists of the hospital, with a nearby mortuary, a house for the doctor, one for the nurse and one for those who were mentally infirm.
Please walk at least part of the trail and enjoy the heritage of the village. If it is a little ambitious to walk the whole trail, then making All Saints Church a marker,
Walk A is about 1.5 miles and Walk B is 2 miles. Each property on the Heritage Trail is marked on the map which may be found in the centrefold of this booklet. Please remember that these are private residences and you are invited to view each property but please do so without the need to trespass.