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RINGSTEAD PARISH
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About Great Ringstead

 

Great Ringstead is a small village situated just inland from Hunstanton within the borough of Kings Lynn and West Norfolk and is known locally as Ringstead and is on a national cycle route. The parish forms part of the Le Strange estate, who have given permissive rights to a bridleway through Ringstead Downs part of which is an S.S.S.I site. Historically the public from far and wide have enjoyed the tranquillity of the downs. The village itself has like every other village suffered some decline but has feared better than most as it still has an excellent village store, the Gin Trap Inn, active village hall, bowls club, table tennis club and wards nurseries supplying high quality plants. Added to all this are holiday lets and the ever popular organically farmed courtyard farm permissive walks and a playing field. Ringstead entered Anglia in bloom for the first time in 2009 and was awarded bronze followed by repeating the same this year 2010.

The holiday lets are convenient for country walks, bird watching, or as a base to visit Titchwell, Holme or Snettisham nature reserves. Other local attractions include Holme, Brancaster or Holkham beaches, Holkham hall, Wells Next sea active quay and golden sandy beach or take a trip from Wells to Walsingham via the light steam railway. Take a visit to Hunstanton for the princess theatre or entertain yourself at the various amusement arcades and fairground.

After all this excitement why not relax in one of our viewing  points and watch possibly the best sunsets in England, as the sun sets over the wash.        

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunset from Thornham road during the Icelandic volcanic eruption.

 

CLUB'S, GROUPS AND CHARITY'S.

 

There are various group's and club's operating within the village including a bowls club, table tennis club, woodland gardens and walks group, Thursday club, friends of st Andrews and indoor carpet bowls. The table tennis club meets in the village hall every Tuesday evening, the bowls club meet on a Monday during the playing season at the bowling green in the village hall grounds. The Thursday club meet at various venues one Thursday each month the woodland walk's group holds meetings when required in the village hall or at the chairman's home at present. In addition to these clubs and groups the village has four charity's operating at present , the united charity, the allotment charity, the village hall charity and court yard farm trust. The woodland walks group are currently looking into becoming a listed charity.

 

VILLAGE SIGN
The village sign is made to represent the villages many constitute parts. Starting with the roundels, the cross keys represent St Peters church  sadly now a ruin with just a part of the tower standing as a listed building. The other roundel with a white cross represents our remaining church of St Andrew watching sedately over the village in the high street.

Moving up the sign we come to the central area depicting on the lower left in beige the main cereal crop at the time of manufacture, barley, then a white line representing Ringstead's position on Peddars Way. To the right of Peddars Way the green area depicts the other main crop at the time, sugar beet. A vintage tractor symbolizing the villages long standing farming traditions completes the lower portion of the inner circle. At the top of the inner circle starting from the left is St Peters tower, the chapel, St Andrews church, Queen Victoria's golden jubilee tree and the windmill are depicted. The inner circle symbolises the main village and the outer circle represents the outer fringes of the parish.

Our much photographed village sign was designed by Mr W. Joyce who gave it to the parish as a gift. Mr Joyce started work on it in 1996 and worked tirelessly on it until its erection on August  9th 1997 with a very small band of helpers . A time capsule was placed within the base of the sign at the time of erection containing all the coins of the realm for that year, a news paper banner and a description in a glass bottle. A small plaque on the side of the sign states that the parish council erected it, however it seem's that this may not be the case. However the parish council  holds responsibility for its upkeep . In all the time since its erection and dedication, only once has it had to go away for refurbishment. The work being done free of charge by Wayland Prison.

Mr Joyce served as a parish councillor becoming chairman in 1992 and 2000. His devotion to the parish included being church warden. The information included here was mainly given by him and at the time he expressed that his time in Ringstead was the most happiest of experiences. The pictures below are reproduced and exhibited with his kind permission.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This picture show's the village sign as it stands today. Note the flint stone base built by Mr L Raven containing the time capsule.

 The five pictures below show in order of presentation, work being done on the outer circle, cutting of the post, adding the village name, a final check by Mr Joyce and his wife before the installation by on the left of the last picture  Mr C Crown, Mr Joyce and Mr L Raven. Dedication of the sign by The Rev Michell. Sellors in 1997.                                                           

 




 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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