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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.
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Sunset from Thornham road during the Icelandic volcanic eruption. |
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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. |
 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.
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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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