Facts about Wymondham
General Info
Wymondham is a market town and civil parish in the South Norfolk district of Norfolk, England, 9.5 miles (15.3 km) south-west of Norwich off the A11 road to London. The River Tiffey runs through. The parish, one of the largest in Norfolk, includes rural areas to the north and south of the town, including the hamlets of Suton, Silfield, Spooner Row and Wattlefield. It had a population of 14,405 in 2011, of which 13,587 lived in the town.
History
The site where Wymondham stands shows evidence of occupation from the earliest period of human settlement in Norfolk. Pot boilers and burnt flint have been found in nearby fields, as have flint axe-heads, scrapers and many other objects. Evidence of the Bronze Age appears in a number of ring ditches, enclosures and linear crop marks. Objects found include an arrowhead, fragments of rapiers, assorted metal tools and pottery sherds.
Robert Kett led a rebellion in 1549 of peasants and small farmers against the enclosure of common land. His force of almost unarmed men held the city of Norwich for six weeks until defeated by the King’s forces. He was hanged at Norwich Castle. Kett’s Oak, which is said to be the rallying point for the rebellion, can be seen on the B1172 road between Wymondham and Hethersett, part of an earlier main road to London.
