Brisley

For the surname, see Brisley (surname).

Brisley
Brisley Village Sign
Brisley Location within Norfolk
Area	4.90 km^2 (1.89 sq mi)
Population	296 (2021)
• Density	60/km^2 (160/sq mi)
OS grid reference	TF950214
District	Breckland
Shire county	Norfolk
Region	East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	DEREHAM
Postcode district	NR20
Dialling code	01362
Police	Norfolk
Fire	Norfolk
Ambulance	East of England
UK Parliament	Mid Norfolk
Website	http://www.brisleyvillage.co.uk/

Brisley is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk.

Brisley is located 5.7 miles (9.2 km) north of Dereham and 19 miles (31 km) north-west of Norwich.

History

Brisley's name is of Anglo-Saxon origin and derives from the Old English for a glade or clearing with a multitude of gadflies.^[1]

Brisley is not mentioned in the Domesday Book.^[2]

There are numerous listed buildings in Brisley including Walnut House (Seventeenth Century),^[3] Chesham House (c.1800)^[4] with an attached carriage gate and railings,^[5] Rose Cottage (Seventeenth Century),^[6] Brisley Hall (Seventeenth Century)^[7] and the Church Bungalows (Nineteenth Century).^[8]

In 1898, a Methodist Chapel was built in Brisley. Today it has been converted into a private dwelling.^[9]

In 1942, a Bristol Blenheim of No. 84 Squadron RAF crashed in the village pond after a raid on Cologne during the Operation Millenium. All three crewmembers were killed (P/O John Rappsloe, Sgt. Michael Beaufort and Sgt. Leslie Harrowell) and a small memorial was erected in their honour.^[10]

Geography

According to the 2021 census, Brisley has a population of 296 people which shows a slight increase from the 281 people recorded in the 2011 census.^[11]

The junction between the B1145, between King's Lynn and Mundesley, and the B1146, between Fakenham and Dereham, is located in the village.

Amenities within the village include The Brisly Bell, a pub, restaurant and inn.^[12]

St. Bartholomew's Church

Brisley's parish church is dedicated to Saint Bartholomew and is located on Church Street, it dates at its earliest from the Fifteenth Century.^[13] St. Bartholomew's was built in the perpendicular gothic style and still features ecclesiastical wall paintings of Saint Andrew and Saint Christopher. The church also boasts a set of royal arms from the reign of King George II and a stained-glass depiction of the crucifixion of Christ designed by Charles Clutterbuck. The crypt of the church was used as a holding cell for prisoners on their way to Norwich.^[14]

Notable Residents

• Richard Taverner- (1505-1575) author and religious dissenter, born in Brisley.
• Nathaniel Pilch- (1793-1881) Norfolk Cricketer, born in Brisley.
• Fuller Pilch- (1804-1870) Norfolk and Kent Cricketer, grew-up in Brisley.
• George Englebright- (1805-1877) Norfolk Cricketer, died in Brisley.
• Edward Ash- (1842-1909) schoolmaster and Cambridge University Cricketer, born in Brisley.

Sports

Brisley has a functioning cricket club who play home games on the village green. They have a men's and women's team as of 2022.^[15]

Governance

Brisley is part of the electoral ward of Upper Wensum for local elections and is part of the district of Breckland.

The village's national constituency is Mid Norfolk which has been represented by the Conservative's George Freeman since 2010.

War Memorial

Brisley's war memorial is a granite stone cross located in St. Bartholomew's Churchyard. It lists the following names for the First World War:^[16]

Rank	Name	Unit	Date of Death	Other Commemoration / Burial
Sgt.	Albert J. Moore	1st Battalion, Norfolk Regiment	23 Apr. 1917	Arras Memorial
AS	Ernest G. Howling	2nd (Hawke) Battalion, Royal Naval Division	3 Jun. 1918	Niederzwehren Cemetery
Cpl.	John R. Claxton	2nd Battalion, Essex Regiment	3 May 1917	Arras Memorial
Cpl.	George King	8th Battalion, Norfolk Regiment	1 Aug. 1917	Menin Gate
Pte.	James V. Dawson	3rd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment	5 Nov. 1918	St. Bartholomew's Churchyard, Brisley
Pte.	Elijah H. George	11th Battalion, Essex Regiment	26 Apr. 1918	Brandhoek New Military Cemetery
Pte.	Herbert C. Basham	10th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers	9 Mar. 1918	Hooge Crater Cemetery
Pte.	Frederick W. Moore	2nd Battalion, Norfolk Regiment	3 May 1916	Kirkee War Cemetery
Pte.	Bertie J. Doy	7th Battalion, Norfolk Rgt.	18 Oct. 1916	St. Bartholomew's Churchyard, Brisley
Pte.	Matthew E. Howling	9th Battalion, Norfolk Rgt.	15 Sep. 1916	Thiepval Memorial
Pte.	Percy E. King	9th Bn., Norfolk Rgt.	26 Sep. 1915	Loos Memorial
Pte.	Bertie R. Reeve	9th Bn., Norfolk Rgt.	6 Jul. 1918	Southern Cemetery, Cologne
Rfn.	Charles Gould	8th (Post Office Rifles) Battalion, London Regiment	29 Oct. 1918	Communal Cemetery, Tournai

And, the following for the Second World War:

Rank	Name	Unit	Date of Death	Other Commemoration / Burial
Sgt.	Geoffrey Green	No. 70 Squadron RAF	18 Nov. 1940	War Cemetery, Belgrade
A1C	Isaac T. Williamson	Royal Air Force	2 Jun. 1943	War Cemetery, Ambon
Dvr.	Ronald P. Philipo	Royal Army Service Corps	18 Oct. 1944	War Cemetery, Caserta

References

1. "Key to English Place-names". kepn.nottingham.ac.uk. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
2. "All places | Domesday Book". opendomesday.org. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
3. "WALNUT HOUSE, Brisley - 1304906 | Historic England". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
4. "CHESHAM HOUSE, Brisley - 1342484 | Historic England". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
5. "PAIR OF GATES AND RAILINGS TO CHESHAM HOUSE, Brisley - 1077463 | Historic England". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
6. "ROSE COTTAGE, Brisley - 1152263 | Historic England". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
7. "BRISLEY HALL, Brisley - 1342482 | Historic England". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
8. "CHURCH BUNGALOWS, Brisley - 1342483 | Historic England". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
9. GENUKI. "Genuki: House, Brisley, Primitive Methodist, Norfolk". www.genuki.org.uk. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
10. "mnf46398 - Norfolk Heritage Explorer". www.heritage.norfolk.gov.uk. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
11. "Brisley (Parish, United Kingdom) - Population Statistics, Charts, Map and Location". www.citypopulation.de. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
12. "Norfolk Country Pub | The Award-Winning Brisley Bell". The Brisley Bell. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
13. "CHURCH OF ST BARTHOLOMEW, Brisley - 1077461 | Historic England". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
14. "Norfolk Churches". www.norfolkchurches.co.uk. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
15. "Brisley CC". brisley.play-cricket.com. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
16. "Geograph:: Bodham to Bylaugh :: War Memorials in Norfolk". www.geograph.org.uk. Retrieved 18 November 2024.