Thompson Today
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Today, Thompson, is a widespread village, with about 150 dwellings.
One dwelling has 14th century origins and the remainder range from
17th century thatched cottages to large modern brick houses. In addition to The Chequers Inn, Thompson has it's own Post Office, a thriving primary school, a much used village hall, a Millennium Green and a Red Telephone Box. |
Thompson is part of the Wayland Group of Parishes and has an active Parish Council, a Parish Church Committee and a local WI group.
A Little History
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Thompson is a very ancient village whose name suggests Danish and Saxon origins. It is mentioned in the Domesday Book and has a very varied history. |
| From 1350 until Dissolution in 1541
it had a very successful Collegiate Church, endowed by John
and Thomas de Shardelowe, and served by six brethren who
lived in the nearby College. Today parts of that
residence form part of College Farm. |
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The Church is dedicated to St Martin and parts date from the 14th century. We are fortunate to have parish registers which date from 1538 with very few gaps. |
| From 1541 onwards the manors of Thompson changed hands regularly and names such as Futter, Barker, Colman, Tooke, and de Grey feature throughout its history. Enclosure took place in 1817 under William Tooke Harwood. | |
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This is Mill Road around 1905, although at one time it was called Shop Road for a while before reverting back to Mill Road. |
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The mill was damaged in a gale in 1895 but milling was already in decline in Thompson by then. The miller, John Watt, carried on with a steam engine as it had been powered by both this and wind previously. It was never repaired and was demolished in 1913. Click here for more information on this and other Norfolk mills. |
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Thompson School about 1905, photographed from School Road. |
| There are a number of old thatched properties in Thompson, one of
which is the
Chequers Inn. It has been an inn continuously for at
least 300 years. Do you think you may have ancestral links to Thompson? We have a local historian who would be delighted to help you discover your Thompson Family History. To contact our village historian please click here The Wayland Partnership are also seeking people who are willing to be recorded sharing their oral history and memories for the new Heritage Project 'Capturing the History of Wayland'. So if you have taken part in something unusual or newsworthy or you have an elderly relative who would like to recount their story of times gone by, do contact Bronwen. |
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