Hilgay

Hilgay is a village and civil parish in Norfolk, England, 4 miles (6.4 km) from Downham Market. It covers an area of 33.38 km2 (12.89 sq mi) and had a population of 1,341 at the 2011 Census.[1] For local government purposes, it falls within the district of King's Lynn and West Norfolk.

Hilgay
All Saints' Church, Hilgay
Hilgay is located in Norfolk
Hilgay
Hilgay
Location within Norfolk
Area33.38 km2 (12.89 sq mi)
Population1,341 (2011)
• Density40/km2 (100/sq mi)
OS grid referenceTL621983
Civil parish
  • Hilgay
District
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townDOWNHAM MARKET
Postcode districtPE38
PoliceNorfolk
FireNorfolk
AmbulanceEast of England

Other places nearby are Fordham, Ryston, Southery and Denver.

History

The name Hilgay is derived from the Old English to mean 'island or dry ground in a marsh, of the followers of a man called Hytha or Hydla during Anglo Saxon times. Modney Priory built here by the monks of Ramsey Abbey was a Benedictine cell.[2] Hilgay village sits on a raised isle, some 66 feet (20 m) above the surrounding fenland. Its elevation has become more pronounced as the draining of the fenland has caused the ground to shrink. It was notable in Saxon and early Norman times for the large numbers of fish and eels found there. Hilgay Old Bridge still crosses the river, but the newer A10 road bypass crosses just below it.[3]

The scholar and poet Phineas Fletcher (1580 -1650) became chaplain to Sir Henry Willoughby, who presented him in 1621 to the rectory of Hilgay, Norfolk, where he married and spent the rest of his life.

Captain George William Manby, who lived for much of his life in Hilgay, is buried in the churchyard, and his memorial celebrates his invention of the Manby mortar to send a line to ships in distress. [4] He was awarded £2,000 by Parliament, as use of the device had saved 230 lives by 1823.[5]

A Hilgay village sign was erected in 1987. The musical instruments on it are displayed in honour of Hilgay Silver Band, it was still going strong over 100 years after its formation around 1896. Its original members were agricultural workers from the local area. A Manby mortar is also represented. The bridge depicted between the two instruments is Hilgay Old Bridge. The bridge was built in 1899 to transport traffic from the centre of the village over the River Wissey to the north. Within sight of the bridge, one hundred yards or so to the west, the A10 Hilgay bypass bridge now carries the majority of vehicles across the water. A small plaque attached to the bottom of the supporting post states the village sign was 'Erected by Hilgay Parish Council 1987'.[6]

In 2018 nine one-metre square test pits were dug as part of an archaeological investigation. The report was published in 2019. [7]

Hilgay Parish Council are responsible for the local allotments, cemetery and defibrillator.[8] There was once a Hilgay railway station on the Fen Line.

Governance

Hilgay is part of the electoral ward of Hilgay with Denver. The population of this ward at the 2011 Census was 2,409.[9]

References
  1. "Parish population 2011". Retrieved 28 August 2011.
  2. "Hilgay". www.access.arch.cam.ac.uk. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
  3. "Hilgay, a village and a parish in Downham district, Norfolk. The village stands on the river Wissey, 2 miles (3.2 km) from the Ouse, 3 NE of Hilgay fen station, and Market-Downham and has a post office under Downham Market. The parish comprises 7,860 acres (31.8 km2) of which 5,908 are in the Fens. Real property, £13,492. Pop., 1,624. Houses, 365. The property is much subdivided. The hall about ½ a mile from the village, belonged to the abbots of Ramsey, at the dissolution went to James Howe, belonged now to the Jones family and was rebuilt in the Tudor style in 1840."
  4. Monger, Garry (2021). "George Manby". The Fens. April: 20.
  5. Blair (2006)
  6. "Hilgay". www.edp24.co.uk. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
  7. "Hilgay" (PDF). www.access.arch.cam.ac. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
  8. "Hilgay Parish Council". hilgaypc.wixsite.com. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
  9. "Hilgay with Denver population 2011". Retrieved 28 August 2015.

Bibliography
  • Andrew Hunter Blair (2006). The River Great Ouse and tributaries. Imray Laurie Norie and Wilson. ISBN 978-0-85288-943-5.

Media related to Hilgay at Wikimedia Commons



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