Population 676 (2011) Civil parish Gillingham Country England Area 8.21 km² District South Norfolk | OS grid reference TM411920 Region East Sovereign state United Kingdom Shire county Norfolk | |
 | ||
Gillingham /ˈɡɪlɪŋəm/ is a small village located just off the A146 in South Norfolk, about 1 mile north of the market town of Beccles. The full name of the parish is Gillingham All Saints and St Mary. It covers an area of 8.21 km2 (3.17 sq mi) and had a population of 650 in 294 households at the time of the 2001 census, increasing to 676 at the 2011 census.
Contents
Map of Gillingham, UK
Parish
The parish is in the deanery of Loddon, in the archdeaconry of Norfolk, the parish church is dedicated to St Mary with the church of All Saints being demolished in the 18th century.
Gillingham is mentioned in the Domesday Book as one of the settlements in Clavering hundred.
There is an electoral roll of 584 and located within the village is Gillingham First School, Gillingham Pre-School, a playground, allotments, two churches and a village hall.
Governance
An electoral ward in the same name exists. This ward stretches north to Heckingham with a total population taken at the 2011 census of 2,871.
Transport
The village currently has a regular bus service to much of the surrounding area. First Norfolk & Suffolk run the X2 through the village, which gives access to Beccles, Loddon, Norwich and Lowestoft as well as the smaller surrounding villages and Anglian Bus run the 580 to Beccles, Bungay, Harleston and Diss and the connecting 581 to Beccles and Great Yarmouth and the 146 which runs between Norwich and Lowestoft via Loddon and Beccles. Bus services to other areas can be found in Beccles.
Education
There is a primary school in the village, Gillingham St Michael's Church of England Primary Academy. For secondary education most children from the village go to Hobart High School in Loddon or Sir John Leman High School in Beccles.
Notable events
On 13 March 2014, a helicopter crashed shortly after take-off from Gillingham Hall, killing all four people on board, including Edward Haughey, Baron Ballyedmond, the owner of Gillingham Hall.