| Official Name: | Burnham Market |
| Static Image Name: | St Mary, Burnham Market, Norfolk - geograph.org.uk - 321235.jpg |
| Static Image Caption: | St. Mary's Church |
| Coordinates: | 52.9458°N 0.7282°W |
| Os Grid Reference: | TF834422 |
| Population: | 724 |
| Population Ref: | (2021) |
| Area Total Km2: | 18.43 |
| Civil Parish: | Burnham Market |
| Shire District: | King's Lynn and West Norfolk |
| Shire County: | Norfolk |
| Region: | East of England |
| Country: | England |
| Constituency Westminster: | North West Norfolk |
| Postcode District: | PE31 |
| Postcode Area: | PE |
| Post Town: | King's Lynn |
| Dial Code: | 01328 |
Burnham Market is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The village is located 19miles north-east of King's Lynn and 32miles north-west of Norwich.
It is one of the Burnhams, a group of three adjacent villages that were merged: Burnham Sutton, Burnham Ulph and Burnham Westgate. In 2022, Burnham Market was rated among the "20 most beautiful villages in the UK and Ireland" by Condé Nast Traveler in 2020.[1]
Burnham Market's name is of Anglo-Saxon origin and derives from the Old English for settlement on the River Burn where there is a market.[2]
Burnham Market is not listed in the Domesday Book.
In 1952, the West Norfolk Junction Railway, which ran through the village, was closed. This railway had linked with Holkham, Wells-next-the-Sea, Hunstanton and Kings Lynn. The station still stands on the road to North Creake.
Burnham Westgate Hall is a Grade II listed country house built in the 1780s by Sir John Soane for Thomas Pitt, 1st Baron Camelford. The Hall was built on the existing Polstede Hall, which had been built in the 1750s by Matthew Brettingham for Pinckney Wilkinson MP.[3]
In 1933, the Hall passed to the Royal British Legion and after the Second World War it was used as an old people's home. From 1990 onwards, it has become the private residence of Baroness Rawlings.[4]
According to the 2011 census, Burnham Market had a population of 877 people,[5] which fell to 724 people by the 2021 census.[5]
Burnham Market is located at the junction between the B1155, between Great Bircham and Holkham, and B1355, between A148 and A149.
Burnham Market is home to several churches.
St. Mary's Church is of Norman origin and is dedicated to Mary, mother of Jesus. St. Mary's was significantly remodelled in the 14th, 15th and 19th centuries and is currently a listed building. The church bells date to the 17th century.[6]
All Saints' Church is of Norman origin and was heavily remodelled in the 14th century, with further minor alterations in the 19th century.[7]
St. Henry Walpole Catholic Church, Burnham Market's Catholic Church, was constructed in 1959 and is dedicated to Saint Henry Walpole, an Elizabethan Catholic martyr.[8] The church conducts weekly Mass on a Friday and Sunday.[9]
Burnham Market is part of the electoral ward of Burnham Market & Docking for local elections and is part of the district of King's Lynn and West Norfolk.
The village's national constituency is North West Norfolk which has been represented by the Conservative's James Wild MP since 2010.
Burnham Market's war memorial is a stone celtic cross located on the marketplace which has been Grade II listed since 2018.[11] The memorial lists war dead from Burnham Market as well as Burnham Westgate, Burnham Sutton and Burnham Norton. The following soldiers from Burnham Market died during the First World War:[12]
| Sgt. | Sidney Belding | No. 22 Squadron RAF | 15 Apr. 1918 | Haverskerque Cemetery | |
| LCpl. | Arthur J. Pike | 9th Bn., Norfolk Regiment | 21 Mar. 1918 | Arras Memorial | |
| Gnr. | Richard B. Seaman | 5th Bde., Royal Horse Artillery | 23 Mar. 1918 | Pozières Memorial | |
| Pte. | George A. Hewitt | 2nd Bn., Canadian Machine Gun Corps | 9 Aug. 1918 | Caix British Cemetery | |
| Pte. | Arnold Roy | 6th Bn., East Kent Regiment | 20 Nov. 1917 | Cambrai Memorial | |
| Pte. | William Barrett | 7th Bn., East Kents | 21 May 1917 | Tournai Cemetery | |
| Pte. | Charles W. Harvey | 1st Bn., Essex Regiment | 6 Aug. 1915 | Twelve Tree Copse Cemetery | |
| Pte. | Arthur C. Gent | 10th Bn., Essex Rgt. | 5 Apr. 1918 | St. Pierre Cemetery | |
| Pte. | Walter F. Doughty | 7th Bn., Royal Fusiliers | 28 May 1917 | Bailleul Road Cemetery | |
| Pte. | Sidney Howell | 1/5th Bn., Lancashire Fusiliers | 12 Sep. 1917 | Mendinghem Military Cemetery | |
| Pte. | John R. Hall | 12th Bn., Middlesex Regiment | 3 May 1917 | Unknown | |
| Pte. | Cyril J. C. Scholey | 1st Bn., Norfolk Regiment | 4 Sep. 1916 | Thiepval Memorial | |
| Pte. | W. Frederick Diggins | 7th Bn., Norfolk Rgt. | 12 Aug. 1916 | Thiepval Memorial | |
| Pte. | Harry J. S. Armiger | 8th Bn., Norfolk Rgt. | 1 Jul. 1916 | Dantzig Alley Cemetery | |
| Pte. | Bertie J. Hendry | 8th Bn., Norfolk Rgt. | 25 Oct. 1918 | All Saints' Churchyard, Burnham Sutton | |
| Pte. | Frederick E. P. Dawson | 9th Bn., Norfolk Rgt. | 15 Sep. 1916 | Thiepval Memorial | |
| Pte. | Arthur Savage | 7th Bn., Suffolk Regiment | 21 Nov. 1917 | St. Sever Cemetery | |
| Sdr. | Charles F. Adcock | No. 2 (Depot) Coy., Army Service Corps | 10 Dec. 1915 | Greenwich Cemetery | |
| Spr. | William W. Moorhouse | 518th (Field) Coy., Royal Engineers | 28 Nov. 1918 | Les Baraques Military Cemetery |
| LCpl. | George A. J. Barwick | 1st Bn., Royal Norfolk Regiment | 15 Apr. 1945 | Brussels Town Cemetery | |
| LCpl. | Cyril T. Snell | 5th Bn., Royal Norfolks | 27 Jan. 1942 | Kranji War Memorial |