Worstead's Light and Durable Worstead

About trip

Edward III was blessed with a faithful and loyal wife, who bore him 12 children and exerted a moderating influence on his fiery Plantagent temper. Her name was Philippa of Hainault and she was the daughter of William, Count of Hainault and Zeeland. Her Flemish background made her something of an expert on the weaving trade, and it was because of Philippa that so many experienced weavers settled in Norfolk and Suffolk. Marriage Made in Heaven .As far as medieval marriages went, Edward and Philippa’s was made in heaven. He was not faithful and she was not beautiful, but they maintained a close attachment throughout their long liaison. Their children included the Black Prince, who died just two years before his long-lived father without ever taking the throne, and the intelligent, powerful John of Gaunt, who was easily one of the richest men in the world in his lifetime. All the King’s children remained on surprisingly good terms with each other and the King himself, something largely attributed to Philippa’s gentle nature. Flemish Weavers. As soon as she had settled in England, Philippa realised that it did not make economic sense for vast quantities of fine wool to be produced in East Anglia for export to Flanders, where weavers made it into cloth and sold it back to the English at inflated prices. She encouraged Flemish weavers to settle in England, so they could train Englishmen in cloth production. Worstead was one of several villages that profited from their expertise. The so-called ‘Worstead villages’ included North Walsham, Scottow, Tunstead and Aylsham, as well as Worstead, but it was Worstead that gave its name to the light, relatively inexpensive cloth that made these places far richer than their neighbours. By the end of the 14th century it was not the weavers of Ypres and Ghent who were setting world standards in cloth excellence, but those of Norfolk and Suffolk with their worsteds. John Paston, one of the letter-writing Norfolk Paston family, wrote in 1465 that ‘I would make my doublet all worsted, for worship of Norfolk.’ Magnificent Church. In 1379 the weavers’ guild was so wealthy and powerful that its members pooled their resources and built the St Mary’s Church, declaring that the original St Andrew’s Church was neither large nor grand enough for their village. The result is one of the loveliest parish churches in the county, with a tower that is 109ft (33m) tall, and the church itself 130ft (40m) long - astonishing proportions for a village church. Weaving in Worstead continued until the late 19th century and is practised on a much smaller scale today by some locals. While you're there: Nearby North Walsham (about 3 miles/4.8km to the north) was a centre for the wool trade in the 14th century, producing ‘Walsham cloth’ that was lighter than worsted. This allowed the villagers to build handsome St Nicholas’ Church near the Market Cross. Horatio Nelson attended the Paston School here. A battle took place near by on 22 June 1381, marking a bloody end to Norfolk’s part in the Peasants’ Revolt. What to look out for: Worstead House, built by James Wyatt in 1791-7 for Sir George Berney Brograve, was a grand affair with three bays and a big central bow. By the 20th century it had become a little shabby and in the 1930s it was bought by Harold Harmworth, Viscount Rothermere, the newspaper mogul. He demolished the hall, intending to rebuild it, but the Second World War changed his plans and Worstead remains without its hall. Where to wat and drink: The pleasant and friendly New Inn in Worstead offers real ale, occasional hog roasts and excellent burgers and chips. It is fairly large and has an endearing village atmosphere. Children are welcome, and there is some outdoor seating, which is pleasant on a warm summer day. In the winter, the pub is filled with the scent of wood fires. Directions: From Church Plain, in the centre of Worstead, turn right into Front Street with handsome 14th-century St Mary’s Church behind you and the New Inn on your right. Bend to the left, then immediately right and continue walking out of the village. The road veers to the left, then to the right. The mixed deciduous plantation to your left is called the Worstead Belt because of its long, thin shape. Pass Worstead Hall Farm (originally 16th century) on your right before plunging into shady woodland. Turn left on the road signposted to Dilham. Ignore the two lanes off to the right, but follow the road round to the left when it bends sharply through woods and up a hill. Where the road turns sharp right, turn left on to the concrete lane and continue ahead until you reach a sign, stating ‘Private Road’. Turn right and walk along the wide track (marked as a public footpath) that leads in a straight line through a tunnel of mixed woodland. This is Carman’s Lane, and it emerges on to a quiet country lane after about 0.5 mile (800m). Cross the lane, heading for the footpath opposite. There is a hedge right in front of you, with fields on either side, and a footpath sign. Keep to the left of the hedge and walk along the edge of the field until you see signs for another footpath off to your left. Turn left along this path, walking until the red roofs of Dairyhouse Barn come into view. Just after this, there is a T-junction of footpaths. Take the one to the right, a farm track called Green Lane, and walk along it until you reach a paved road. Go left, along a lane that is bordered by tall hedgerows which are filled with nesting birds in the spring. You pass a few neat houses on your left before the lane ends in a T-junction. Turn right opposite Rose Cottage and Windy Ridge on to Honing Row, and walk for a few paces until you reach Geoffrey the Dyer’s House on your right. This dates from the 16th century, and has unusually tall ceilings in order to accommodate the merchant’s looms. The site of the old manor house lies up this lane, too. Turn left opposite Geoffrey’s house to return to your park place and the start of the walk.