WABOURNE (or WEYBOURNE), the latter is the modern spelling) is a parish on the sea-coast, about 4 miles north-east from Holt station, 9 west from Cromer and 14 east from Wells, in the northern division of the county, Erpingham Union and Holt county court district. The village is picturesquely situated in a basin half-a-mile from the sea. Within a mile from the parish it is bounded to the south-west and partly to the east by a range of sand hills, two hundred feet above sea level, covered alternately by plantation, furze and heather. Here the range of cliffs formig a barrier to the North Sea for a part of the North Norfolk end, and the salt marshes begin and continue to Hunstanton. The coast line has now a very small curve, owing ot the encroachments of the sea: there is no doubt but that formerly it had a greater outward curve forming the open bay or road-stead called Waborne Hope, where mediŁae;val coasting vessels, to avoid the sands and shoals to the west, steered out to sea to make the Humber or the east coast of Yorkshire. The parish church of All Saints was originally Saxon and was enlarged at the end of the fourteenth century: the square embattled tower and porch are of much later date; it now consists of chancel and nave only. The register dates from the year 1727. The living is a donative, yearly value £50, in the gift of the Earl of Orford nnd held since 1868 by the Rev. William Bsworth. Who is also rector of, and resides at Beeston Regis: the tithes are commuted at £300. A portion of this parish was held by Hacon, son of Swan, eldest son of Earl Godwin, and to this family Wabruna is in all probability indebted for the Saxon church, a part of the tower and west end of which still remain; the portion held by Hacon was given by William to Hugh de Lupus, the Conqeror's half-sister's son, created by him Earl of Chester; Earl Hugh enfoeffed Ralph of it—Sir Ralph (as is father was) Meinie Waring or Mainwaring. In the reign of King John, Sir Ralph Meinilwaring married Alicia, daughter of Hugh Kiviloec, Earl of Chester: this Ralph, Chief Justice of Chester, appears to have founded the priory at Waborne for Augustine canons, the cloisters being on the north side of the Saxon church and the priory church to the east of it: although the priory was subsequently enlarged and again reduced before the Reformation it never appeared ot have been of any great consequence; it is valued in Speed at £28 7s. 2d. Here are a brewery, fish curing house, coast guard station, and twoor three small crab orlobster boats. The Earl of Orford, who is lord of the manor, and William Johnson, Jennis Boldingand WilliamThomas Bird esqrs. Are the principal landowners.. The soilis very variable; subsil, sand, gravel and clay. The chief crops are wheat, barley, turnips and grass. The parish contains 1,614 acres, of which 1,168 are arable pasture and meadow, and the remainder heath and woodland; rateable value £1,81; the population in 1881 was 222.
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Coastguard Station, James Mackerell, chief boatman
The Waborne united school board district compries the parishes of Waborne, Kellign & Salthouse: the school is at Kelling; Henry Lewis, clerk & attendance officer
1891 Census Names Index
Holt hundred
White's 1845 and 1883 [both GENUKI-NFK]
Weybourne watermill [Jonathan Neville]
Weybourne post-mill [Jonathan Neville]
Weybourne tower-mill [Jonathan Neville]
More on Weybourne [GENUKI-NFK]
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