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Home / Towns and Villages/ Burnham Thorpe
Burnham Thorpe norfolk is a small quiet village on the River Burn just over a mile from its ever busy neighbour of Burnham Market home to good boutique shops and popular with celebrities. Burnham Thorpe has a wide green mostly overlooked by Georgian houses and a church with a marble bust of one of the UK's most famous person.
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This historic village's claim to fame is that it is the Birthplace of Horatio Nelson,
famous victor at the battle of Trafalgar in 1805. His father, Edmund Nelson moved to Burnham Thorpe in 1755,
after his marriage, and became the Rector of All Saints Church. Horatio, the 6th of their 11 children, was born on
29th September 1758 at the Parsonage. He also lived here with his wife between 1786 and 1793 while waiting to be assigned a ship.
The house was demolished just after his fathers death and replaced by the present rectory. A roadside plaque marks the spot where the old rectory stood and Nelson grew up.
When the church was restored in Nelsons Honour in 1890, the Admiralty donated wood from the HMS Victory to the church, from which the lectern, altar and rood screen were made. A bust of Nelson and the tombs of his parents are in the chancel. Flags flown by HMS Indomitable at the Battle of Jutland, and by HMS Nelson, are in the nave.
Horatio Nelson was known to frequent the local pub known then as the Plough, built in 1637. Nelson is believed to have provided a dinner to young men of the village before he left to take up his command of the Agamemnon.
In 1798 the pub was Two years after Nelson’s death the pub was renamed the Lord Nelson in honour of the victory at the Battle of the Nile. The pub still stands and although it has no obvious bar real ales are served from a tap room and it has an outside garden.The appearance of the pub in Nelson’s time has been preserved, with wooden settles (including one on which Admiral Nelson sat),
stone floors, and plenty of Nelson memorabilia on the walls.
Burnham Thorpe is close to the north norfolk coast which has miles of beautiful beaches to visit including Burnham Overy Staithe, Holkham and Wells Next The Sea. In addition to beaches there is a number of places worth visiting including Kings Lynn norfolk and Hunstanton seaside resort.
The village of Burnham Thorpe is not extraordinary and certainly does not have the attractions of its close neighbour at Burnham Market. However the connection with one of Britain's greatest heros - it is well worth visting the church and the Nelson pub.
Nelson was buried on 9th January 1806 at St Paul's cathedral in London
Burnham Market is known as 'Chelsea on Sea', due to its boutique style shopping, cosmopolitan vibe and the many famous faces it attracts throughout the year