Easton is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk.
Easton is located north-west of Norwich and east of Dereham, along the A47.
History Easton's name is of Anglo-Saxon origin and derives from the Old English for the eastern farmstead or settlement.
In the Nineteenth Century, archaeologists discovered a fourth century Roman hoard consisting of 4,000 coins, yet there is little evidence of any Roman settlement in the vicinity of Easton.
In the Domesday Book, Easton is listed as a settlement of 17 households in the hundred of Forehoe. In 1086, the village formed part of the East Anglian estates of Alan of Brittany.
Geography According to the 2021 census, Easton has a total population of 1,436 people which demonstrates a decrease from the 1,514 people listed in the 2011 census.
The A47, between Birmingham and Lowestoft, runs through the parish.
St. Peter's Church Easton's parish church is dedicated to Saint Peter and dates from the Fourteenth Century. St. Peter's is located within the village on Dereham Road and has been Grade I listed since 1959. St. Peter's was left towerless after a collapse in the Eighteenth Century, which was subsequently replaced by a bellcote which also does not survive.
St. Peter's was heavily restored in the Nineteenth Century by Richard Phipson with the large crucifix that hangs above the chancel arch originally hanging in St Gregory's Church, Norwich. The church font is a relic of the Thirteenth Century and is made out of Purbeck Marble.
Royal Norfolk Showground The Royal Norfolk Showground is located within the parish and has acted as the venue for the Royal Norfolk Show since the 1950s, when the Royal Norfolk Agricultural Association purchased the ground. Today, the showground features a open site with a indoor Showground Arena. The showground continues to host events throughout the year.
Easton College
The parish is the site of Easton College, a large agricultural college offering courses in agriculture, horticulture and arboriculture. The college is centred around Easton Hall, an Eighteenth Century manor house with Grade II listed status.
Amenities The majority of local children attend Easton Primary School on Marlingford Road which is part of the East Anglian Schools Trust. In 2024, the school was awarded a Good rating by Ofsted.
Easton F.C. play home games at Easton College and play in the Anglian Combination League.
Notable residents Cardinal Adam Easton- (1328–1397) Benedictine clergyman, born in Easton.
Governance Easton is an electoral ward for local elections and is part of the district of South Norfolk.
The village's national constituency is South Norfolk which has been represented by the Labour's Ben Goldsborough MP since 2024.
War memorial Easton's war memorial are two plaques inside St. Peter's Church which list the following names for the First World War: +RankNameUnitDate of deathBurial/CommemorationLCpl.Herbert S. Benington2nd Bn., Wellington Regt., NZEF31 Jul. 1917Messines Ridge MemorialDvr.Bertie E. Hook12th Bn., Machine Gun Corps11 Jul. 1918Bagneux British CemeteryPte.Edmund Mortimer7th Bn., Bedfordshire Regiment3 May 1917Arras MemorialPte.Edgar Bennington1st Bn., Essex Regiment13 Aug. 1915Helles MemorialPte.Arthur Scarfe117th Coy., Machine Gun Corps20 Sep. 1917Tyne CotPte.Charles Burridge1st Bn., Norfolk Regiment26 Sep. 1914Südfriedhof CemeteryPte.Harry Mortimer1st Bn., Norfolk Regt.21 Nov. 1914Menin GatePte.Frederick Burridge4th Bn., Norfolk Regt.9 Apr. 1915St. Peter's ChurchyardPte.Edgar O. Springall12th Bn., Norfolk Regt.9 Dec. 1917Jerusalem War CemeteryPte.Albert Pease17th Bn., Queen's Royal Regiment5 Dec. 1916Earlham Road Cemetery And, the following for the Second World War: +RankNameUnitDate of deathBurial/CommemorationCF4John O. DeanRoyal Army Chaplains' Department16 Apr. 1942Kranji War CemeteryCpl.Basil E. Hurrell1st Bn., Duke of Wellington's Regiment12 Feb. 1944Cassino War CemeteryDvr.Stanley W. MinnsRoyal Army Service Corps23 Jul. 1945Yokohama War CemeteryPte.Victor A. HawkesRoyal Norfolk Regiment27 Sep. 1939St. Peter's Churchyard
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