Harpley is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk, located along the A148.
Harpley is north-east of King's Lynn and north-west of Norwich.
History Harpley's name is of Anglo-Saxon origin and derives from the Old English for harp clearing with 'harp' referring to a sieve used in salt working.
There was once a neolithic barrow in Harpley which has mostly been lost to the plough. The Roman Peddars Way once passed through Harpley alongside the barrow.
In the Domesday Book, Harpley is recorded as a settlement of 43 households in the hundred of Freebridge. In 1086, the village was divided between the estates of Odo of Bayeux and William de Warenne.
Geography According to the 2021 census, Harpley has a population of 333 people which shows a decrease from the 338 people listed in the 2011 census.
The village is located along the A148, between King's Lynn and Cromer.
St. Lawrence's Church Harpley's parish church is dedicated to Saint Lawrence and dates from the Thirteenth Century. St. Lawrence's is located within the village on Church Lane and has been Grade I listed since 1960. The church no longer holds regular church services and is part of the GGM Benefice.
St. Lawrence's holds medieval carved statues of the four Doctors of the Church, medieval bench ends and medieval stained-glass depicting Saint Edward the Confessor.
Amenities Harpley Church of England Primary School is located on School Lane and is part of the Great Massingham & Harpley Schools Federation. The headteacher is H. Myhill.
The Rose & Crown Pub has stood in the village since at least 1789. Harpley Windmill was converted to a holiday home in 2016.
Governance Harpley is part of the electoral ward of Massingham with Castle Acre 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.
War Memorial Harpley War Memorial is a marble obelisk inside St. Lawrence's Churchyard which was unveiled by John Bowers, Bishop of Thetford. The memorial lists the following names for the First World War: +RankNameUnitDate of deathBurial/CommemorationPte.Ralph W. Porter MM60th (Victoria Rifles) Bn., CEF9 Oct. 1916Vimy MemorialPte.Herbert Arter4th Bn., Canadian Military Engineers25 Aug. 1916Reningelst CemeteryPte.William H. Fake17th Bn., Royal Fusiliers8 Jun. 1918Bagneux CemeteryPte.Ezra Seaman1st Bn., Hertfordshire Regiment18 Sep. 1918Vis-en-Artois MemorialPte.Bertram Stringer12th Bn., Highland Light Infantry29 Sep. 1918Zantvoorde CemeteryPte.Alfred T. Norman21st Bn., Manchester Regiment11 Oct. 1918Beaurevoir CemeteryPte.Stanley Steel1st Bn., Norfolk Regiment9 Oct. 1917Tyne CotPte.Bertie W. Porter5th Bn., Norfolk Regt.19 Apr. 1917Jerusalem MemorialPte.Ernest Gagen9th Bn., Norfolk Regt.14 Sep. 1916Wimereux CemeteryPte.John E. Osborne9th Bn., Norfolk Regt.15 Sep. 1916Thiepval Memorial The following names were added after the Second World War: +RankNameUnitDate of deathBurial/CommemorationWOC. Edward Rasberry2nd Bn., Royal Norfolk Regiment27 May 1940Dunkirk Town CemeterySgt.Ivor E. LaughlinRoyal Air Force Volunteer Reserve27 Mar. 1944Hotton War CemeterySgt.Harold F. ArterNorfolk Yeomanry11 Mar. 1940Blargies CemeteryLSgt.Arthur C. Dolman55 A.T. Regt., Royal Artillery18 Jun. 1944Hottot-les-Bagues CemeteryGnr.Arthur A. Hammond48 L.A.A. Regt., R.A.21 Apr. 1945Labuan War CemeteryPte.Reginald C. Stringer2nd Bn., Royal Norfolk Regiment4 May 1944Kohima War Cemetery
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