Hempnall is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk.

Hempnall is located north of Harleston and south of Norwich.

History Hempnall's name is of Anglo-Saxon origin and derives from the Old English for Hemma's nook of land.

In the Domesday Book, Hempnall is listed as a settlement of 57 households in the hundred of Depwade. In 1086, the village was divided between the estates of Roger Bigod and Ralph Baynard.

According to John Wesley's journal, on 4 September 1759 he walked the nine miles from Norwich to preach in Hempnall market place. He described how he was followed by a mob from Norwich, who may have been financed by the city's brewers, and the mob's ringleader tried to disrupt the proceedings with a horn. This was quickly thrown away by one of the crowd, and the others were soon deeply attentive to John Wesley's message: "By grace ye are saved through faith".

During the Eighteenth Century, a workhouse was built in Hempnall but no longers stands.

During the Second World War, a decoy airfield was built in Hempnall to distract the attentions of the Luftwaffe away from RAF Hardwick.

There have been reported sightings of Black Shuck in Hempnall.

Geography According to the 2021 census, Hempnall has a total population of 1,238 people which demonstrates a decrease from the 1,292 people listed in the 2011 census.

St. Margaret's Church Hempnall's parish church is dedicated to Saint Margaret the Virgin and dates from the Thirteenth Century. St. Margaret's is located within the village on Church Plain and has been Grade I listed since 1959. The church holds Sunday service every Sunday.

St. Margaret's suffered two devastating fires, one in the Fourteenth Century and another in the Seventeenth Century though a medieval font and Georgian pulpit survive.

Listed buildings

Amenities Facilities in Hempnall include a village hall, playing field, a primary school, and a doctor's surgery. The convenience store, formerly run by RS McColl, was rebranded Morrisons Local in 2023. 'The Hempnall Trust', a village charity, runs The Hempnall Mill Centre at the site of Hempnall Mill.

Hempnall is home to a popular Tennis Club. In the heart of South Norfolk, the club boasts 2 quality floodlit hard courts that can be hired all year round to the public and club members.

Governance Hempnall 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.

Notable residents Anna Hinderer (1827-1870) Anglican missionary to modern-day Nigeria, born in Hempnall.

War Memorial Hempnall War Memorial is a wheel-headed cross with a plinth and a rustic base located at the junction of Broaden Street and The Street. The memorial was unveiled in December 1919 by W.H. Couzens-Hardy MP. A plaque was also added for casualties from the Second Boer War: +RankNameUnitDate of deathBurial/CommemorationDvr.George J. GowingRoyal Horse ArtilleryUnknownRoyal Artillery MemorialPte.George Moore2nd Bn., Norfolk RegimentUnknownNorwich Boer War MemorialPte.Harry Moore2nd Bn., Norfolk Regt.UnknownNorwich Boer War Memorial The following names are listed for the First World War: +RankNameUnitDate of deathBurial/CommemorationCpl.Harry Townshend MM1st Bn., Norfolk Regiment27 Sep. 1918Vis-en-Artois MemorialLCpl.Charles A. Elvin9th Bn., Norfolk Regt.21 Mar. 1918Arras MemorialPte.Bertie T. EllisColdstream Guards1918UnknownPte.Albert Crummett6th Bn., Durham Light Infantry20 Jul. 1917Achiet-le-Grand CemeteryPte.Richard H. Lansdell4th Bn., East Yorkshire Regiment31 Oct. 1917Mendinghem CemeteryPte.Robert S. Sporle13th Bn., East Yorkshire Regt.6 May 1917Hamburg CemeteryPte.William Ayton7th Bn., Royal Fusiliers13 Nov. 1916Ancre British CemeteryPte.Herbert TownshendRoyal Fusiliers14 May 1918St. Sever CemeteryPte.Percy W. Ellis6th Bn., Middlesex Regiment30 Dec. 1917Chatby MemorialPte.Leonard Townshend1st Bn., Norfolk Regiment7 Mar. 1915Menin GatePte.Sidney G. Varley1st Bn., Norfolk Regt.18 Sep. 1916Guillemont Road CemeteryPte.Thomas Downing2/6th Bn., Norfolk Regt.18 Jan. 1915St. Margaret's ChurchyardPte.Walter S. Kirk7th Bn., Norfolk Regt.8 Aug. 1918Morlancourt CemeteryPte.Charles H. Spink7th Bn., Norfolk Regt.3 Dec. 1918Étaples Military CemeteryPte.Charles Nash9th Bn., Norfolk Regt.15 Sep. 1915Thiepval MemorialPte.Frederick A. Nash2/4th Bn., Queen's Royal Regiment21 Dec. 1917Jerusalem War CemeteryPte.Clarence J. Pointer10th Bn., Queen's Royal Regt.27 Mar. 1918Ontario CemeteryRfn.Arthur Sheldrake5th Bn., Royal Irish Rifles23 Mar. 1918Pozières MemorialSpr.John W. Elvin416th Coy., Royal Engineers4 Sep. 1918Quéant Road Cemetery The following names were added after the Second World War: +RankNameUnitDate of deathBurial/CommemorationSgt.Jack N. FraserNo. 142 Squadron RAF11 Jun. 1940St. Sever CemeteryCpl.Charles R. PerkinsRoyal Air Force31 Dec. 1945Naples War CemeteryPte.Bob E. Roberts2nd Bn., Lincolnshire Regiment3 May 1945Becklingen War CemeteryPte.Reginald C. Gooch5th Bn., Royal Norfolk Regiment22 Jan. 1942Kranji War CemeteryPte.Raymond E. Madgett6th Bn., Royal Norfolks21 Jul. 1943Kanchanaburi War Cemetery

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