Stanford is a deserted village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It is situated north of the town of Thetford and southwest of the city of Norwich.Ordnance Survey (1999). OS Explorer Map 229 – Thetford in the Brecks. .
The name of the village derives from Old English and means "stony ford".
The village became deserted when it was taken over by the British Army during the Second World War as part of the Stanford Battle Area, an infantry training area that is still in use. The village and most of the parish are within a restricted area and access is not allowed without special permission from the Army.Rootsweb.com (1998–2006). Ghost Towns/Deserted Villages of Great Britain. Retrieved 17 February 2006.
The parish church of All Saints, like the other surviving churches within the training area, is fitted with blast-proof sheeting to protect the structure, and wire fencing surrounds the church and churchyard to protect from military manoeuvres.
The civil parish has an area of and in the 2001 census had a population of eight in four households. For the purposes of local government, the parish falls within the district of Breckland.Office for National Statistics & Norfolk County Council (2001). Census population and household counts for unparished urban areas and all parishes . Retrieved 2 December 2005. At the 2011 census the population remained less than 100 and was included in the civil parish of Croxton.
Notes
External links
All Saints on the European Round Tower Churches website
Information from NorfolkChurches.co.uk on the Stanford Battle Area and its deserted villages and churches.