Earsham is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk.
Earsham is located west of Bungay and south-east of Norwich. The village is located close to the border between Norfolk and Suffolk, and the River Waveney.
History Earsham's name is of Anglo-Saxon origin and derives from the Old English for the homestead or settlement of an earl or built around a hill.
Earsham Mill has stood in some form in the village since the time of the Anglo-Saxons, using the River Waveney to grind wheat into flour. The mill building still exists today.
In the Domesday Book, Earsham is listed as a settlement of 69 households in its own hundred. In 1086, the village was part of the East Anglian estates of King William I.
Earsham Hall was built in the Eighteenth Century by John Buxton and was first inhabited by Lt-Col. William Windham. The hall was remodelled in the Georgian style by Sir John Soane and exists today as a venue for wedding receptions and antiques dealing.
During the First World War, parts of Earsham parish were used as a landing strip for airplanes of the Royal Flying Corps. During the Second World War, parts of the abandoned airfield and Earsham Hall were used as bomb storage for the United States Army Air Forces.
Geography According to the 2021 census, Earsham has a total population of 935 people which demonstrates an increase from the 882 people listed in the 2011 census.
Earsham is located along the course of the River Waveney and the A143, between Gorleston-on-Sea and Haverhill.
All Saints' Church Earsham's parish church is located on Mill Road, dates from the Fourteenth Century and has been Grade I listed since 1959.
All Saints' is a rarity for an East Anglian church as its tower is topped by a spire. Inside the church, is a Medieval font depicting the seven sacraments and the crucifixion of Jesus as well as stained-glass from Europe and roundels from the workshops of Robert Allen and Samuel Yarrington.
Amenities Earsham's Queen's Head has operated as a coaching inn since the mid-19th century, the pub remains open to this day.
Transport Earsham railway station opened in 1860 as a stop on the Waveney Valley Line connecting to . The station was closed in 1953.
Notable residents Lt-Col. William Windham (1674–1730)- British Army officer and politician. William Windham (1706–1789)- Landowner and politician. Andrew Gilding - PDC darts player and 2023 UK Open champion.
Governance Earsham is part of the electoral ward of Ditchingham & Earsham for local elections and is part of the district of South Norfolk.
The village's national constituency is Waveney Valley which has been represented by the Green Party's Adrian Ramsay MP since 2024.
War Memorial Earsham's War Memorial is a stone memorial topped with a celtic cross on the village green. The memorial lists the following names for the First World War: +RankNameUnitDate of deathBurial/CommemorationLt.Robert P. Meade13th Bn., Rifle Brigade11 Jun. 1916Thiepval MemorialSgt.Albert Clarke1st Bn., Norfolk Regiment27 Jul. 1916Thiepval MemorialCpl.Harvey J. Holland1054th Coy., Army Service Corps10 Dec. 1919Tehran War CemeteryCpl.Hennes R. Bedwell8th Bn., East Lancashire Regiment15 Jul. 1916Pozières CemeteryCpl.Sidney W. ThreadgoldRoyal Air Force2 Sep. 1918All Saints' ChurchyardCpl.William R. BarberRoyal Field Artillery9 Nov. 1918Annœullin CemeteryDvr.William PageSalonika Depot, Army Service Corps2 Jun. 1917Chatby MemorialGnr.Harry Runicles86th Bde., Royal Field Artillery9 Jul. 1916Thiepval MemorialGnr.William Jolly38th Coy., Royal Garrison Artillery6 Jul. 1918All Saints' ChurchyardPte.Edward J. Gooch1st Bn., Cheshire Regiment24 Aug. 1914La Ferté MemorialPte.Leonard W. Saunders9th Bn., East Surrey Regiment27 Mar. 1918Pozières MemorialPte.William H. Howell5th Bn., Middlesex Regiment14 May 1919St. Alban's ChurchyardPte.William Wilby2nd Bn., Norfolk Regiment30 Sep. 1916North Gate CemeteryPte.Edgar G. Prime8th Bn., Norfolk Regt.19 Feb. 1917Dernancourt CemeteryPte.Herbert G. Houghton9th Bn., Norfolk Regt.8 Oct. 1918Vis-en-Artois MemorialPte.John K. High2nd Bn., Ox and Bucks Light Infantry28 Apr. 1917Arras MemorialPte.Charles W. Hood1/5th Bn., Suffolk Regiment2 Nov. 1917Gaza War CemeteryPte.Victor J. Remblance6th Bn., Suffolk Regt.16 Aug. 1916Thiepval MemorialPte.Albert G. Threadgold9th Bn., Suffolk Regt.19 Oct. 1916Thiepval MemorialPte.Arthur Smith11th Bn., Suffolk Regt.6 Sep. 1916Trois Arbres CemeteryPte.Samuel Barnes9th Bn., Worcestershire Regiment19 Jun. 1916Basra War CemeteryTpt.Arthur T. Tibbenham1/1st Bn., Essex Yeomanry11 Apr. 1917Arras MemorialYmn.Bernard S. BanhamHMS Shark31 May 1916Chatham Naval MemorialDhd.James E. HowlettH.M. Drifter Enterprise II8 May 1916Bari War CemeteryDhd.William W. RemblanceH.M. Drifter Kent County8 Dec. 1916Chatham Naval Memorial And, the following from the Second World War: +RankNameUnitDate of deathBurial/CommemorationCPOAlfred L. LewisHMS Niger6 Jul. 1942Chatham Naval MemorialASRonald T. GilhamHMS Cornwall5 Apr. 1942Chatham Naval MemorialGdsm.Frederick C. Gooch2nd Bn., Coldstream Guards1 Jun. 1940Dunkirk MemorialGnr.Frederick J. Howell14 (Anti-tank) Regt., Royal Artillery13 Apr. 1943Béja War CemeteryMne.Thomas E. SouthgateRoyal Marines att. HMS Hood24 May 1941Portsmouth MemorialPte.E. William Longshaw4th Bn., Royal Norfolk Regiment29 Nov. 1944Kanchanaburi CemeteryPte.Victor R. Canham7th Bn., Royal Norfolks.12 Jun. 1940Grandcourt War Cemetery
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