Roughton, Norfolk

Roughton is a village and a civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The village is 3.7 miles (6.0 km) south of Cromer, 19.6 miles (31.5 km) north of Norwich, and 6.5 miles (10.5 km) north-west of North Walsham. It straddles the A140 between Cromer and Norwich and the B1463.

Roughton
The Parish Church
Roughton is located in Norfolk
Roughton
Roughton
Location within Norfolk
Area7.23 km2 (2.79 sq mi)
Population934 (parish, 2011 census)[1]
• Density129/km2 (330/sq mi)
OS grid referenceTG220320
• London134 miles (216 km)
Civil parish
  • Roughton
District
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townNORWICH
Postcode districtNR11
PoliceNorfolk
FireNorfolk
AmbulanceEast of England
UK Parliament

The villages name means 'Rough farm/settlement', referring to the character of the ground.

The village today

Facilities in the village include a church, primary school, public house, village hall, fish and chip shop, play area, garage, windmill and fishing lake.[2]

The Parish Church

Roughton church, St Mary's, is one of 124 existing round-tower churches in Norfolk. The tower is believed to be of Saxon origin and much of the main body of the building is Victorian.[2]

The Einstein connection
The New Inn public house, Roughton

In September 1933, Albert Einstein was brought to live in a small hut on Roughton Heath after fleeing Nazi Germany. Commander Oliver Locker-Lampson MP offered Einstein a refuge in Norfolk before he travelled to the United States. While here, he was sculpted by Jacob Epstein.[3] A blue plaque commemorating Einstein's stay can be found at the entrance of the New Inn public house in the village.[4] On 7 October 1933, he set sail from Southampton for a new life in the United States and never returned to Europe.[5]

Einstein's visit inspired several works, including Mark Burgess’s radio play Einstein in Cromer, Philip Glass’s opera Einstein on the Beach, and a song of the same name by Counting Crows.[5] The story behind Einstein's visit to Roughton has been told in a book - Saving Einstein. When Norfolk Hid a Genius. The Double Life of Oliver Locker-Lampson.[6]

Disappearance of April Fabb

The schoolgirl April Fabb was cycling from Metton nearby to visit her sister in Roughton when she disappeared without trace on 8 April 1969.[7]

Public transport

The nearest railway station is at Roughton Road for the Bittern Line, which runs between Sheringham, Cromer, and Norwich. The nearest airport is Norwich International Airport. Sanders provide a regular bus services to Norwich, Sheringham, Cromer, and Holt.

References
  1. "Civil Parish population 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
  2. Village website Retrieved 11 January 2014
  3. BBC Norfolk: Albert Einstein seeks sanctuary in Norfolk
  4. Einstein blue plaque Retrieved 11 January 2013
  5. Einstein on the beach by Alison Boyle, Curator of Astronomy and Modern Physics Science Museum , London, 17 August 2010 , Accessed 31 August 2012
  6. "Poppyland Publishing: Saving Einstein: When Norfolk Hid a Genius the Double Life of Oliver Locker-Lampson". www.poppyland.co.uk. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
  7. April Fabb Retrieved 18 March 2012

http://kepn.nottingham.ac.uk/map/place/Norfolk/Roughton

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