Hunstanton Civic Society Looking to the future whilst preserving the best of the past.

The Herigate Trail

The illustration shows the front of the leaflet produced by the Society to enable residents and visitors to understand and appreciate the history of Hunstanton.

It was funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Nationwide Building Society and the Countryside Agency.

A copy was given to every household and schoolchild in Hunstanton. Further copies may be bought for 50p each from:

The Tourist Information Office, The Town Hall, The Green, Hunstanton. 01485 532610

The Plaque Walk

The new Heritage Plaque Walk celebrating the unique history of Hunstanton was launched by the grandson of the original estate bailiff, Peter Bunting, on Friday 27th April 2007.

The Town Hall was filled with well-wishers – many of whom arrived early to make sure of a seat! The press generously covered the event, with a television news slot on ITV, an interview with Radio Norfolk and a photo and article in the Lynn News.

The Plaque Walk is the brainchild of Hunstanton Civic Society and is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. It celebrates the original vision of Hunstanton's founder, Henry Le Strange. Back in 1846 he had the idea to create a new bathing resort on both the land and sea he owned. The work commenced with the building of the New Inn (now The Golden Lion). It was boosted when he brought the railway extension from King's Lynn to Hunstanton. Sadly, he died young, but the work was continued by his son, Hamon, who was largely responsible for the town we see today.

The Walk follows the creation of a new Victorian community, built on a green field site in just a few short years. The Golden Lion (1846) was to accommodate architects and builders, and act as a base. They had to build terraced houses as well as a detached house (1870s), a police station with three cells (1875), an elementary school (1874), a girl's school (now the Marine Hotel, 1860), convalescent and recovery homes (1879 and 1890) and a Town Hall (1896). The latest building was Smithdon High school (1954).

There are a total of 25 plaques, offering a fascinating insight into the creation of this completely new seaside town, served by rail, graced with royal connections and a rival to Brighton and the small but growing number of other Victorian resorts.

Commenting, Chair of the Civic Society Sheila Jeffreys said: “This is a real first for the town. It marks the beginning of a new chapter in the Hunstanton story. I hope that it will provide a focus for both residents and visitors to discover the unique heritage preserved here in Hunstanton, in Le Strange's original vision to create a vibrant and happy community here on the Wash."

Following the launch, the keynote speaker was John Selby, Conservation Officer for West Norfolk Council, who fielded questions from the audience who were keen to get the Council's views on conservation in the area, and in particular about the possible extension of the existing conservation area once the views of local residents are gathered. The Society was also pleased to have a valuable contribution from local historian Kath Fryer, who has played a pivotal rôle in getting the Plaque Walk project completed.

The Plaque Walk leaflet is available from the Tourist Information Office.

Peter Bunting is a living link with one of Hunstanton's founding fathers, his grandfather, Estate Bailiff John Bunting.

With dry humour and a generous smile, Peter and his wife launched the Plaque Walk in style, cutting both green and gold ribbons on a sample plaque and wishing us well in front of a full house audience in the Town Hall.

Introducing Peter, Sheila Jeffreys, Chair of the Society, painted a picture of his grandfather John Bunting doing the sort of job we simply could not imagine today and whose responsibilities for the Le Strange Estate and Hunstanton were formidable.

John's responsibility was to keep the beach and foreshore in good order for the considerable length of coastline owned by the Le Strange family. This wasn't a matter of picking up debris after the season was over, but hard headed business arrangements with the community to ensure its survival in a harsh economic world.

The recent spring tide would have caused considerable damage along the coast without the benefit of modern sea defences, and it was his task to gather workforce and equipment without the benefits of mobile phones and modern transport. He had to have salt creeks cleared a Wolferton, and dealt with the sluices and drains from Snettisham to the creeks and marshes at Thornham.

He supervised the sale of shingle, sand and cliff stone from the beach and managed its labour force. He regenerated the old mussel beds off St Edmund's Point near the lighthouse, and was at the forefront of the new food fashion for eating oysters by starting the Le Strange Oyster and Mussel Fishery in 1882. He issued licences for the mussels and the taking of seaweed.

Inland, he was responsible for the sale of stakes, faggots, peasticks and fallen trees, and for the collection of rents from the rifle range, the allotments and various ground rents. He also recorded births and deaths for almost forty years.

An Estate Bailiff was always an important job, but especially hard in the new town of Hunstanton. The plaque on the house he was given by the Estate at 1 and 2 Hill Street simply records that it was his. Hunstanton has every reason to be grateful for his contribution to its success today.