Through Time: Wymondham & District Through Time (Paperback)

The Norfolk market town of Wymondham has a fascinating history. The abbey church with its two towers visible for miles around the surrounding countryside was originally founded by the Normans as a priory. Growing in wealth and influence over the ensuing centuries as the area grew in prosperity through the wool trade to become one of the most densely populated areas of England at the time, the priory was granted abbey status in the 15th century. Its wealth and power, though, brought it into conflict with the local townsfolk, with the church divided into two parts for the monastery and at the Reformation the monastery part of the church was gradually demolished and the stonework re-used in the town. The medieval town that grew up alongside the abbey encountered disaster at the Great Fire of 1615 when large areas of the town were destroyed but the town and its prominent market cross were rebuilt in the ensuing years. The town’s fortunes took a downward turn in the 19th century with the collapse of the wool industry but in the last 100 years the town has grown markedly with new industries moving into the town and the surrounding villages.In spite of the many changes that have occurred in Wymondham the town has retained its identity and much of its historical buildings. This fascinating selection of old and new images of Wymondham and its surrounding villages will be essential reading for all those who know the town and the area.