The History of Wymondham

Wymondham is a town full of history, with many notable residents and events. The name of the town itself is thought to be originated from the Anglo-Saxons, consisting of a personal name, either Wigmund or Wimund, and the word 'ham' meaning a settlement.

Markets

The first market charter granted to the town was given by King John in 1204. However, it's thought that there was a market held before this. The charter was renewed in 1440, and the market has run weekly to this day. Famously, Wymondham was the first town of Norfolk to hold a farmer's market, starting more recently in 2000.

The Market Place was home to a market cross since the Middle Ages. However, the Great Fire of Wymondham in 1615 destroyed the original cross. A new one was built in 1617-18 and still stands today, owned by the Town Council. The cross now holds information for tourists and visitors to the town.

Unrest In Wymondham

One of the most famous residents of Wymondham, Robert Kett, led a rebellion of peasants and farmers in 1549 about the enclosure of common land. The City of Norwich was held for six weeks until they were defeated, and Kett was hanged from Norwich Castle. Despite Kett's death there was still agitation under the surface, and many of the residents emigrated to Hingham, Massachusetts in the 17th century.

In 1785, a prison was built in the local area using ideas of the prison reformer, John Howard. This was the first prison to be built in the country that had separate cells for prisoners, and set the precedent for many prisons both in the United Kingdom and United States.

The woollen industry collapsed in the mid 1800s, leading to much poverty in Wymondham. The amount of hand looms in the town had reduced from 600 to just 60 in the nine years from 1836.

The Great Fire of 1615

The famous fire of Wymondham started on Sunday 11 June 1615. There appear to have been two separate fires, affecting the Market Place as well as the area by Vicar Street and Middleton Street. In total the fire, started by a local resident and three Gypsies, destroyed around 300 properties including notable structures such as the market cross, town hall, vicarage and more. Some older buildings do remain in Wymondham that date back as far as the 15th century.

The houses that were destroyed were rebuilt after the Great Fire, and the town remains largely unchanged from the way it would have looked in the mid-17th century.