# Brisley

Brisley is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk.
Brisley is located 5.7 miles (9.2 km) north of Dereham and 19 miles (31 km) north-west of Norwich.

## History

Brisley's name is of Anglo-Saxon origin and derives from the Old English for a glade or clearing with a multitude of gadflies.
Brisley is not mentioned in the Domesday Book.
There are numerous listed buildings in Brisley including Walnut House (Seventeenth Century), Chesham House (c.1800) with an attached carriage gate and railings, Rose Cottage (Seventeenth Century), Brisley Hall (Seventeenth Century) and the Church Bungalows (Nineteenth Century).
In 1898, a Methodist Chapel was built in Brisley. Today it has been converted into a private dwelling.
In 1942, a Bristol Blenheim of No. 84 Squadron RAF crashed in the village pond after a raid on Cologne during the Operation Millenium. All three crewmembers were killed (P/O John Rappsloe, Sgt. Michael Beaufort and Sgt. Leslie Harrowell) and a small memorial was erected in their honour.

## Geography

According to the 2021 census, Brisley has a population of 296 people which shows a slight increase from the 281 people recorded in the 2011 census.
The junction between the B1145, between King's Lynn and Mundesley, and the B1146, between Fakenham and Dereham, is located in the village.
Amenities within the village include The Brisly Bell, a pub, restaurant and inn.

## St. Bartholomew's Church

Brisley's parish church is dedicated to Saint Bartholomew and is located on Church Street, it dates at its earliest from the Fifteenth Century. St. Bartholomew's was built in the perpendicular gothic style and still features ecclesiastical wall paintings of Saint Andrew and Saint Christopher. The church also boasts a set of royal arms from the reign of King George II and a stained-glass depiction of the crucifixion of Christ designed by Charles Clutterbuck. The crypt of the church was used as a holding cell for prisoners on their way to Norwich.

## Notable Residents

* Richard Taverner- (1505-1575) author and religious dissenter, born in Brisley.
* Nathaniel Pilch- (1793-1881) Norfolk Cricketer, born in Brisley.
* Fuller Pilch- (1804-1870) Norfolk and Kent Cricketer, grew-up in Brisley.
* George Englebright- (1805-1877) Norfolk Cricketer, died in Brisley.
* Edward Ash- (1842-1909) schoolmaster and Cambridge University Cricketer, born in Brisley.

## Sports

Brisley has a functioning cricket club who play home games on the village green. They have a men's and women's team as of 2022.

## Governance

Brisley is part of the electoral ward of Upper Wensum for local elections and is part of the district of Breckland.
The village's national constituency is Mid Norfolk which has been represented by the Conservative's George Freeman since 2010.

## War Memorial

Brisley's war memorial is a granite stone cross located in St. Bartholomew's Churchyard. It lists the following names for the First World War:
| Rank | Name | Unit | Date of Death | Other Commemoration / Burial |
| Sgt. | Albert J. Moore | 1st Battalion, Norfolk Regiment | 23 Apr. 1917 | Arras Memorial |
| AS | Ernest G. Howling | 2nd (Hawke) Battalion, Royal Naval Division | 3 Jun. 1918 | Niederzwehren Cemetery |
| Cpl. | John R. Claxton | 2nd Battalion, Essex Regiment | 3 May 1917 | Arras Memorial |
| Cpl. | George King | 8th Battalion, Norfolk Regiment | 1 Aug. 1917 | Menin Gate |
| Pte. | James V. Dawson | 3rd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment | 5 Nov. 1918 | St. Bartholomew's Churchyard, Brisley |
| Pte. | Elijah H. George | 11th Battalion, Essex Regiment | 26 Apr. 1918 | Brandhoek New Military Cemetery |
| Pte. | Herbert C. Basham | 10th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers | 9 Mar. 1918 | Hooge Crater Cemetery |
| Pte. | Frederick W. Moore | 2nd Battalion, Norfolk Regiment | 3 May 1916 | Kirkee War Cemetery |
| Pte. | Bertie J. Doy | 7th Battalion, Norfolk Rgt. | 18 Oct. 1916 | St. Bartholomew's Churchyard, Brisley |
| Pte. | Matthew E. Howling | 9th Battalion, Norfolk Rgt. | 15 Sep. 1916 | Thiepval Memorial |
| Pte. | Percy E. King | 9th Bn., Norfolk Rgt. | 26 Sep. 1915 | Loos Memorial |
| Pte. | Bertie R. Reeve | 9th Bn., Norfolk Rgt. | 6 Jul. 1918 | Southern Cemetery, Cologne |
| Rfn. | Charles Gould | 8th (Post Office Rifles) Battalion, London Regiment | 29 Oct. 1918 | Communal Cemetery, Tournai |
And, the following for the Second World War:
| Rank | Name | Unit | Date of Death | Other Commemoration / Burial |
| Sgt. | Geoffrey Green | No. 70 Squadron RAF | 18 Nov. 1940 | War Cemetery, Belgrade |
| A1C | Isaac T. Williamson | Royal Air Force | 2 Jun. 1943 | War Cemetery, Ambon |
| Dvr. | Ronald P. Philipo | Royal Army Service Corps | 18 Oct. 1944 | War Cemetery, Caserta |