# East Runton

East Runton is a village in the civil parish of Runton in the English county of Norfolk.
East Runton is located 1.3 miles (2.1 km) west of Cromer and 21.7 miles (34.9 km) north of Norwich. The village lies on the A149 coast road but most of the dwellings can be found just south of the road, nestled around the two village greens.

## History

East Runton's name is of Anglo-Saxon origin and derives from the Old English for Runa's or Runi's settlement.
In the Domesday Book, East Runton is listed alongside West Runton as a settlement of 24 households in the hundred of North Erpingham. In 1086, the village was divided between the East Anglian estates of Roger Bigod and William d'Ecouis.
East Runton Windmill was first recorded in 1826 and was in operation until the machinery was removed in 1949, with the mill later being converted into a private residence.

## Geography

East Runton's population statistics are shared with that of West Runton. According to the 2021 census, Runton has a population of 1,524 people which shows a decrease from the 1,667 people recorded in the 2011 census.
East Runton sits on the A149, between King's Lynn and Great Yarmouth.

## Public houses

There are two public houses in East Runton: the Fishing Boat and the White Horse Inn. The Fishing Boat is the older of the inns, and is on the tithe map of 1840, although it was simply called the ‘Boat Inn’ then. In 1734 it is recorded that a court was held at the inn and it was then called the ‘Three Horse Shoes’. The White Horse Inn is first recorded in 1851. There is also a social club in the village which is known as ‘Bernies’ Corner House in Beach Road which in years prior was an amusement arcade but this changed to current usage in around 1987. Bernie's was named after Bernie Parkin whose father Reginald (Snr) originally had bought the place and had run it as an amusement arcade. Next door is a fish and chip shop. This was run for some time (especially during the 1980s) by John Parkin (Bernie's brother).

## Story of James Leak

James Leak was a resident of East Runton around the early part of the 19th century. Leak was the local blacksmith and renowned Bare-Knuckle prize fighter. He lived in one of six thatched cottages that once stood on the cliff top near Runton gap. His blacksmith's forge was at East Runton. In 1827 Leak had a big problem. The story goes that he had developed a gangrenous toe and was in fear of it spreading and causing his death. In his desperation, Leak came up with his own solution to his problem. He went to his forge in East Runton, rested his foot on his anvil and with one mighty blow removed the infected toe with a hammer and chisel. He then cauterized the stump with a red hot poker from out of his forge. This desperate surgery had been as a consequence of Leak being unable to afford surgeon's fees. He made a full recovery and his home surgery seems to have had little effect on the man as he continued his prize-fighting and lived to the age of 82.

## Surfing

The beach at East Runton is popular with the surfing fraternity. Located on a cliff-top, the Surfers' Memorial was unveiled in 2003. The weather vane is topped with a figure depicting a surfer. At the base of the memorial a plaque commemorating the lives of four young surfers is inscribed with the words Waves come & go my friends but your lights shine on .

## Governance

East Runton is part of the electoral ward of Beeston Regis & The Runtons for local elections and is part of the district of North Norfolk.
The village's national constituency is North Norfolk, which has been represented by the Liberal Democrat Steff Aquarone MP since 2024.

## War Memorial

East and West Runton War Memorial is a flint memorial with marble plaques located close to the Church of the Holy Trinity in West Runton. The funds for the memorial were raised between 1919 and 1921 with the memorial being erected by the Sheringham-based stonemason, H. Palmer. The memorial was unveiled in 1921 and re-furbished in 1951. The memorial lists the following names of residents from East Runton:
| Rank | Name | Unit | Date of Death | Burial/Commemoration |
| 2Lt. | George H. Clarke | 3rd Bn., Norfolk Regiment | 21 Apr. 1918 | Tannay Cemetery |
| Sgt. | Frank W. Bird | 1/5th Bn., Norfolk Regiment | 19 Apr.1917 | Jerusalem Memorial |
| Sgt. | Archibald Hastings | 1/5th Bn., Norfolk Regt. | 19 Apr. 1917 | Jerusalem Memorial |
| Sgt. | Timothy Gibbons MM | 8th Bn., Norfolk Regt. | 19 Jul. 1916 | Thiepval Memorial |
| LCpl. | Leslie C. Fisher | 11th Bn., Royal Sussex Regiment | 21 Oct. 1916 | Mill Road Cemetery |
| Pte. | James W. Dennis | 8th Coy., Army Service Corps | 21 Feb. 1919 | Abbeville Cemetery |
| Pte. | Robert L. Cooper | 1st Bn., Bedfordshire Regiment | 20 Jul. 1918 | Ploegsteert Memorial |
| Pte. | Arthur W. Hancock | 2nd Bn., Bedfordshire Regt. | 30 Jun. 1918 | Pozieres Memorial |
| Pte. | John Field | 16th (Canadian Scottish) Bn., CEF | 2 Sep. 1918 | Dominion Cemetery |
| Pte. | Fred Line | 20th Bn., Durham Light Infantry | 4 Sep. 1918 | Tyne Cot |
| Pte. | George T. Crask | 2nd Bn., Royal Fusiliers | 28 Feb. 1917 | Thiepval Memorial |
| Pte. | Horace Creasey | 1st Bn., Norfolk Regiment | 28 Oct. 1917 | Tyne Cot |
| Pte. | James W. Todd | 2nd Bn., Norfolk Regt. | 8 Apr. 1917 | Basra War Memorial |
| Pte. | Frederick W. Brown | 1/5th Bn., Norfolk Regt. | 19 Apr. 1917 | Gaza War Cemetery |
| Pte. | Robert Lines | 1/5th Bn., Norfolk Regt. | 21 Aug. 1915 | Helles Memorial |
| Pte. | M. Robert Abbs | 8th Bn., Norfolk Regt. | 11 Aug. 1917 | The Huts Cemetery |
| Pte. | Ernest W. Baker | 8th Bn., Norfolk Regt. | 2 Jul. 1916 | Daours Cemetery |
| Pte. | Gordon L. Porritt | 8th Bn., Norfolk Regt. | 19 May 1917 | Arras Memorial |
| Pte. | George C. Hurrell | 1st Bn., Northamptonshire Regiment | 20 Jul. 1916 | Thiepval Memorial |
| Pte. | Arthur W. Craske | 14th Bn., Northumberland Fusiliers | 23 Oct. 1917 | Lijssenthoek Cemetery |
| Pte. | William H. Williams | 1st Bn., Queen's Royal Regiment | 31 Oct. 1914 | Menin Gate |
| Pte. | William F. Balls | 9th Bn., West Yorkshire Regiment | 9 Oct. 1917 | Cement House Cemetery |
| Pte. | Fredrick Fisher | 1/7th Bn., Worcestershire Regiment | 31 Oct. 1918 | Barenthal Cemetery |
| By1C | Sydney G. Abbs | HMS Natal | 30 Dec. 1915 | Chatham Naval Memorial |
In 1951, the following names of soldiers from East Runton who died during the Second World War were added:
| Rank | Name | Unit | Date of Death | Burial/Commemoration |
| Col. | Edward K. Steward | Command, Royal Corps of Signals | 24 Jul. 1945 | Taukkyan War Cemetery |
| Sgn. Lt. | Geoffrey S. Cross | HMS Anking | 21 Mar. 1942 | Plymouth Naval Memorial |
| FSgt. | Ronald J. Lusher | No. 221 Squadron RAF | 6 Dec. 1942 | Alamein Memorial |
| AS | Reginald J. Gray | HMS Hasty | 15 Jun. 1942 | Chatham Naval Memorial |
| LCpl. | James R. Lake | Royal Army Service Corps | 14 Jul. 1942 | Asmara War Cemetery |
| A2C | Lawrence H. Trumay | No. 209 Squadron RAF | 20 Feb. 1940 | Runnymede Memorial |
| Pte. | Douglas A. Shales | Royal Army Ordnance Corps | 13 Feb. 1942 | Kranji War Memorial |
| Pte. | Frank R. Gray | 2nd Bn., Royal Norfolk Regiment | 27 May 1940 | Le Paradis Cemetery |
| Pte. | Arthur E. Barker | 5th Bn., Royal Norfolk Regt. | 21 Sep. 1944 | Kranji War Memorial |
| Spr. | Kenneth A. Balls | 6 MC Group, Royal Engineers | 17 Jun. 1940 | Dunkirk Memorial |
The memorial also lists the name of a 12 year old girl, Doris Emma King, who was killed on a bombing raid on Cromer on 17 November 1940.