Carbrooke is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. Carbrooke is located 2.1 mi east of Watton, 13 mi north-east of Thetford and 18 mi west of Norwich.

History

Carbrooke's name is of mixed Anglo-Saxon and Viking origin and derives from an amalgamation of the Old Norse word for an abundance of brambles and the Old English for a brook or stream. In the Domesday Book, Carbrooke is recorded as a settlement of 62 households in the hundred of Wayland. In 1086, the village was divided between the estates of Ralph de Tosny and John fitzRichard. Within the parish there is the site of a former commandery of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem which was founded in 1173 and was destroyed during the dissolution of the monasteries. The site is now ruined and is a scheduled monument. Part of the former RAF Watton extends into Carbrooke and there remains several bunkers dating from the Second World War which were used for the defence of the airfield.

Geography

According to the 2021 census, Carbrooke has a population of 2,684 people which shows an increase from the 2,073 people recorded in the 2011 census. The B1108 begins at Carbrooke and terminates in Ipswich.

Amenities

Millenium Green is a playing ground of over 10 acres and is run in the interest of the village by a board of Trustees. The annual, Carbrooke Village Fete is held on the green. The majority of local children attend Carbrooke Academy, a Church of England school, which was rated 'Good' by Ofsted in 2019.

St. Peter & St. Paul's Church

Carbrooke's parish church is dedicated jointly to Saint Peter and Saint Paul and dates from the Thirteenth Century. St. Peter's & St. Paul's is located beside Church Street and has been Grade I listed since 1958. Throughout the church and churchyard there are many crosses of the Knights Hospitallers which demonstrate the close links between the church and the nearby commandery. The church features Twentieth Century glass installed by James Powell and Sons. Between 1927 and 1955, the Rector of Carbrooke was Father George B. Chambers, an avowed socialist who installed numerous pieces of artwork designed by his close friends John & Katin Moray-Smith.

Notable Residents

Governance

Carbrooke is part of the electoral ward of Saham Toney 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 MP since 2010.

War Memorial

Carbrooke's war memorial is a stone cross with a further marble plaque located in the Churchyard of St. Peter and St. Paul. The memorial was installed in 1922 with further additions made in 2013, the memorial lists the following names for the First World War: And, the following for the Second World War: