Bunwell
Bunwell Church
Bunwell Location within Norfolk
Area	10.11 km2 (3.90 sq mi)
Population	1,024 (2011 Census)[1]
• Density	101/km2 (260/sq mi)
OS grid reference	TM117938
District	South Norfolk
Shire county	Norfolk
Region	East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	NORWICH
Postcode district	NR16
Dialling code	01953
Police	Norfolk
Fire	Norfolk
Ambulance	East of England
List of places UK England Norfolk 52°30′04″N 1°07′03″E / 52.50099°N 1.11754°E / 52.50099; 1.11754

Bunwell is a parish (population 1024) situated in the county of Norfolk, England, approximately 7 miles south-east of Attleborough. The parish includes the hamlets of Bunwell Hill, Bunwell Street, Great Green, Little Green and Low Common.

Heritage

Bunwell's name derives from the Old English for a stream with an abundance of reeds.^[2]

Bunwell does not have an entry for the Domesday Book.

Governance

An electoral ward in the same name exists. This ward stretches south to Tibenham with a total population taken at the 2011 census of 2,737.^[3]

St. Michael's Church

Bunwell's Parish Church is of Norman origin and is dedicated to Saint Michael. The great east window dates back to Easter of 1914.^[4]

Places of interest

Bunwell Primary School & Nursery is part of the Co-operative Education East Multi-Academy Trust and was rated as 'Good' by Ofsted in 2019.^[5]

Sport and recreation

Bunwell Athletic Football Club play home games at the Bunwell Recreation Ground and compete in the Norwich and District Sunday League.^[6] The operations of the club were put in jeopardy in 2016 after an arson attack, yet the club was able to continue due to support from the local community and Norfolk FA.^[7]

A greyhound racing track was opened on the meadow just off the Turnpike road where hare coursing used to take place . The racing was independent and not affiliated to the National Greyhound Racing Club. Racing took place from 1935 to 1940 but the site closed during Second World War.^[8]

War Memorial

Bunwell's War Memorial takes the form of two wooden plaques located inside St. Michael's Church. It lists the following names for the First World War:

• Company-Sergeant-Major Frederick W. Barker MC (1872-1916), 9th Battalion, Royal Norfolk Regiment
• Lance-Corporal Frederick J. W. Line (d.1915), 5th Battalion, Essex Regiment
• Lance-Corporal Harry Revell (d.1917), 7th Battalion, Royal Norfolk Regiment
• Gunner Alec Gooch (1893-1917), 70th (Siege) Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery
• Private William Churchill (d.1918), 5th Battalion, Dorsetshire Regiment
• Private Alec Stimpson (1894-1917), 7th Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers
• Private Charles Breeze (1894-1916), 1st Battalion, King's Regiment (Liverpool)
• Private Benjamin N. Ager (1887-1917), 22nd Battalion, Manchester Regiment
• Jack Bush
• Wilfred Chapman
• John Clarke
• Edward Dixon
• Henry Kent
• William Kleburgh
• Albert Pearce
• Bert Sale
• Jack Smith
• Reggie Smith
• Arthur Ward

And, the following for the Second World War:

• Flight-Lieutenant Hubert B. Kelly (1913-1944), No. 254 Squadron RAF
• Warrant-Officer Burney E. R. Whitehouse (d.1944), No. 7 Squadron RAF
• Leading-Aircraftman Anthony W. Turner (1922-1944), Royal Air Force
• Sergeant William J. Randall (1920-1943), No. 428 Squadron RCAF
• Sergeant Roy C. Neilson (1925-1944), 2nd Wing, Glider Pilot Regiment
• Driver William G. Parry (1914-1944), 239th (General Transport) Company, Royal Army Service Corps
• Gunner Leonard E. Potter (1921-1944), 98th (Surrey and Sussex Yeomanry) Field Regiment
• Private Robert E. Rush (1909-1944), 2nd Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment

Notable residents

Several members of 'Mona Mcnee's Love Children' (a local band) were born in the village.