About Fakenham's history

Fakenham's origins lie in Saxon times and if anyone lived there any earlier then they left no evidence.

William the Conqueror kept the Manor in the hands of the Crown and after that the Lordship was given as a reward for services rendered. In 1370 it came to John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, and since that time the town has been known as Fakenham Lancaster, but the Dukedom has long since been merged with the Crown.

The Lordship still exists although all land that went with the title, except the Town Square, has been sold off into private hands since the 17th century.

There has been a weekly market in Fakenham since 1250 and the islands of buildings in the Market Place and those close by the church were probably built on the site of Market Booths.

In 1857 a cattle market was built and for some years there was a separate pig market. Fakenham has been well known down the years for its mills and at one stage there were three water mills and three windmills.

One of the major industries which the town became famed for was printing and at one point at the turn of the century the Miller's works employed 600 people.

Railways arrived in Fakenham in 1848 and there were two stations during the heyday of the trains - but they were closed in 1959 and 1969.

There is still plenty of Fakenham's history still to be seen, including the old gas works which has been restored as a Museum of Gas and Local History.