Briston

Briston is a village and a civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The village is 11 mi east north east of the town of Fakenham, 13.3 mi west south west of Cromer, 20.3 mi north north west of the city of Norwich, and 125 mi north north east of London. The nearest railway station is at Sheringham for the Bittern Line which runs between Sheringham, Cromer and Norwich. The nearest airport is Norwich International Airport. The civil parish had in 2001 census, a population of 2,021. For the purposes of local government, the parish falls within the district of North Norfolk. The village is situated on the route of the B1354 that runs between the A148 at Thursford and the B1149 at Saxthorpe.

History
The name Briston derives from Brurstuna, the settlement on the River Bure. Briston has an entry in the Domesday Book of 1085. In the great book Briston is recorded by the name Brurstuna. The main landholder was William de Warenne who owned 60 acre of land from which had been previously the property of Toke, a Saxon Thegn who had been evicted after the defeat of the King Harold at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. This land was farmed by three Free Men or Socman and a further 280 acre was farmed by fourteen bordars. There was a pannage or woodland for 20 pigs which was valued at 16 shillings.

Village amenities
Within the village there is a bakery, butcher's shop, fishmonger, a grocer's and minimarket with Post Office. There are two garages, one in the village itself, and one on the outskirts of neighbouring Melton Constable; this one has petrol sales too. The Astley Primary school caters for younger children; older children go to High Schools at Reepham or Fakenham. There is a community centre that hosts a Youth Club. For sport the village has a playing field with tennis courts, football pitches and a skate park, a bowling green and a playground for the children of the village. There are two public houses in the village. On the outskirts of the village is the Three Horseshoes, a 16th-century inn with open log fire and oak beams. In the centre of the village is the recently closed Green Man pub, which has now re-opened as the Explorers Bar and Coffee House. Nearby is the Copeman Centre, the former primary school, but for many years now the Village Hall. The local playschool meets here, as does the local dramatic group, the Briston Players; there are also regular shows of popular live keyboard and organ music. Also in the village is a lively Day Care Centre for local senior residents which meets two days a week, and provides good company, lunches, entertainment, and trips out in their minibus.

All Saints' parish church
The parish church of All Saints is unusual in that there is no church tower. It originally had a round tower but this collapsed in 1785 and was never re-built. In the towers place was built a bell-cote consisting of two plain brick pillars. The churches east window is decorated in a 14th-century style and the chancel screen was erected in memory of a former rector of the church the Reverend Charles Norris and dates from 1875. The church has a strange curiosity, a metal cello which was made by the village blacksmith in 1700, which is kept in a glass case at the back of the church. Mr Clithero, the blacksmith would play the instrument for many years in the church.