Place:Houghton on the Hill, Norfolk, England

source: Family History Library Catalog

the following text is based on an article in Wikipedia

Houghton on the Hill is a deserted medieval village in the Breckland District of Norfolk, England. The only surviving buildings are a farm and St. Mary's church which was recently rescued after being left in a ruinous state. During the restoration some very old wall paintings dating from about the time of the Norman Conquest were discovered; these are the earliest known large system wall paintings in the country.

The village is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 as being owned by Reynold, son of Ivo. A man called Herlwin held land in Houghton from Reynold. The present nave of the church was built at this time, and the paintings inside date from this period.

Francis White's History, Gazetteer and Directory of Norfolk, 1854, states that the parish consisted of 10 houses, with 50 residents and 600 acres of land. During World War I the church was damaged when a Zeppelin dropped a bomb into the churchyard. The last derelict cottages were demolished in the 1990s.

For more information, see the EN Wikipedia article Houghton on the Hill, Norfolk. Includes a photgraph of the wall painting.

A Vision of Britain through Time provides the following description of Houghton-on-the-Hill prior to the desertion of the settlement from John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales of 1870-72:

"HOUGHTON-ON-THE-HILL, a parish in Swaffham [registration] district, Norfolk; on the river Wissey, 4¾ miles SE of Swaffham [railway] station. Post town: Swaffham. Acres: 601. Real property: £1,001. Population: 49. Houses: 10. The manor belongs to E. A. Applewaite, Esq. The living is a rectory, annexed to the rectory of North Pickenham, in the diocese of Norwich. The church consists of nave and chancel, with a tower."

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