As North Walsham and Holt are both within a morning’s drive from Cromer, a brief notice of each may not be unacceptable;—the principal places lying on the road, or near it, have already been mentioned.

North Walsham stands on an eminence with a declivity northward to the river Ant, and is distant fifteen miles from Norwich, and nine from Cromer, and is a pleasant and handsome, though irregularly built market-town, consisting chiefly of three streets. It has a neat cross, built by Bishop Thurlby, in the reign of Edward VI., and repaired in 1600 by Bishop Redman, whose arms, with those of the see, are impaled upon it. The river Ant, which passes within a mile north of the town, is navigable to Yarmouth.

North Walsham, suffered considerably in 1381, when a body of fifty thousand insurgents, who had taken up arms in opposition to the odious poll-tax, levied by Richard II., headed by John Litester, a dyer of Norwich, were put to the rout by Bishop Spencer. They afterwards retreated to the town, where they were totally overthrown by the troops of the prelate, after the destruction of the church and other buildings, into which they had thrown themselves for security. On the Norwich road, about a mile south of the town, is a cross, erected on the heath, in commemoration of this victory. In 1600 it was nearly destroyed by an accidental fire.

The church, dedicated to St. Nicholas, was rebuilt soon after its destruction in the rebellion of 1381, and is a noble structure. It is about one hundred and fifty-six feet long, and sixty-eight broad, having a nave, chancel, and side-aisles, with a fine south porch of flint and stone, adorned with boldly sculptured ornaments, amongst which are the arms of John of Gaunt, and the Abbot of St. Bennet, at the Holm. The aisles are separated from the body by a range of elegantly formed arches, supported by light clustered columns. A great part of the massive tower of this church, which was originally one hundred and forty-seven feet high, fell down on the 16th of May, 1724; another large portion fell on April 26th, 1835, when the remaining fragments, being in a very dangerous state, were removed about four years ago.

The great east window, in which were the arms of the see, with those of Bishop Freake, in painted glass, was unfortunately destroyed by a storm, in 1809. On the north side of the chancel is a fine tomb, with the effigy of Sir Wm. Paston, Knight, who, (as was not unfrequently done in those times,) in 1607, agreed with John Key, of London, to erect and fit up his tomb, with his effigy in armour, five feet and a half long, for which he was to be paid two hundred pounds. Sir William died the following year: instances, however, are recorded of persons having seen their own effigy &c., carried away by the sacrilegious soldiers of Cromwell. This monument was partially cleaned and repaired a few years ago, but the workman being limited to twenty pounds, he cleaned only the upper part of the figure, leaving the rest untouched.The font, which is surrounded by an elegant octagonal railing, attracts much and deserved attention. The cover, which is profusely ornamented, is esteemed one of the richest of the kind in the kingdom.

The benefice is a vicarage, of which the Bishop of Norwich is the patron. It has a grammar-school, founded by Sir William Paston, in which several eminent men received their education, amongst whom were the great Lord Nelson; Watson, the author of “Anglia Sacra,” Sir Wm. Hoste, and Archbishop Tenison. The principal inn is the King’s Arms.