Castle Rising, Norfolk

Castle Rising is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It is best known as the location of Castle Rising Castle, which dominates the village. The village is situated some 8km north-east of the town of King's Lynn and 60km west of the city of Norwich. The River Babingley skirts the north of the village separating Castle Rising from the site of the lost village of Babingley.DescriptionThe civil parish has an area of 8.65km2 and in the 2001 census had a population of 225 in 110 households, the population reducing to 216 at the 2011 Census. For the purposes of local government, the parish falls within the district of King's Lynn and West Norfolk. It lies within the parliamentary constituency of Norfolk North West, whose Member of Parliament is Henry Bellingham of the Conservative Party.The village is a conservation area. It includes a fine example of Norman architecture in the church, built in the local and very distinctive local carrstone and flint. The village was once on the main road to the North Norfolk coast but since the King's Lynn bypass was constructed it has become a quiet, tranquil village. There is one public house in village (at the time of writing in 2016) called The Black Horse Inn, the public telephone box, of the famous red Gilbert Scott design, has become a book lending library. Regular historic reenactments take place at the castle as do Jazz Picnics, which raise money for charity.