Roydon

Roydon means 'rye hill' in Old English. It is mentioned in 1035 as Rygedune, and as Regadona and Regheduna in the Domesday Book, and later in 1242 as Reydon. However, there was settlement in the area long before with worked flint having been found in the area from the Paleolithic and Neolithic periods. In 1603 there were 124 communicants, and in 1736 there were 60 families, totalling 240 souls. In 1736 it was assessed for tax at 630 and a half pounds. The Roydon Riots were sparked in 1893 by the decision of the Lord of the Manor, John Tudor Frere, to fence off the last remaining sections of common land in the parish, including at Brewers Green. While several offenders were convicted of…

The church, St Remigius, is one of 124 existing round-tower churches in Norfolk and the oldest building in the village. The structure dates mostly from the 12-14th centuries although the interior is mostly Victorian. There is a 15th century font and a 17th century pulpit. The dedication day was kept on the first of October, being the day of his translation.. In the 18th century the Hall was home to the pioneering antiquary and archaeologist John Frere. Roydon's current village hall, on the High Road, was built in 1988 on the site of a previous building. The exterior wall hosts a relief carving relocated from Aldrich Brothers brush factory, in Factory Lane, which was demolished in 1972. The…

Roydon Fen is a 49-acre wetland nature reserve to the south of the parish, managed by Suffolk Wildlife Trust. Flint tools dating back 10,000 years were found on the site, which was once cut by villagers for sedge and peat. Brewers Green is a County Wildlife Site managed by volunteers with the help of Norfolk Wildlife Trust and features grassland, a small wood and several ponds. Quaker Wood on Factory Lane is a 5.5 acre open space managed by Diss Community Woodland Project. It was established in 2010 and features mostly young woodland, a pond, meadow and paths.