Hethel

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All Saints Church, Hethel

Hethel is a small village in Norfolk, England. It is located near the historic market town of Wymondham, and is approximately 10 miles (16 km) south of the city of Norwich.

According to the 2001 census, the Bracon Ash and Hethel parish^[1] covered an area of 9.84 square kilometres and had a population of 446 people within 171 households.

The village gave its name to the former RAF Hethel airbase, which has been the location of the Head Office and factory of Lotus Cars^[2] since the 1960s. The Lotus Cars test track uses sections of the old RAF Hethel runway.

Hethel is noted for containing the oldest known living hawthorn tree^[3] in East Anglia and possibly in the United Kingdom (reputed to be more than 700 years old). Planted in the 13th century, "Hethel Old Thorn" (a specimen of Common Hawthorn, Crataegus monogyna)^[1][2] is located in the village churchyard, which is classified as the smallest reserve under the care of the British Wildlife Trusts partnership.^[3].

Hethel Thorn is not situated in the Churchyard at all. Information such as this is galling when someone hunts the Churchyard to no avail. To find Hethel Thorn you must pass the Churchyard, on your right, then park in the designated area. Opposite the parking bay there is a large wooden gate and beyond this a pathway. Along this path you will find a stile on your left giving access into a meadow in which stands the site you are seeking. Follow these directions to your goal. This information provided by Bryan Tungate, Mulbarton, Norfolk

All Saints Church ^[4] displays an unusual juxtaposition of styles, from its square Saxon tower to the red-brick east end which includes the 18th-century Branthwaite family chapel on the north side of the chancel.