Tottington

Name: Tottington
Reason for desertion: Military Training
Period of desertion: 1940s
Extant: St Andrew Church, village buildings

Tottington has an entry in the Domesday Book of 1085. In the great book Tottington is recorded by the name of totintune. The main land holder being Ralph FitzHelwin. The survey also states there are fifteen mares.

St Andrew Church, Tottington

During the Second World War, the village was taken over by the British Army when it was incorporated into the Stanford Battle Area. The military ranges were needed to prepare Allied infantry for Operation Overlord, (the Battle of Normandy in 1944). Villagers were said to be happy to give up their homes to help the British War effort. It was reported that at the public meeting when the evacuation was announced there was cheering.

However at the close of World War II, former villagers were never allowed to return to their homes by the War Office. This was because most of the inhabitants of Tottingham were not landowners. Most of the residences were tied cottages belonging to Walsingham estate. Few of the houses had running water and none of the properties had electricity.

Since evacuation, the village and its parish remain within the MoD’s Thetford infantry training area. Access is not allowed without special permission.

The church is situated at the northern end of the village. Today the roof of the church is clad in blast proof sheeting which was installed to protect the structure of the church. The original pantiles are stored inside the church ready to be restored if the village is given back to the public. The outside of the church is surrounded by wire fencing to protect the church from the military manoeuvres .

In October 2009 a World War II veteran, who had been born in the village, was buried in St Andrew’s churchyard after permission for the interment was given by the MoD. It was the first burial in the graveyard for more than 50 years.

A note on the Stanford Battle Area


Stanford Battle Area, also known as the Stanford Training Area (STANTA), is a British Army infantry training area situated in the English county of Norfolk. The area is approximately 30,000 acres (120 km2) in size, and is situated some 7 miles (11 km) north of the town of Thetford and 25 miles (40 km) south-west of the city of Norwich.

The area was originally established in 1942 when a battle training area was required. Military exercises were already known in the area; tanks had trained at Thetford in the First World War. The complete takeover involved the evacuation of the villages of Buckenham Tofts, Langford, Stanford, Sturston, Tottington and West Tofts.

The area was used during the run-up to the D-Day invasion and since then has hosted many exercises. A regular visitor is 16 Air Assault Brigade who hold their annual Gryphon exercises there..

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