Looking west on High Street

Image: © Evelyn Simak Taken: 23 Nov 2007

The 18th century house on the corner of New Street and High Street had a third storey added in the 19th century. The pub sign seen at top left belongs to the King's Head pub. Holt is a rural Norfolk town with a market place, and a High Street lined by interesting Georgian houses and cottages, pubs and tearooms as well as unusual shops. Many of the former court yards and tradesmen's yards have been converted into shops or accommodation. In 1066 Holt already had a market and a port (the coastal village of Cley being named in the Domesday Book as the port of Holt), five water mills and twelve plough teams. The town survived the Plague of 1348, and by 1556 a school had been opened. The school (a public school since 1900) was founded by Sir John Gresham, and is described as one of the leading schools in the country. In 1708 the town was badly damaged by a fire, which destroyed most of the houses and left the church in the isolated position it occupies today. In Victorian times, Holt had a population of around 1700 and a daily coach service to Cromer, Norwich and London; the railway arrived in 1884.

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