Crossley-Holland is also a prolific children's author
and many of his stories are influenced by East Anglian folk
tales e.g. The Pedlar of Swaffham (1971) and Black
Shuck. His work as an
Anglo-Saxon scholar has also been an influence and can
be seen in his translation of Beowulf.Crossley-Holland was one of the founders of the Wells
Poetry Festival - an annual event held in the nearby
town.
The novelist and playwright Patrick Hamilton
(1901-62) lived in the village during the 1930s while
working on The Siege of Pleasure. He had a close
association with the North Norfolk coast and also lived
at Blakeney (for a time) and
at a house called Martincross in
Sheringham. Hamilton died
of an alcohol-related illness in 1962 and his ashes were
scattered at Blakeney Flats.
Henry Sutton's novel Bank Holiday Monday
(1996) is set at Burnham Overy Mill. Sutton, who was
born at Hopton, has also used
Gorleston as a location for one of his novels.
Despite these local links, Sutton has been quoted as
saying: 'I wouldn't say I am a Norfolk writer. It's the
relationships between people and the fine details that
interest me, first, not the place itself.'
There are six Burnham villages in all: Burnham
Market, Burnham Thorpe, Burnham Norton, Burnham Deepdale,
Burnham Overy Town and Burnham Overy Staithe. Nelson was
born at Burnham Thorpe in 1758 and it is likely that he
learnt to sail in Burnham Creek. Today, houses in the
area are highly sought after by 'wealthy folk' from
London and hence why it's often known as
'Chelsea-on-Sea' or 'Burnham Upmarket'.
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