Oxnead
Oxnead is a small village which lies on the
River Bure - approximately
4 miles south-east of Aylsham.
The name derives from the Old English for pasture for
oxen.
Oxnead Hall was one of the homes of the
Paston
family. However, by 1732 this once great Norfolk family
had declined and William Paston, Second earl of
Yarmouth, was forced to sell the hall and estate to pay
off debts. Among the effects left in the house were a
great many letters relating to the family's affairs -
dating back to the 15th Century. Fortunately these
letters found their way into the hands of the Norfolk
historian Francis Blomefield.
Most of the Paston Letters centre around Margaret
Paston - either as writer or recipient - and provide a
fascinating insight into the War of the Roses period.
Many of the letters were written at
Caister Castle which
the family inherited (via a contested will) from Sir
John Fastolf. Like Parson Woodforde's diary, the letters
were not written with literary fame in mind - but purely
to pass information and record daily events. Agnes
Paston - who lived in the hall - was also one of the
family letter writers.
Today only one wing of the original red-brick Tudor
hall remains. However, a new hall has been built around
this section and it is now the home of the photographer
John Hedgecoe.
The church at Oxnead contains a number of memorials
to members of the Paston family.
The poet Michael Rivière (1919-1997) wrote a
moving poem entitled On Lady Katherine Paston's Tomb
at Oxnead in which he contemplated the demise of
both Oxnead Hall and the Paston family.
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