Wramplingham

Wramplingham lies on the River Tiffey four miles north of Wymondham. The mill at Wramplingham was demolished in 1945 - but the village sign stands in the old mill pool.

Wramplingham Church

Bill Bryson, the celebrated travel writer and humorist, lived in an old rectory in the village. He is the author of many books including Notes from a Small Island (1995) and A Short History of Nearly Everything (2003). His book At Home (2010) was actually inspired by his rectory after he discovered a secret door in the attic. The book charts the history of ordinary home life - touching on subjects such as food hygiene, furniture and the history of cooking. The rectory, which is screened by trees, stands on a hill above the village next to St Peter and St Paul's church.

Bill Bryson

Bryson settled in England in 1977 and in 2007 he was appointed president of the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE). He is currently engaged in the organisation's work to prevent littering: 'Stop the Drop!'

Notes from a Small Island, which was written shortly before his return to the USA, is probably his most famous work. Prior to writing it - he had spent 20 years in the country and had married an English nurse called Cynthia Billen. In the book, he manages to capture many of the essential features of the English character - particularly our resilience in the face of World Wars, economic depressions and the weather. The book has been adapted for both radio and television.

Bryson's tone is often humorous but his work is, nevertheless, full of insight. Talking about his return to the USA he had this to say: 'I had recently read that 3.7 million Americans according to a Gallup poll, believed that they had been abducted by aliens at one time or another, so it was clear that my people needed me.'

In his memoir Earlham Percy Lubbock delights in the mellifluous sound of various Norfolk village names and is particularly pleased with Wramplingham. Lubbock grew up at Earlham Hall on the outskirts of Norwich.