Norfolk Place-Name Rhymes
Anon.
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Caistor was a city
When Norwich was none,
And Norwich was built
Of Caistor stone. |
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Rising was a sea-port
When Lynn was but a marsh,
Now Lynn it is a sea-port
And Rising fares the worse. |
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Rising was, Lynn
is, and Downham shall be,
The greatest seaport of the three. |
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That nasty
stinking sink-hole of sin,
Which the map of the county denominates Lynn. |
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There was a young
lady of Lynn
Who was deep in original sin;
When they said, 'Do be good!'
She said, 'Would if I could!'
And straightway went at it again. |
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Gorleston was
Gorleston ere Yarmouth begun
And will be Gorleston when Yarmouth is gone. |
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When the sea comes
in at Horsey Gap
Without any previous warning,
A swan shall build its rushy nest
On the roof of the Swan at Horning.
And a bald headed crow, contented and merry,
Shall feast on the corpses that float by the ferry. |
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Gimingham, Trimingham, Knapton, Trunch,
Northrepps, Southrepps, lie all in a bunch. |
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When Keswick
Church becomes a barn
Bromholm Abbey will be a farm. |
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He who would Old
England win,
Must at Weybourne Hope begin. |
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Cromer crabs,
Runton dabs,
Beeston babies, Sheringham ladies,
Weybourne witches, Salthouse ditches. |
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The Blakeney
people
Stand on the steeple,
And crack hazel-nuts
With a five-farthing beetle. |
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Blakeney bulldogs,
Morston dodmen,
Binham bulls,
Stiffkey trolls,
Wells bitefingers. |
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London, Bristol
and Coventree,
And the seven Burnhams by the sea. |
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Pakefield for Poverty
Lowestoft for Poor,
Gorleston for Pretty Girls
Yarmouth for Whores,
Caister for Water Dogs
California for Pluck:
Beggar old Winterton -
How Black she do look! |
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Halvergate hares
and Reedham rats,
Southwood swine and Cantley cats,
Acle asses, Moulton mules,
Beighton bears and Freethorpe fools. |
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Blickling flats,
Aylsham fliers,
Marsham peewits, and Hevingham liars. |
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Denton in the dale
and Arborough in the dirt,
And if you go to Homersfield, your purse will get a
squirt. |
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Blickling two
monarchs and two queens has seen.
One king fetched thence, another brought a queen. |
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Were I in my
castle
Upon the River Waveney,
I wouldne give a button
For the King of Cockney.(Hugh the Bold 1173) |
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The man in the
moon
Got up to soon
To ask the way to Norwich.
The man in the south
He burned his mouth
With eating cold plum porridge. |
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Norfolk Poems |