Denton's name is of Anglo-Saxon origin and derives from the Old English for an enclosed farmstead or settlement in a valley.[1]
In the Domesday Book, Denton is listed as a settlement of 49 households in the hundredofEarsham. In 1086, the village was divided between the estates of King William I and Eudo, son of Spirewic.[2]
The village boundaries include the remaining earthworks of Denton Castle which was likely built in 1088 by William d'Albini and subsequently abandoned in 1254. Today, the castle is a scheduled monument and in the ownership of the National Trust.
Denton's parish church is of Norman origin and dedicated to Saint Mary. The church tower holds evidence of three major rebuilding efforts, the most notable in the Eighteenth Century in the Tudor Perpendicular Style. The stained glass dates back to the Medieval period, with some examples installed by Le Grys Manfylde in the mid-Sixteenth Century.[4]
Despite its small population, Denton has an extremely active community and even won the 2008 Pride in Norfolk Award for a village under 500 people in population. The village went on to win the 2009 Calor Village of the Year Competition.
The Parish Council fund the Village Website which aims to provide comprehensive coverage of the community and its activities.
