It is on a Roman road that ran east–west between Durobrivae near modern Peterborough and Smallburgh, crossing the Fen Causeway.

Baldhere is an Anglo-Saxon man's name, composed of Old English elements meaning "bold, strong" and "army", and may date back before the 7th century.

In his An Essay towards a Topographical History of the County of Norfolk: volume 8, historian, social and landscape geographer Francis Blomefield considers the meaning of balder could be quick running water and ascribes the same meaning to Boldre, Hampshire and Baldersdale, North Yorkshire.

Bawdeswell is sited on a Roman road that ran from Durobrivae near modern Peterborough, across the Fen Causeway to Denver, followed Fincham Drove and crossed Peddars Way between Castle Acre and Swaffham, thence towards North Elmham and Billingford, to Bawdeswell and Jordans Green, and on to Smallburgh.

It was a major east–west route and possibly continued via the large Roman settlement at Brampton to Caister or an important port since eroded by the sea.

Some Neolithic and Anglo Saxon artefacts found in Bawdeswell are listed by Norfolk Museums and Archaeology Service.

Alfheah and Godric held Bawdeswell ffom Count Alan, with thirteen freemen, three and a half ploughs, meadow, woodland and ten pigs recorded.

[5] The buildings of the tollhouse and of the four original public houses are now residential dwellings within the conservation area of the village.

The tollhouse was built in about 1823 and by the 21st century was semi-derelict but in 2002 work commenced to restore and extend it as a residential dwelling now known as Tollgate Cottage.

Both crew members were killed and there is a memorial plaque in the church made from aircraft parts by John Ames (PCC Secretary 1972–1980 and Churchwarden 1980–1994).

[9] which includes Billingford, Bintree, Foulsham, Foxley, Guestwick, Guist, North Elmham, Stibbard, Themelthorpe, Twyford, Wood Norton and Worthing.

Firefighters from the Dereham Fire Brigade and the American contingent at RAF Attlebridge eventually brought the blaze under control after four hours.

Elizabeth Fry, the famous prison reformer, was born a Gurney, and the portrait from which the image previously on the reverse of the £5 note was taken hangs on the main staircase in the hall.

The building was no longer required when the new Gressenhall workhouse was built in 1835 to serve all the parishes in the new Mitford and Launditch Union.

[15] Bawdeswell Recreation Grounds includes a football pitch, a basketball/short tennis court and a play area which was rebuilt in 2010.

[citation needed] Bawdeswell Heath is all that remains of a huge area of common land following the inclosure acts in the late 18th and early to mid-19th centuries.

It is held in trust by the Parish Council and has recently been transformed from a muddy overgrown pond to a well-managed wildlife conservation area.

[citation needed] A free school for twelve boys from Bawdeswell and eight from Foxley was endowed by John Leeds esq.

[24] Parish Council policy has been to resist attempts to make Bawdeswell an LSC (Local Service Centre) and to opt for minor development only within the existing development boundary and to accept two small sites to be included in a minor adjustment of the settlement boundary.

Breckland Council's Core Strategy which does not list Bawdeswell as an LSC or for any significant development has been broadly accepted by The Planning Inspectorate in their report.

The Breckland LDF Task & Finish Group examined ten site specific submissions for the village and rejected all of them.

Norwich International Airport is 13 miles (21 km) by road from Bawdeswell and can be reached in about 25 minutes by car.

Westminster – The village is part of the Mid Norfolk Parliamentary Constituency, the Member of Parliament being George Freeman (politician) (Conservative).

Norfolk County Council – Bawdeswell is in the Elmham and Mattishall Division and the councillor is Bill Borrett (Conservative).