Long Stratton

[5] One of the ancient parishes that make up the modern town of Long Stratton was served by St Michael's church, whose rector from 1779 to 1823, Francis Wickham Swanton, was an Oxford contemporary of the celebrated Parson James Woodforde.

[8] Between 1330 and 1340 GMT on 14 December 1989 a tornado caused damage along a track of at least 5 km in length by 100 metres in width through the south Norfolk villages of North Moulton, Wacton and Long Stratton.

[citation needed] According to the 2001 United Kingdom Census, Long Stratton CP was home to 3,701 people, who resided in a total of 1,598 dwellings.

The statistics further confirm that Long Stratton is used as a commuter town, with the average employed person travelling 17.25 miles to their place of work.

[13] There was considerable opposition to the bypass on either side of the A140, by residents of the village of Tharston to the west, and those of the hamlet of Wood Green Common to the east.

Subsequent changes to the way in which local road building projects are prioritised and funded have led to a decision to suspend construction of the bypass until 2016 at the earliest, despite Norfolk County Council already having spent over £1m on site preparation and legal fees.

This led local resident Jason Bunn to establish an online petition on the Prime Minister's website calling for the funding to be made available immediately.

Local MP Richard Bacon also joined in the campaign, lobbying Transport Secretary Alistair Darling and Roads Minister Stephen Ladyman for a change in the decision.

In 2023, permission was granted for a 2.5-mile (4.0 km) single carriageway bypass around the east of the town, as part of a project to build 1,800 new homes and a primary school.

St Mary's Church
The Sexton's Wheel in St Mary's Church
The Co-op supermarket on The Street
The Ice House, Long Stratton