North Walsham Guide

Notable people connected with North Walsham

Admiral Lord Nelson
Attended Paston Grammar School, North Walsham. (1768 -1771) with his brother William. William stayed for a further three years after his brother left.

Agatha Christie
During the 1930s, author Agatha Christie used to spend her summer holidays at the The Shrubs in North Walsham (now the Beechwood Hotel). The house was owned by two doctors (the McLeods) whom Agatha had met on her travels in Mesopotamia.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
He used the North Walsham town name in two of his books. The Adventure of the Dancing Men and The Return of Sherlock Holmes.

Arch Bishop Tenison
Scholar at Paston Grammar School, who crowned Queen Anne & George I.

Angie Clague
Former North Walsham school girl is now Heart FMs newsreader on the breakfast show with Rob & Chrissie.

Edward Wooll Q.C & O.B.E
Edward Wooll was a Q.C for 40 years and Recorder of Carlisle for 25 years. He and his family grew up in North Walsham and owned Brunswick House.

Nigel Wooll
Son of Edward Wooll. Nigel Wooll spent most of his childhood at Brunswick house. Hi is now a film producer producing American studio films.

Stephen Fry
Attended Paston Grammar School, North Walsham.

Cassie Jackman (Cassandra Jackman) MBE
Winner of 20 WISPA Tour titles held the Number One World Ranking throughout much of 2000. Attended North Walsham High School.  Cassandra Jackman was recognised in the Queen's birthday honours list in 2004 with Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to squash.

Neil Storey
Highly regarded historian and prolific author of many historical books on North Walsham and Norfolk. Books include 'North Walsham And District In Old Photographs', 'North Walsham And District In Old Photographs: A Second Selection' and 'North Walsham Past and Present'.

Roger Bean
Represented Great Britain in the Biathlon from 1966 to 1968, including the 1968 Winter Olympic Games at Grenoble, France. Also represented Great Britain at road running 1976 and Norfolk Senior Men X/Country champion 1976/77. Attended North Walsham Sec Mod School 1956-1960.


The Norfolk Royal Apple
The excellent 'Norfolk Royal' Apple is a sweet, old-fashioned apple with a delicate melon flavour. It was found by chance as a sporadic seedling growing at Wright's Nurseries at North Walsham, Norfolk in 1908. A good stock of saplings were soon propagated and thereafter its popularity grew rapidly to become one of the nation's favourite varieties. Trees are still readily available at most good garden centres. Its fruits are in season between September and December.


"The Old North Walsham Line" by The Singing Postman.
Tribute to the now no-more railway line (which used to pass through North Walsham along where the by-pass now runs and out Mundesley way) sung by local hero Allan Smethurst, The Singing Postman. The Song is about how Allan use to travel to school via the M&GN joint railway as a lad. Allan sadly passed away on 22nd December 2000 aged 73.


If you have any suggestions for this page of notable North Walsham residents past and present please contact us at the North Walsham Guide.