About Belton

The Parish of Belton with Browston is situated in the south west of the Borough of Great Yarmouth, to the east of the River Waveney.
The larger village of Belton is separated from its smaller partner of Browston by the A143 which runs from Great Yarmouth to Beccles and beyond.

The joint Parish has over 4500 inhabitants in over 1650 properties, all but 50 being in Belton.

Until 1974 Belton was in Suffolk, in the Lothingland Rural District but was transferred to Great Yarmouth and the county of Norfolk in local government boundary reorganisation.

Until the 1960s 70s it was mainly market gardens with produce taken by train to London, the railway travelled from Yarmouth Southtown to London and Belton had its own station,
(from 1858) the railway was closed in the Beeching era in 1959.

From the 1970s rapid development saw the population escalate and virtually all the market gardens were bought up for housing land with most building completed by the early 1980s.

Today the village is a thriving community, the one very small village school was closed with Waveney First School (1959) and Breydon Middle being built on adjoining sites in the
centre of the village, this has again changed in 2008 with The Moorlands C of E Primary School taking over from the other two schools as population changes have resulted in less
children in the area in the under 11 age group. There is now also the Village Green Childrens Centre on the same site for children under school age, this coveres Belton,
Burgh Castle, Bradwell, Browston, Fritton and St. Olaves areas.

Today there is one convenience stores in the parish, under national chain ownership, at Bell Lane where it also houses the Post Office and is supported by a smaller shop,
ladies hairdressers and a take away. The village has one very large Holiday Park, nationally owned and a small caravan and camping site although there are several other
holiday interests in adjoining villages, virtually all employment is outside the village, either in Great Yarmouth itself or in surrounding towns.

There are two public houses, The (Railway) Tavern and the Kings Head on opposite sides of the village the latter with a function room that has stood for many years in the
past it also had the tourist attraction, Belton Gardens, laid out behind it. The Tavern also has a Fish and Chip shop on the same site.

The Tavern

Play is catered for by the Bell Lane Playing Field with various items of equipment for teenage and younger children. The New Road Sports Field has a new Sports and Leisure building
constructed in 2010 on the outskirts of the village which is managed by the Parish Council and is currently a base for the very successful multi teamed Bohemians Youth Football Club.
Most of the club and group activity takes place in the John Green Institute, which although small for the size of the village has been extremely well supported since it was saved
from demolition by a local businessman in 2005 ( originally simply known as the Institute the foundation stones were laid as far back as 1896). There is also the Moorlands School and the Church Annex.

January 2012
The Reordering of the Church Building
Since I arrived here five months ago, much has been said to me personally and written about anonymously in the media regarding the church building in Belton not being used for Sunday worship.
Good news The Faculty has been granted (permission given) and work has started on the re-ordering of All Saints Church building. At the time of writing the church looks rather more like a
building site inevitable with the installation of the a new heating system and a new floor.

The plan is to have the new floor laid, new lighting and electrical sockets installed and the heating working by the date of the Family Carol Service on Sunday 18th December.

Much of the work to the floor is being carried out by ourselves using the gifts and skills we have within the community; the cost of the work is expected to around £53,000, which is being
raised through trust funds, grants and the financial giving of the church community. We still have to raise approximately£12,500 to complete the work; so the support of the village community would be much appreciated.

With the work complete, there will be more opportunities to use the building for a variety of purposes; we are working on that. Sunday worship will take place in the church building every week,
hopefully from Christmas onwards. Sometime in the new year, depending on the completion of the work and weather conditions, I plan to introduce a traditional service of Holy Communion once a month on a Tuesday morning; which will take place in the chancel.
If you are able to help, cheques made payable to All Saints Belton PCC can be sent to All Saints Church c/o The Rectory, Beccles Road, Belton NR31 9JQ. If you are a UK tax payer and are able
to Gift Aid your donation it will allow us to reclaim tax of 25p for every £1 from the government. A Gift Aid form is available if you are prepared to spend a moment completing it.

Your support is much appreciated.

Rev Rosie Bunn

There is a thirteen member Parish Council which meets monthly, at the New Road Sports and Leisure building on the third Tuesday of the month. They are supported by two
area Borough Councillors and one County Councillor.

Belton Church

For all other Pastoral matters please contact
Rev. Rosie Bunn
The Rectory
Beccles Road
Belton
NR31 9JQ
Tel 01493780210

There is an independent monthly news magazine produced in the village, “Village Voice” and this circulates in Belton and the surrounding parishes It is produced by board made up of a group of parishioners with the intention of ploughing any surplus funds back into the community in the form of grants to local organisations.

Although inside the borough of Great Yarmouth, the village has rural boundaries, with the river Waveney to the west, open land to most sides and two open common areas, Belton Common and
Howards Common the south west corner also in the north is Belton Fen, a natural area that is owned and managed privately as well as Bland Corner, a wet area adjoining the remnants of a
small but very old orchard which is owned by the villages Bell Lane charity but managed for the community by the Parish Council to ensure that it remains an open space.

Belton Primitive Methodist Church

With reference to the above photographs does anyone have any information about the production or issue of White China Plates and Saucers (and presumably cups although none are known).

They were produced with the emblem Belton Primitive Methodist Church on them.? There are a few at the John Green Institute.
Any information on their history would be appreciated.
We know that the Primitive Methodist Church (or Chapel) stood on Station Road North, between the Wild Duck Holiday Park and what used to be Budgens Shop (formerly Berrys).
If you know anything please contact

Plates
Motto

T