As time moves on the books written about our communities in days gone by are more important than ever…and this is a journey to beautiful and ancient Burgh Castle.

You know when the prolific Norfolk author Sheila Hutchinson publishes a new book about our villages that it will be packed with rare photographs and great memories from the people who lived there.

Back in 2005 she wrote the first edition of Burgh Castle Remembered and now a new revised edition is back in the shops…and if you are interested in our history you will love it.

“The first edition of the book took about two years of research, visiting people to collect their memories and photos,” said Sheila.

(Image: David Smith)

“This revised second edition has taken another year of extra research. Sadly a lot of people who happily shared their memories are no longer with us but their memories are recorded and still with us,” she added.

Many of you will know that Sheila, who has written 16 wonderful books on Norfolk villages, lived at Berney Arms as a young girl.

She and her brother and sister would sit on the river wall watching the racing yachts from Burgh Castle sailing around the “Dicky Works” and then returning.

“On Bank Holidays we would often see crowds of people walking around the Roman Fort ruins,” she added.

(Image: K Saunders)

Her mother Ellen Marie and her sister Ruth were both born at Marsh Lane, Burgh Castle, where they lived in the early 1920s with their mum Annie.

“As many of my ancestors have lived at Burgh Castle it gave me a great interest finding out more about the village and then to write the book,” said Sheila.

The Parish of Burgh Castle is an area of 1496 acres of land, according to the Tithe Map of 1843. It lies in the Lothingland district of the County of Norfolk, but until 1974, when the county boundaries were changed, it was in the County of Suffolk.

The parish is bordered by Breydon Water on the north, on the east by Bradwell, the south by Belton, and the west by the River Waveney.

It is best known for its visitors to the caravan and holiday sites, the Roman Fort ruins, the legend of the Irish Monk St Fursey and the Church of St Peter and St Paul.

Another historical feature well known by the locals is the cement and brickworks which once existed by the banks of the river.

(Image: Margaret Martin)

In this latest offering from Sheila we get to meet and read all about the people who lived there, sharing their memories and photographs of a very different time.

*Burgh Castle Remembered by Sheila Hutchinson costs £12 and is available at Yare Books, Great Yarmouth, Beccles Bookshop and City Books, Norwich.

(Image: John Green)

(Image: Joyce Flaxman)

(Image: Norman Burrage)