Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Norðwalsham 1044–7 (13 Sawyer 1055) KCD 785

• North Walsham 1127–34,c.1200 Holme 1346,1402 FA

• Northwalsham 1263 Cl 1346 FA 1350 Pat

• Northwalesham 1153–68 Holme

• North Walesham 1196 FF

• Norwalesham 1169 P 1198,1199 FF 1153 Ch

• Nordwalesham 1170 P

• Nortwalesham 1269 Ass

• Norhwalesham 1209 RP

• Walsam 1086 DB

• Walsham 1101–7 Holme 1269 Ass 1275 RH 1316 FA

• Walesham c.1095 Bury c.1145 CAcre 12–13 HMC 1189,1242 P 1203 Cur 1205 Abbr 1212 Fees 1227,1252 FF 1228 Ch 1250,1257 Ass

Etymology

Walsham is to be interpreted as a name in hām the first el. of which is the gen. of the OE  pers.n. W (e )alh (v. Redin 8), a name which is recorded in the LVD as early as the 7th century (Ualch ).This is also an explanation given by Ekwall (DEPN s.n.). In his survey of OE  walh 'Briton, Welshman' in English place-names, Cameron gives Walsham as an example where Walh is to be interpreted as the pers.n. (Journal 12: 46). The early spellings of the type Walsham , Walsam led Ekwall to suggest, as an alternative, that the first el. is the OE  pers.n. Wæls , found only in Beowulf and presumed in Walsingham. South Walsham is in Walsham Hundred.The pronunciation /wɔlʃəm/ is the one recommended by BBC (Miller), whereas /wɔlsəm/ is recorded locally (Schram).

North Walsham has a big town church, dedicated to St Nicholas, but the tower, 147 feet high, collapsed in 1724 and has never been rebuilt. Pevsner (201) thinks it “looks decorative enough as a crag dominating the town”.