Hethel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hethel |
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 Hethel
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| Civil parish |
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| Shire county | |
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| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | NORWICH |
| Postcode district | NR14 |
| Dialling code | 01508 |
| EU Parliament | East of England |
Hethel is a small village in Norfolk, England. It is located about 5 miles (8 km) southeast of the town of Wymondham. It is also about 10 miles (16 km) south of the city of Norwich.
Hethel is well-known for two main things. First, it is the home of Lotus Cars, a famous sports car company. Second, it has a very old hawthorn tree. This tree is thought to be one of the oldest living hawthorn trees in the United Kingdom.
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Hethel Village and Its Ancient Tree
Hethel is part of the civil parish of Bracon Ash. In 1931, only 118 people lived in the village. In 1935, Hethel became part of the Bracon Ash parish.
The village's name, 'Hethel', comes from an older name, 'Het Hill'.
The Hethel Old Thorn
Hethel is special because it has the oldest known living hawthorn tree in East Anglia. This tree, called "Hethel Old Thorn", is believed to be more than 700 years old. It was planted in the 13th century. It is a type of tree called a Common Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna).
You can find this ancient tree in the village churchyard. This churchyard is also special. It is the smallest nature reserve cared for by the British Wildlife Trusts partnership.
Hethel Airfield: A Look Back
RAF Hethel was an airfield used during the Second World War. It was built in 1942 for the American forces. They called it "Station 114". From 1943 to 1945, Hethel was the main base for the 2nd Combat Bombardment Wing of the 2nd Bomb Division.
After the American forces left, the Royal Air Force (RAF) used the airfield. In 1947, it became a place where RAF staff would stay when moving between bases. However, the airfield was closed in 1948 as the RAF became smaller.
For many years, the base was empty. Some of the old buildings were used to house families after the war. In 1964, the airfield was finally sold. This is when Lotus Cars bought it.
Lotus Cars: From Airfield to Sports Cars
In 1966, Lotus Cars moved to a new factory built on the old airfield site. They turned parts of the runways and taxiways into a test track for their cars. The factory and engineering areas cover about 55 acres (22 hectares) of the old airfield. They use about 2.5 miles (4 km) of the old runway for testing. Much of the other runways have been removed and are now farmland.
Lotus Cars designs and builds special cars. These cars are known for being very light and having great handling. Colin Chapman, who started Lotus, passed away in 1982. He had built a very successful car company. Lotus built many successful racing and road cars. They also won the Formula One World Championship seven times.
Over the years, Lotus Cars has had different owners. In 1986, General Motors bought the company. Then, in 1993, General Motors sold Lotus to a company owned by Italian businessman Romano Artioli. Later, in 1996, a Malaysian car company called Proton bought most of Lotus.
Lotus also works as an engineering company. They help other car makers develop their cars, especially their suspension systems. The company's former racing team, Team Lotus, and the Lotus Driving Academy were also based at Hethel.
Church of All Saints
The Church of All Saints in Hethel is a very interesting building. It shows a mix of different building styles. It has a square tower from the Saxon period. It also has a red-brick east end, which includes a chapel from the 18th century. This church is listed as a Grade I building, meaning it is very important historically.
See also
In Spanish: Hethel para niños
