The Hethel Thorn

Rebels plotted under this hawthorn in King John's time, they say, and some claim a saint's staff planted it.

A single gnarled hawthorn stands in a tiny nature reserve near Hethel church. It is said to be one of the oldest hawthorns in England, perhaps more than seven hundred years old. Norfolk Heritage Explorer records the tradition that rebellious peasants met under it in the reign of King John, and that it was used as a boundary marker. Its gaping branches were once propped up like a maypole. Norfolk Wildlife Trust says local folklore claims the tree grew from the staff of Joseph of Arimathea, like the Holy Thorn of Glastonbury.