History
The old Anglo-Saxon name for Norton was Norotun, meaning North Farm or Homestead.
Hatfield was known as Hathfeld, meaning heather-covered open land, and Littleworth, meaning a small encloser of arable land.
The church of St James has seen many repaires in the past. The south aisle, porch and vestry were added in 1875. The oldest portion of the existing church is the 12th-century nave, which appears to have been lengthened in the 13th century. The North wall of the nave is early norman and contains the original Norman door way ( recently reopened for access to the new Beechill Room ) and a Norman loop window. The chancel appears to have been rebuilt in the 14th century, and the tower may have been added late in the same century.
Following the building of the barracks in 1876 Norton became a garrison village and St James the Great a garrison church, which accounts for the flagpole being in the churchyard instead of on the church tower.
NORTON-JUXTA-KEMPSEY
1913
Norton-juxta-Kempsey is a small parish containing 1,844 acres of land lying to the north-east of Kempsey. The Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton branch of the Great Western railway meets the Abbots Wood branch of the Midland railway at Norton Junction, where there is a station. The Bristol and Birmingham branch of the Midland railway also passes through the parish, but has no station at Norton. The only high road which passes through Norton is that from Worcester to Pershore.
The village of Norton lies near the railway. Hatfield and Littleworth are districts to the south. To the north-west are Norton Barracks, the dépôt of Regimental District no. 29 (the Worcester Regiment), built in 1876. The village of Norton, which includes a few half-timber houses, stands at a height of 130 ft. to 150 ft. above the ordnance datum, and the land rises slightly north and south. Woodhall, the seat of Mr. Walter Holland, D.L., J.P., stands in wooded grounds commanding views of Malvern and the surrounding hills. The mansion is a modern erection of brick in the Tudor style. An avenue of trees leads from the house northward to the Worcester and Pershore high road. There is a small park with a fish-pond at Norton Hall, the residence of Mr. Francis Joynson, and the districts of Hatfield and Littleworth are well wooded. At Newlands Farm near the barracks are the remains of a moat.
In 1905 Norton-juxta-Kempsey contained 532 acres of arable land and 1,294 acres of permanent grass. The soil is various, the subsoil Keuper Marl, and the chief crops are barley, beans and wheat, but it's main product was milk. Hatfield in Norton was inclosed in 1840, and 70 acres in Eastfield were inclosed in 1854.
Early Littleworth dwelling about 1900
Norton Methodist Chapel
Built in 1881 on the site of the former chapel built in 1835
For full details of services please click on their website
