The Camping Land
The large open area of grassland in front of the church is the Camping Land.
Several parishes in East Anglia have a Camping Land, Spong or Buttlands. The area was used for archery practice and drilling the young men of the parish who might be called up to serve the Lord of the Manor in times of war.
The game of Camping which was played here dates from Roman times and was a popular way of toughening up those taking part. There was 'Camp', a mixture of football, rugby and all-in wrestling and ‘Savage Camp’ when boots were worn and it was quite common for participants to be kicked to death. The sport carried on for centuries until the more civilized games of cricket and football provided the opportunity for teams from rival villages to prove their superiority.
Now Whissonsett Camping Land is a car park and the venue for the village fete. The railings and the Gates to the Camping Land were erected as part of the 2000 Millennium celebrations.
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