The Mardling Seat

On the corner of Yarmouth Road and Horsefen Road stands the Mardling Seat. The word "mardle" is an old Norfolk word which just means gossip, so this is the place the sit down for a chat.

The current Mardling Seat installed in 2021


The inscription plaque.

Prior to this seat, the Mardling Seat was a circular wooden seat built round a tree and it had the inscription "Set ye down and Mardle" carved on it.

This seat was built by Mike Fuller and was opened for business in 1984 as you can see in the photograph below. That's Mike on the left. Later the seat had to be expanded with an extra section because the tree had grown.

Actually, this part of Ludham has changed quite a lot. This spot is known locally as "Pit Corner". You can probably guess why. There used to be a pond here too. Also, the Yarmouth road used to go down Horsefen Road and round what is now a traffic island where the new houses are located. The straight bit of the road was built as a bypass to take away the sharp corner.

The Mardling Seat was built to replace an older seat which was located nearby on Yarmouth Road next to the Manor Gate. Here is a picture:

It was looking a bit worn out even then, but the inscription was the same.