A new public park in the centre of a Norfolk market town is to be named after one of its most famous figures, a local community group has announced.

The planned ‘pocket park’ on Wright’s Walk in Dereham will, if approved as expected by the district council, be called the Ellenor Fenn Garden, named after the 18th century writer of children’s books and pioneer of home-schooling.

Eastern Daily Press: A plan showing how the garden will be laid out.A plan showing how the garden will be laid out. (Image: aboutDereham)

Mrs Fenn lived in the town about 250 years ago with her husband, the antiquarian John Fenn.

“The Dereham Heritage Trust have done an enormous amount of research on her,” said Mike Webb, who chairs the aboutDereham partnership, “and are planning to have an exhibition on her some time in the new year, which we hope will coincide with the opening of the garden.”

The future park’s site in the town has been covered by blue hoarding for several years.

A final design has not yet been settled upon and the group will be consulting on it in the coming months.

It is hoped by aboutDereham that the garden will be opened in May 2021.