East Runton

Situated near the North Sea, East Runton is a small village in Norfolk County, England.  Like Cromer, it was once a fishing community that was turned into a popular holiday spot during the Victorian era.  The population of the village is around 1,633 which includes the area known as West Runton.  The village proper can be reached by the A149 coast road, but most of the houses and businesses will be found south of the road around the two village greens.  The beach that is part of East Runton has become a well known surfing area.
The Fishing Boat and the White Horse Inn are East Runton’s two public houses.  The Fishing boat is the oldest, dating back to 1734 when it was called the Three Horse Shoes.  The White Horse dates back to 1851.  Like many of the town’s surrounding it East Runton once had a working mill, but the land and the buildings upon it have been restored and turned into a private residence.  According to historical records, the town also boasted a wooden post mill, but there is no evidence as to where it stood.
East Runton’s famous citizen was James Leak, the local blacksmith and bare knuckle prize fighter in the 1800’s.  Supposedly he developed gangrene in one of his toes and decided to perform surgery on it himself to keep the gangrene from spreading.  Using his blacksmith tools, he removed the toe and cauterized the wound by himself since he couldn’t afford a surgeon’s fees.  He went on to a full recovery and continued fighting, dying at the age of 82.