Gateley is a village and civil parish in the Breckland district of Norfolk, England. Location The village is situated some north-east of the town of Swaffham, north of the town of Dereham and north-west of the city of Norwich. The parish of Gateley is within the Breckland area of Norfolk. The parish lies south-east of the parish of Great Ryburgh and north-west of the parish of North Elmham. For local Government the Village falls in the Upper Wensum Ward of Breckland District Council and the Elmham and Mattishall Division of Norfolk County Council. The river Wensum runs across the north-east of the parish. Nearby villages include Colkirk and Horningtoft. History The village is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086. The parish name is old English and translates as 'clearing where goats are kept'. This place name and documentary evidence suggests the settlement has been in existence since at least the Late Saxon period. Notable buildings The parish church of Saint Helen The parish church of Gateley is called St Helen's. The nave dates from the 15th century. The chancel is a Victorian rebuilding. The church tower is of the Perpendicular style. There are two shields on south-west buttress. Tower has rectangular vice, the belfry windows have been partly blocked. On south side of the nave is a round headed arch made up of late medieval tiles although the doorway is of late Saxon origins. The south porch has three niches. The church floor has been renewed but is of brick. The primitive font has a marble plinth . There is a rood screen with fine paintings thought to be East Anglia, which are of a local flavour. The Saints chosen for the screen are for local devotions. From left to right they are Saint Etheldreda, foundress of the Diocese of Ely shown as a nun with a Latin inscription, Scta Adria, or Saint Audrey. Next is Saint Elizabeth, also shown dressed in a nun's habit and her arms crossed as if in an echo of the Visitation, The Blessed Virgin, turned to face her cousin. A third image is of the Mistress of Ridibowne, a local devotion. Virtually nothing is known about her. Ridibowne was probably either Redbowne in Lincolnshire or Redbowne in Hertfordshire. On the other side of the screen are paintings of Saint Louis of France, Henry VI labelled in Latin as 'the Blessed Martyr Henry VI',