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Estimated population (2009) of Covehithe: 20.
Local licensing authority for Covehithe is Waveney district.
Now a dry parish. Once a prosperous town in medieval times but by the 17th century much of it had been lost to the encroachment of the North Sea. It was recorded in Domesday variously as "Norhals", "Northals" and "Nordhalla". Also known historically as North Hales. Indeed licensing records for the pub at least as late as 1881 record it as being at "Northales".
The WWI Covehithe airfield was a night-landing ground which operated from 1915 to 1919. It was used for anti-Zeppelin patrols. A possible Romano-British settlement has been inferred from a number of archaeological finds in the west of the parish.
John Bale, author of "De Scripteribus Britannicis" - a work of great erudition - was born here in 1495 and later became a Carmelite friar in Norwich. Embracing ideas of Reformation he was eventually forced to flee to Netherlands until acession of Edward VI and later took sanctuary in Switzerland when Queen Mary ruled. After the accession of Elizabeth he again returned to England (died in 1563).
Some historical information from English Heritage's National Monuments Record.