West of the village, between Elmham Road and the River Wensum, is the site of a Romano-British settlement. The site is unusual in having evidence that occupation continued into the early Anglo-Saxon period. The site is a Scheduled Ancient Monument.[3]
Artefacts recovered from the site include a gold amulet.
Toponym
The Domesday Book of 1086 records the toponym as Billinge-forda. An entry for 1212 in the Book of Fees records it as Billingeford. It is derived from Old English and means "the ford of Billa's people".[4]