Martin's Guidebook
Historical Norwich
Norwich has been named alongside
New York and Paris as one of the most exciting places to visit this year.
16. Norwich, England
This summer, Norwich Castle’s Norman Keep reopens, transformed by a five-year programme that has reinstalled missing floors and added the British Museum’s first medieval galleries outside London. The aim is to paint an immersive picture of life inside a royal castle in the 1100s, complete with pungent smells. Keep things historical by staying at the recently renovated Maids Head Hotel (previous visitors include Catherine of Aragon and Elizabeth I), and exploring the city’s 900-year-old market. Key stalls include Sir Toby’s Beers for craft ale and Cocina Mia for Chilean bites.
Location Information
Your postcode is:
NR13 6
Your address is:
South Walsham
Norfolk
Get your bearings
● Left out of the driveway takes you East and towards Acle and Great Yarmouth
● Right out of the driveway takes you West and towards Norwich
Nearest centres
● The nearest town with good amenities is Acle (4 miles to the East)
● The nearest city is Norwich (8 ½ miles to the West)
Geography of the area
The region you are staying in is between the rivers Bure (to the north) and Yare (to
the south).
River crossings are limited, so routes to certain locations can be longer than they
appear on a map.
Ferries
The only active vehicle ferry crossing is at Reedham (www.reedhamferry.co.uk).
A seasonal foot/bike ferry may also be running at Horning
(www.horningfootferry.co.uk).
Always check with the operators that the ferries are operational before making any
plans.
There are a number of other locations named ‘Ferry Inn’, ‘Ferry Road’ etc. The name
is often historical, do not assume you will necessarily find a ferry service there!
The Broads
Where you go depends on whether you intend to hire a boat, or have your own boat/
kayak, or whether you simply want to relax ashore.
Here are the broads that are nearest to you:
● Ranworth Broad (Farm Ln, NR13 6HY) 1 ½ miles
Easy walking distance, with pub, cafe, shop and green, and near St Helen’s
Church and Wildlife Centre.
● South Walsham Broad (Fleet Ln, NR13 6ED) 2 miles
Limited facilities
● Salhouse Broad (Salhouse Road, NR13 6RX) 3 miles + ½ mile walk
There are toilets at the car park, and usually ice cream and canoe hire at the
broad. Please Note that there is a short walk, but a pleasant woodside one,
from the car park to the actual broad.
● Wroxham (for the river Bure and Wroxham Broad) (Norwich Road, NR12
8DA) 6 miles
Large choice of facilities and boat hire.
● Whitlingham Broad
○ North side: Thorpe River Green (NR7 0HE) 7 ½ miles
Easy access to Norwich city. Café and sandwiches nearby.
○ South side: Whitlingham Country Park (NR14 8TR) 13 miles
Campsite, café and visitor centre.
Whitlingham Adventure provides craft hire and watersport courses.
www.whitlinghamadventure.org.uk
● Brundall Marina (for the river Yare) (NR13 5PU) 7 miles
Boat hire available. Amenities in Brundall village nearby.
Local attractions
A full list of Norfolk attractions being impossible to draw up, we have focussed
exclusively on the local ones that we know well and could personally recommend.
As for the wider area, your independent research will reveal much more than we
could attempt to write here.
● Fairhaven Woodland and Water Gardens (South Walsham) (NR13 6DZ) 1
mile
● Broads Wildlife Centre (Ranworth) (NR13 6HT) 1 ½ miles + ½ mile walk
● St. Helen’s Church (Ranworth) (Woodbastwick Rd, NR13 6HS) 1 ½ miles
The “Cathedral of the Broads” contains historically significant artefacts and
the top of the tower, when open for visits, offers fine views.
● Woodforde’s Brewery (Woodbastwick) (NR13 6SW) 2 ½ miles
Brewery tours, brewery shop and pub.
● Bure Valley Railway (Wroxham) (NR12 8UU) 6 ½ miles
Heritage steam line running between Wroxham and Aylsham
● Steam Museum (Strumpshaw) (NR13 4HR) 7 ½ miles
● Local churches
○ There are many ancient churches and ruins of historical interest.
Please check the ‘Church Services’ section and visit the parishes’
websites to learn more.
○ You can go on a walk to find the ruins of St. Benet’s Abbey or see
them from the water on the river nearby.
● Wroxham Barns Farm & fun park (Hoveton) (NR12 8QU) 8 miles
Local Church services
Church of England
Parishes in the region are organised into several clusters. Please see the worship
rota online to check which church is in use on a given week.
● Bittern Parishes (http://bitternbenefice.com)
● Broadside Parishes (https://www.broadsideparishes.org.uk)
● Acle and Bure to Yare Parishes (https://abychurches.co.uk)
● St. Andrew & St. Peter, Blofield (https://www.blofieldchurch.org.uk)
● Yare Valley Churches (https://yarevalleychurches.org.uk)
● Wide choice in Norwich city (incl. Norwich Cathedral: https://
www.cathedral.org.uk)
Roman Catholic
● St John the Baptist’s RC Cathedral in Norwich (https://
www.sjbcathedral.org.uk/)
● St Edmund’s in Acle usually has a Roman Catholic Mass on Sunday
afternoons.
Please check website for details (https://abychurches.co.uk)
Visiting Norwich
Getting into Norwich
Distance to central Norwich (e.g. Norwich Castle, NR1 3JU) is about 8 ½ miles.
● Driving into Norwich in your own car is normally not a problem.
Turning right out of the driveway and keeping straight ahead for 8 miles will
get you most of the way there, and from then it will depend on where exactly
you would like to go.
There are several central car parks. A Norwich Car Park map is attached.
Alternatives to driving are:
● Bus
○ South Walsham and nearby areas are connected to Norwich by the
Green Line.
○ Bus times and routes on https://www.firstbus.co.uk/norfolk-suffolk
● Train
○ You can take a train to Norwich from any of the neighbouring stations
(Salhouse, Lingwood, Brundall…)
○ Please ensure that you check the timetables as not all services may
call at smaller stations.
● Park and Ride (https://www.norwichparkandride.co.uk)
○ Postwick Park & Ride (Yarmouth Rd, NR13 5NP) Currently closed
○ Sprowston Park & Ride (Wroxham Rd, NR7 8RN)
Further Afield
This list should give you a few ideas for you to further research.
Broadland area
● Bewilderwood adventure park (8 miles) � �
● Pettitts Animal Adventure Park (Reedham) (9 miles) �
● Ludham (13 miles) � � How Hill Trust
● Stalham (16 miles) � Museum of the Broads
● Hoveton (8 miles) � � Hoveton Hall Estate
Near Norwich
● Roarr! Dinosaur adventure (Lenwade) (18 miles) �
● Blickling Hall (20 miles) �
North Norfolk Coast area
● Cromer (25 miles) �
● Blakeney (35 miles) � Seal sighting boat trips (seasonal)
● Burnham Market (45 miles) �
● Wells-next-the-Sea and Holkham (45 miles) � � Holkham Hall
● Holt (30 miles) �
● Walsingham Shrine (35 miles)
● Pensthorpe Natural Park (30 miles) � �
● Sheringham (30 miles) � Sheringham Park
East Coast area
● Great Yarmouth (13 miles) � � � Nelson Museum
● Winterton-on-Sea (14 miles) �
● Sea Palling and Waxham (18 miles) �
● Horsey (15 miles) � Seal sighting (seasonal)
● Caister and Burgh Castle Roman forts (20 miles)
● East Ruston (15 miles) � Old Vicarage Gardens
South-East/Suffolk border area
● Southwold (35 miles) �
● Framlingham (45 miles) �
● Aldeburgh (50 miles) �
● Africa Alive! Wildlife park (Lowestoft) (27 miles) �
● Pleasurewood Hills theme park (Lowestoft) (21 miles) �
South West of Norwich
● Wymondham (20 miles) �
● Old Buckenham Airfield (27 miles)
● Thetford Forest (45 miles) � � Go Ape
North-West Norfolk area
● Sandringham Estate (50 miles) �
Food and drink
Here are a few local establishments.
Pubs
All should also serve food unless specified.
● The Maltsters - Ranworth (The Hill, NR13 6AB) - 2 miles
○ Your closest local. Serves pub food and pizza. Recommended.
● Fur & Feather - Woodbastwick (Woodbastwick Rd, NR13 6HQ) - 3 miles
○ Part of Woodforde’s Brewery.
● The Brick Kilns - Little Plumstead (Norwich Rd, NR13 5JH) - 3 miles
● Acle Bridge Inn - Acle Bridge (NR13 3AS) - 5 ½ miles
● The King’s Head - Blofield (Yarmouth Rd, NR13 4LE) - 5 miles
○ Does excellent Thai food. Takeaway available.
● Recruiting Sergeant - Coltishall (Norwich Rd, Horstead, NR12 7EE) - 9 miles
● The Ram Inn - Brundall’s local. (The Street, NR13 5LP) - 6 ½ miles
Tea Rooms
● Fairhaven Woodland and Water Gardens - South Walsham
● Granary Stores - Ranworth
Restaurants and take-aways
● Blofield Fish & Chips - Blofield (North St, NR13 4RH) Take-away only
● Tamarind Fine Indian Dining - Blofield (Woodbastwick Rd, NR13 4AB)
○ Highly recommended for a sit-down meal
● Archers Butchers - Thorpe (177-179 Plumstead Rd, NR1 4AB)
Quality roast meats sandwiches
○ Takeaway, lunch only. Show up early - they sell out fast!
○ Closed Sunday and Monday
Local Farm Shop
Ozzie’s Oinkers Kings Close Farm, NR13 4EJ (2 miles)
Small, self-service (unmanned) shop for local meats, eggs and vegetables.
Walks
Many circular walks are possible around the area. For some ideas:
● www.walkingbritain.co.uk/The-Broads-walks-list
● www.norfolk.gov.uk/out-and-about-in-norfolk/norfolk-trails/short-and-circularwalks/railway-rambles/wherry-line-walks
There are also long distance footpaths passing through the region:
● The Wherryman’s Way (Norwich to Great Yarmouth) 35 miles long
● The Weavers’ Way (Cromer to Great Yarmouth) 61 miles long
Kayak/Paddle sports
If you have your own kayak, there are many places where you can get in and out of
the water.
Waterways can be busy on fair weather days. Please familiarise with the rules of
navigation. You may want to ensure you are correctly licensed and/or insured.
Please see www.britishcanoeing.org.uk
Other sports
● Norfolk Premier Golf & Pirates Island Adventure Golf (Blofield)
● Sprowston Manor golf course (Norwich)
● Woodland Park Equestrian Centre (South Walsham)
● Norfolk Sailing School (Upton, Acle)
River Trips
Broads Tours in Wroxham is the main operator of organised tours.
www.broadstours.co.uk
There are also smaller-scale trips from the local Fairhaven Woodland and Water
Gardens.
Southern Comfort (www.southern-comfort.co.uk) also do river trips on a doubledecker paddle boat from Horning.
Boat Hire
The easiest and most popular way is from Wroxham. There are several boat hire
businesses in the centre of Wroxham.
For the river Yare (leading into Norwich city), there is Buccaneer Boats in Brundall
Marina.
Inside Norwich, Pub and Paddle offer canoe rentals.
Day Out Ideas
The following are a few ideas oriented toward easy, local, relaxing options.
Actual possibilities are too many to list!
Plan 1
● From Wroxham, walk along the Bure into Coltishall, enjoy a meal at the
Recruiting Sergeant (booking strongly advised), then ride the Bure Valley
Railway back to Wroxham. In the afternoon, enjoy Wroxham Barns, visiting
sheep, pigs, goats and other animals.
Plan 2
● In Ranworth, have a coffee or ice cream from the Granary followed by a short
walk to the Church where there may be the opportunity to climb the tower for
a panoramic view. Follow with an excursion to the Broads Conservation
Centre where you can watch the birds from the comfort of the loft and learn
more about the local history. Then walk back into Ranworth for a meal at the
Maltsters, often frequented by day boaters.
Plan 3
● Explore Fairhaven Woodland and Water Gardens; venture on a gentle boat
trip on the broad to the ruined site of St Benet’s Abbey. The cafe serves
cakes, sandwiches and ice creams. A gift shop neighbours the cafe, full of
mementos to recall your holiday. You can normally buy firewood from
Fairhaven.
Plan 4
● Hire a boat and spend the whole day on the water exploring the rivers at your
own pace. Bring a packed lunch or plan a stop in one of the several riverside
pubs, both on the Bure and the Yare.
Plan 5
● Travel to Norwich city, and visit the Castle with its dungeons and battlements,
the Cathedral, the Marketplace, the museums, and the many other attractions.
Railways
● National Rail:
● Heritage railways:
○ Bure Valley Railway - Wroxham to Aylsham (www.bvrw.co.uk)
Useful directions
Fuel
● Acle (New Rd, NR13 3BE) 4 miles
● Brundall (Yarmouth Rd, NR13 5AR) 5 miles
● Wroxham (Norwich Rd, NR12 8SL) 5 miles
● Thorpe St. Andrews (Pound Ln, NR7 0SR) 7 ½ miles
Large Supermarkets
● Acle - East of England Co-Op (Norwich Rd, NR13 3BY) 4 miles
● Wroxham - Roy’s (Stalham Rd, NR12 8DB) 6 miles
● Sprowston - Tesco Extra and LIDL (Blue Boar Ln, NR7 8AB) 7 ½ miles
● Thorpe St. Andrews - Sainsbury’s (Pound Ln, NR7 0SR) 7 ½ miles
Post Offices and convenience stores
● Ranworth - Granary Stores & Post Office (Farm Ln, NR13 6HY) 2 miles
● Blofield Heath - Store & Post Office (Woodbastwick Rd, NR13 4AB) 2 ½ miles
● Acle - Post Office (Priory Close, NR13 3AA) 5 miles
● Brundall - Co-op & Post Office (The Street, NR13 5AA) 7 miles
Taxi companies
● ABC Taxis - 01603 666 333
● Canary Taxis - 01603 41 42 43
● Eastern Chauffeurs (Private chauffeur) - 01508 495660 -
www.easternchauffeur.com
South Walsham
Location Information
Your postcode is:
NR13 6
Your address is:
South Walsham
Norfolk
Get your bearings
● Left out of the driveway takes you East and towards Acle and Great Yarmouth
● Right out of the driveway takes you West and towards Norwich
Nearest centres
● The nearest town with good amenities is Acle (4 miles to the East)
● The nearest city is Norwich (8 ½ miles to the West)
Geography of the area
The region you are staying in is between the rivers Bure (to the north) and Yare (to
the south).
River crossings are limited, so routes to certain locations can be longer than they
appear on a map.
Ferries
The only active vehicle ferry crossing is at Reedham (www.reedhamferry.co.uk).
A seasonal foot/bike ferry may also be running at Horning
(www.horningfootferry.co.uk).
Always check with the operators that the ferries are operational before making any
plans.
There are a number of other locations named ‘Ferry Inn’, ‘Ferry Road’ etc. The name
is often historical, do not assume you will necessarily find a ferry service there!
The Broads
Where you go depends on whether you intend to hire a boat, or have your own boat/
kayak, or whether you simply want to relax ashore.
Here are the broads that are nearest to you:
● Ranworth Broad (Farm Ln, NR13 6HY) 1 ½ miles
Easy walking distance, with pub, cafe, shop and green, and near St Helen’s
Church and Wildlife Centre.
● South Walsham Broad (Fleet Ln, NR13 6ED) 2 miles
Limited facilities
● Salhouse Broad (Salhouse Road, NR13 6RX) 3 miles + ½ mile walk
There are toilets at the car park, and usually ice cream and canoe hire at the
broad. Please Note that there is a short walk, but a pleasant woodside one,
from the car park to the actual broad.
● Wroxham (for the river Bure and Wroxham Broad) (Norwich Road, NR12
8DA) 6 miles
Large choice of facilities and boat hire.
● Whitlingham Broad
○ North side: Thorpe River Green (NR7 0HE) 7 ½ miles
Easy access to Norwich city. Café and sandwiches nearby.
○ South side: Whitlingham Country Park (NR14 8TR) 13 miles
Campsite, café and visitor centre.
Whitlingham Adventure provides craft hire and watersport courses.
www.whitlinghamadventure.org.uk
● Brundall Marina (for the river Yare) (NR13 5PU) 7 miles
Boat hire available. Amenities in Brundall village nearby.
Local attractions
A full list of Norfolk attractions being impossible to draw up, we have focussed
exclusively on the local ones that we know well and could personally recommend.
As for the wider area, your independent research will reveal much more than we
could attempt to write here.
● Fairhaven Woodland and Water Gardens (South Walsham) (NR13 6DZ) 1
mile
● Broads Wildlife Centre (Ranworth) (NR13 6HT) 1 ½ miles + ½ mile walk
● St. Helen’s Church (Ranworth) (Woodbastwick Rd, NR13 6HS) 1 ½ miles
The “Cathedral of the Broads” contains historically significant artefacts and
the top of the tower, when open for visits, offers fine views.
● Woodforde’s Brewery (Woodbastwick) (NR13 6SW) 2 ½ miles
Brewery tours, brewery shop and pub.
● Bure Valley Railway (Wroxham) (NR12 8UU) 6 ½ miles
Heritage steam line running between Wroxham and Aylsham
● Steam Museum (Strumpshaw) (NR13 4HR) 7 ½ miles
● Local churches
○ There are many ancient churches and ruins of historical interest.
Please check the ‘Church Services’ section and visit the parishes’
websites to learn more.
○ You can go on a walk to find the ruins of St. Benet’s Abbey or see
them from the water on the river nearby.
● Wroxham Barns Farm & fun park (Hoveton) (NR12 8QU) 8 miles
Local Church services
Church of England
Parishes in the region are organised into several clusters. Please see the worship
rota online to check which church is in use on a given week.
● Bittern Parishes (http://bitternbenefice.com)
● Broadside Parishes (https://www.broadsideparishes.org.uk)
● Acle and Bure to Yare Parishes (https://abychurches.co.uk)
● St. Andrew & St. Peter, Blofield (https://www.blofieldchurch.org.uk)
● Yare Valley Churches (https://yarevalleychurches.org.uk)
● Wide choice in Norwich city (incl. Norwich Cathedral: https://
www.cathedral.org.uk)
Roman Catholic
● St John the Baptist’s RC Cathedral in Norwich (https://
www.sjbcathedral.org.uk/)
● St Edmund’s in Acle usually has a Roman Catholic Mass on Sunday
afternoons.
Please check website for details (https://abychurches.co.uk)
Visiting Norwich
Getting into Norwich
Distance to central Norwich (e.g. Norwich Castle, NR1 3JU) is about 8 ½ miles.
● Driving into Norwich in your own car is normally not a problem.
Turning right out of the driveway and keeping straight ahead for 8 miles will
get you most of the way there, and from then it will depend on where exactly
you would like to go.
There are several central car parks. A Norwich Car Park map is attached.
Alternatives to driving are:
● Bus
○ South Walsham and nearby areas are connected to Norwich by the
Green Line.
○ Bus times and routes on https://www.firstbus.co.uk/norfolk-suffolk
● Train
○ You can take a train to Norwich from any of the neighbouring stations
(Salhouse, Lingwood, Brundall…)
○ Please ensure that you check the timetables as not all services may
call at smaller stations.
● Park and Ride (https://www.norwichparkandride.co.uk)
○ Postwick Park & Ride (Yarmouth Rd, NR13 5NP) Currently closed
○ Sprowston Park & Ride (Wroxham Rd, NR7 8RN)
Further Afield
This list should give you a few ideas for you to further research.
Broadland area
● Bewilderwood adventure park (8 miles) � �
● Pettitts Animal Adventure Park (Reedham) (9 miles) �
● Ludham (13 miles) � � How Hill Trust
● Stalham (16 miles) � Museum of the Broads
● Hoveton (8 miles) � � Hoveton Hall Estate
Near Norwich
● Roarr! Dinosaur adventure (Lenwade) (18 miles) �
● Blickling Hall (20 miles) �
North Norfolk Coast area
● Cromer (25 miles) �
● Blakeney (35 miles) � Seal sighting boat trips (seasonal)
● Burnham Market (45 miles) �
● Wells-next-the-Sea and Holkham (45 miles) � � Holkham Hall
● Holt (30 miles) �
● Walsingham Shrine (35 miles)
● Pensthorpe Natural Park (30 miles) � �
● Sheringham (30 miles) � Sheringham Park
East Coast area
● Great Yarmouth (13 miles) � � � Nelson Museum
● Winterton-on-Sea (14 miles) �
● Sea Palling and Waxham (18 miles) �
● Horsey (15 miles) � Seal sighting (seasonal)
● Caister and Burgh Castle Roman forts (20 miles)
● East Ruston (15 miles) � Old Vicarage Gardens
South-East/Suffolk border area
● Southwold (35 miles) �
● Framlingham (45 miles) �
● Aldeburgh (50 miles) �
● Africa Alive! Wildlife park (Lowestoft) (27 miles) �
● Pleasurewood Hills theme park (Lowestoft) (21 miles) �
South West of Norwich
● Wymondham (20 miles) �
● Old Buckenham Airfield (27 miles)
● Thetford Forest (45 miles) � � Go Ape
North-West Norfolk area
● Sandringham Estate (50 miles) �
Food and drink
Here are a few local establishments.
Pubs
All should also serve food unless specified.
● The Maltsters - Ranworth (The Hill, NR13 6AB) - 2 miles
○ Your closest local. Serves pub food and pizza. Recommended.
● Fur & Feather - Woodbastwick (Woodbastwick Rd, NR13 6HQ) - 3 miles
○ Part of Woodforde’s Brewery.
● The Brick Kilns - Little Plumstead (Norwich Rd, NR13 5JH) - 3 miles
● Acle Bridge Inn - Acle Bridge (NR13 3AS) - 5 ½ miles
● The King’s Head - Blofield (Yarmouth Rd, NR13 4LE) - 5 miles
○ Does excellent Thai food. Takeaway available.
● Recruiting Sergeant - Coltishall (Norwich Rd, Horstead, NR12 7EE) - 9 miles
● The Ram Inn - Brundall’s local. (The Street, NR13 5LP) - 6 ½ miles
Tea Rooms
● Fairhaven Woodland and Water Gardens - South Walsham
● Granary Stores - Ranworth
Restaurants and take-aways
● Blofield Fish & Chips - Blofield (North St, NR13 4RH) Take-away only
● Tamarind Fine Indian Dining - Blofield (Woodbastwick Rd, NR13 4AB)
○ Highly recommended for a sit-down meal
● Archers Butchers - Thorpe (177-179 Plumstead Rd, NR1 4AB)
Quality roast meats sandwiches
○ Takeaway, lunch only. Show up early - they sell out fast!
○ Closed Sunday and Monday
Local Farm Shop
Ozzie’s Oinkers Kings Close Farm, NR13 4EJ (2 miles)
Small, self-service (unmanned) shop for local meats, eggs and vegetables.
Walks
Many circular walks are possible around the area. For some ideas:
● www.walkingbritain.co.uk/The-Broads-walks-list
● www.norfolk.gov.uk/out-and-about-in-norfolk/norfolk-trails/short-and-circularwalks/railway-rambles/wherry-line-walks
There are also long distance footpaths passing through the region:
● The Wherryman’s Way (Norwich to Great Yarmouth) 35 miles long
● The Weavers’ Way (Cromer to Great Yarmouth) 61 miles long
Kayak/Paddle sports
If you have your own kayak, there are many places where you can get in and out of
the water.
Waterways can be busy on fair weather days. Please familiarise with the rules of
navigation. You may want to ensure you are correctly licensed and/or insured.
Please see www.britishcanoeing.org.uk
Other sports
● Norfolk Premier Golf & Pirates Island Adventure Golf (Blofield)
● Sprowston Manor golf course (Norwich)
● Woodland Park Equestrian Centre (South Walsham)
● Norfolk Sailing School (Upton, Acle)
River Trips
Broads Tours in Wroxham is the main operator of organised tours.
www.broadstours.co.uk
There are also smaller-scale trips from the local Fairhaven Woodland and Water
Gardens.
Southern Comfort (www.southern-comfort.co.uk) also do river trips on a doubledecker paddle boat from Horning.
Boat Hire
The easiest and most popular way is from Wroxham. There are several boat hire
businesses in the centre of Wroxham.
For the river Yare (leading into Norwich city), there is Buccaneer Boats in Brundall
Marina.
Inside Norwich, Pub and Paddle offer canoe rentals.
Day Out Ideas
The following are a few ideas oriented toward easy, local, relaxing options.
Actual possibilities are too many to list!
Plan 1
● From Wroxham, walk along the Bure into Coltishall, enjoy a meal at the
Recruiting Sergeant (booking strongly advised), then ride the Bure Valley
Railway back to Wroxham. In the afternoon, enjoy Wroxham Barns, visiting
sheep, pigs, goats and other animals.
Plan 2
● In Ranworth, have a coffee or ice cream from the Granary followed by a short
walk to the Church where there may be the opportunity to climb the tower for
a panoramic view. Follow with an excursion to the Broads Conservation
Centre where you can watch the birds from the comfort of the loft and learn
more about the local history. Then walk back into Ranworth for a meal at the
Maltsters, often frequented by day boaters.
Plan 3
● Explore Fairhaven Woodland and Water Gardens; venture on a gentle boat
trip on the broad to the ruined site of St Benet’s Abbey. The cafe serves
cakes, sandwiches and ice creams. A gift shop neighbours the cafe, full of
mementos to recall your holiday. You can normally buy firewood from
Fairhaven.
Plan 4
● Hire a boat and spend the whole day on the water exploring the rivers at your
own pace. Bring a packed lunch or plan a stop in one of the several riverside
pubs, both on the Bure and the Yare.
Plan 5
● Travel to Norwich city, and visit the Castle with its dungeons and battlements,
the Cathedral, the Marketplace, the museums, and the many other attractions.
Railways
● National Rail:
● Heritage railways:
○ Bure Valley Railway - Wroxham to Aylsham (www.bvrw.co.uk)
Useful directions
Fuel
● Acle (New Rd, NR13 3BE) 4 miles
● Brundall (Yarmouth Rd, NR13 5AR) 5 miles
● Wroxham (Norwich Rd, NR12 8SL) 5 miles
● Thorpe St. Andrews (Pound Ln, NR7 0SR) 7 ½ miles
Large Supermarkets
● Acle - East of England Co-Op (Norwich Rd, NR13 3BY) 4 miles
● Wroxham - Roy’s (Stalham Rd, NR12 8DB) 6 miles
● Sprowston - Tesco Extra and LIDL (Blue Boar Ln, NR7 8AB) 7 ½ miles
● Thorpe St. Andrews - Sainsbury’s (Pound Ln, NR7 0SR) 7 ½ miles
Post Offices and convenience stores
● Ranworth - Granary Stores & Post Office (Farm Ln, NR13 6HY) 2 miles
● Blofield Heath - Store & Post Office (Woodbastwick Rd, NR13 4AB) 2 ½ miles
● Acle - Post Office (Priory Close, NR13 3AA) 5 miles
● Brundall - Co-op & Post Office (The Street, NR13 5AA) 7 miles
Taxi companies
● ABC Taxis - 01603 666 333
● Canary Taxis - 01603 41 42 43
● Eastern Chauffeurs (Private chauffeur) - 01508 495660 -
www.easternchauffeur.com
Morston, Cley, Blakeney, Little Chelsea..!! Sea food..............
Upmarket but interesting and picturesque...
Blakeney Point Seal Trips Ptarmigan
Quay LaneJust a little different....
Food scene, gift shops, expensive..
Holt
Nice shops and all one offs.. on the way to Blakeney..
Funfair and People watching..
One for the children, also dont forget the circus, the beach is sandy and nice, but watch out for the 'Kiss me Quick' hats.. The Blackpool of the East, fresh doughnuts on the front, arcades and BINGO.....Chips from the market Place , sticks of Rock from the old established family firm of Docwras..
Dont go when its dark!!!!!
76 locals recommend
Pleasure Beach
South Beach ParadeOne for the children, also dont forget the circus, the beach is sandy and nice, but watch out for the 'Kiss me Quick' hats.. The Blackpool of the East, fresh doughnuts on the front, arcades and BINGO.....Chips from the market Place , sticks of Rock from the old established family firm of Docwras..
Dont go when its dark!!!!!
The Norfolk Broads.
The Broads has many nice spots go to them all, take the family to Salhouse broad for a paddle or kayak and an Ice Cream and stop at the Brewery at Woodbastwick on the way back..
56 locals recommend
Wroxham
The Broads has many nice spots go to them all, take the family to Salhouse broad for a paddle or kayak and an Ice Cream and stop at the Brewery at Woodbastwick on the way back..