EXPLORE THE AREA
SOUTH NORFOLK
A tranquil place, where uncongested lanes lead to fields, woodland and meandering river valleys, this part of Norfolk is a treat for anyone searching for peace and quiet.
South Norfolk is a region dotted with historic market towns, each with fine churches, traditional markets and an excellent choice of pubs and hotels. It is full of charming picture postcard English villages with pretty thatched cottages and character pubs located in unspoilt countryside.
The town of Wymondham has many 17th century buildings, an octagonal market cross, a compact shopping centre and a magnificent and unusual twin-towered Abbey set in the centre. Among the places to visit are Wymondham Heritage Museum and the Rail Station Museum, which has a Brief Encounter themed restaurant. There are also weekly markets and regular antique and collectors’ fairs.
Diss is a thriving market town with a wealth of architectural styles surrounding a six-acre mere. It has shops and restaurants and an excellent museum. Harleston, in the Waveney Valley is a great place for speciality shops and crafts whilst Loddon, at the heart of the Southern Broads is ideal for boating and has many attractive 17th and 18th century houses, an impressive church and a pretty staithe.
If steam is your passion, the world renowned Bressingham Steam Museum
and Gardens has a fine collection of mainline steam engines, narrow-gauge
railways, and fairground attractions set in acres of gardens. The museum
also features the national “Dad’s Army” collection.
Norfolk’s newest heritage railway, the Mid-Norfolk Railway, connects
Wymondham and Dereham and runs through 11 miles of rural Norfolk countryside.
Discover the Broads’ flora and fauna at Surlingham RSPB reserve
and the Ted Ellis Trust. See wallabies, muntjac deer and the world’s
largest collection of otters on the banks of the beautiful River Waveney
at the Otter Trust; all in natural enclosures where the British otter
is bred for reintroduction into the wild.
South Norfolk has many other excellent visitor attractions including
halls, gardens, windmills, arts and crafts. The 100th Bomb Group Industrial
Steam Museum, Burston Strike School and the Roman town Venta Icenorum
at Caistor St Edmunds are not to be missed.
South Norfolk is served by excellent communications, with easy access
to the main routes to London, Cambridge and the Midlands as well as directly
into Norwich. It makes a perfect base to explore the Waveney Valley,
Norfolk, Suffolk, the Broads and Norwich.