Cities and Towns - Norfolk

Aylsham www.broadland.gov.uk
For 500 years, this picturesque small town was an important cloth-making centre (firstly with wool, then worsted). The open market place is surrounded by fine 18th C. buildings. Humphry Repton (1752-1818), the noted landscape gardener is buried at St. Michael's Church. The town holds regular antique auctions.

Burnham Market www.west-norfolk.gov.uk
This is the largest of the seven 'Burnham' villages. It has become known as 'Chelsea-on-Sea', with its attractive green, elegant 18th C. houses and pretty flint cottages. Numerous antique, book and speciality shops. The adjacent village of Burnham Thorpe was the birthplace of the naval hero Lord Nelson in 1758.

Cromer www.northnorfolk.org
Dominated by the tower of its parish church, this sedate seaside town stands on a cliff top, with beaches of sand, shingle and pebbles. Cromer is famous for its catch of common crabs, caught by its little fishing boats which still work from the beach. The fine pier (built in 1901) is noted for its seaside theatre and RNLI lifeboat station.

Diss www.south-norfolk.gov.uk
Set in the Waveney Valley, this thriving market town borders a six acre mere, said to be the deepest in the country. Fine examples of period architecture can be enjoyed, including timber-framed buildings and Georgian/Edwardian facades. A maze of streets are clustered around St. Mary's Church.

Downham Market www.west-norfolk.gov.uk
Dating back to Saxon times, this small hillside settlement is one of Norfolk´s oldest market towns. Lying on the edge of The Fens, Downham Market is noted for its 19th C. black and white clock tower and local carrstone buildings, some showing a Dutch influence. 15th C. church surmounted by a slender spire.

Fakenham www.northnorfolk.org
Thriving market town set on the River Wensum. The large market place is surrounded by handsome 18/19th C. buildings, interesting courtyards and tiny lanes. The patronage of the partly 15th C. church has rested with Trinity College in Cambridge since 1547. The town boasts one of the finest National Hunt courses in the country.

Great Yarmouth www.great-yarmouth.co.uk
One of the UK's most popular seaside resorts, offering clean sandy beaches, attractive seafront gardens and countless seaside attractions and entertainment. The town's wealth comes from its port and the former herring industry. Explore the historic quayside with its old merchants' houses and narrow medieval alleys.

Holt www.northnorfolk.org
One of the most attractive small towns in Norfolk, with a main street lined with elegant Georgian buildings - mostly built after the devastating fire of 1708. The town is best known for Gresham's, a public school founded in 1555 by Sir John Gresham, a former Lord Mayor of London. Holt is a good place for antiques and bric-a-brac.

Hunstanton www.west-norfolk.gov.uk
England's only east coast resort which faces west. A traditional seaside town with Victorian/Edwardian houses overlooking wide open greens and pretty gardens which slope down to the sea. Large sandy beach, watersports and seaside attractions. To the north is Old Hunstanton, with its red and white striped cliffs.

King’s Lynn www.west-norfolk.gov.uk
Ancient port and market town, dating back to the 12th C. and steeped in maritime history. Two magnificent market places and two medieval guildhalls - one is the largest in Britain, the other houses the town's regalia. Former merchants' houses, hidden courtyards and attractive waterfront area with 17th C. Custom House. St. Margaret's Church has twin Norman towers and a 17th C. moon clock.

Little Walsingham www.northnorfolk.org
Picturesque village, a famous pilgrimage centre since 1061, when the Lady of the Manor had a vision of the Virgin Mary. The subsequent shrine became one of the most important in Europe. Timber-framed buildings, Georgian facades and 16th C. pump-house. Ruins of Augustinian abbey set amongst gardens and woodland.

Norwich www.visitnorwich.co.uk
Not only does Norwich boast some of the finest medieval architecture in
Britain and a host of cultural treasures - but there is also a vibrant mix of theatres, shopping, pubs and restaurants. Splendid 900 year old Norman castle keep (now a museum), magnificent cathedral, medieval streets (Elm Hill) and no few than
30 medieval churches. The city is ranked as one of the top five places for shopping in the country.

Sheringham www.northnorfolk.org
This traditional seaside town grew up around its old fishing village, and a band of little boats still bring in the daily catch. A mixture of Edwardian and Victorian buildings - Sheringham is home of The Poppy Line (North Norfolk Railway). At low tide the sloping pebble and shingle beach reveals shallow pools.

Swaffham www.visitbreckland.com
Charming old market town, once a fashionable centre for the gentry in the 18th C. The triangular-shaped market place has handsome Georgian buildings and a butter cross. Inside the 15th C. church is a magnificent double hammerbeam roof. The town sign shows the famous Pedlar of Swaffham.

Thetford www.visitbreckland.com
Thriving market town - which was once the capital of the Saxon kingdom of East Anglia. Its importance has left a legacy of historic sites - Iron Age earthworks, a Norman castle mound and 12th century priory remains. Fine medieval and Georgian buildings. The comedy series 'Dad's Army' was filmed in and around Thetford.

Wells-next-the-Sea www.northnorfolk.org
Picturesque small town, a busy port for coasters and the local whelk and shrimp boats. Not quite on the sea, but sitting on an estuary, Wells has narrow streets lined with traditional flint buildings. Whilst on the green (The Buttlands) is a series of Georgian houses. The tree-lined sand/shingle beach is just to the north of the town.

Wroxham/Hoveton www.broadland.gov.uk
The adjoining villages of Wroxham and Hoveton are known as the `capital of The Broads´. Linked together by a hump-backed bridge over the River Bure, Hoveton offers the main shopping and tourist centre, with its boatyards, chandleries and 'Roys' - the world's largest village store. Various boat excursions available.

Wymondham www.south-norfolk.gov.uk
Wymondham retains all the character of a historic market town. It has more listed buildings than any similar-sized town in the county, including the 17th C. octagonal market building. The twin towers of the beautiful abbey dominate the skyline, and are the result of a 14th C. dispute between the townspeople and the monks.