An historic village with its own little history
12 mins to Swanton Morley
16 mins to Fakenham
Lying on west bank of the River Wensum, North Elmham has the Medieval church of St Mary, which stands next to the grounds of the old cathedral and the ruins of the Bishops Chapel close by.
North Elmham
There is a primary school, pub, doctor’s surgery, post office and tea room, tennis club and a convenience store. Dereham is approximately five miles away, a busy market town, with a good range of shops, restaurants and cafes. There is also a golf course, swimming pool, secondary schools, hospital and a cinema.
Dereham is a classic country market town and an architectural haven with plenty of Georgian gems set on generous plots, blended with more recent developments.
Mentioned in The Domesday Book, Neolithic and Iron Age relics have been discovered in the area and the town is believed to lie on an ancient road with 1,000 Roman coins discovered nearby in 2004. The town’s recorded history dates back to 645AD when a monastery was founded by St Withburga and the town is said to derive its name from a miracle by the saint.
In the eighth century, it is said that the youngest daughter of Anna, King of East Anglia, prayed for a miracle during a famine and two deers appeared every day to provide milk for the nunnery she had founded. When a huntsman tried to snare the deer, he was thrown from his horse – believed to be an act of divine retribution – and killed. The hunt is depicted on a town sign at the entry to Butter Market from the High Street.
Today, a twice weekly market, on Tuesdays and Fridays, along with a strong cohort of independent and specialist shops and free parking make the town a fabulous place for an afternoon spent browsing. Youngsters will relish a trip to Starlings toy store, and Roys department store, a family run business since 1895, is a one-stop shop for just about everything you need.
