Wroxham Crag Formation
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Wroxham is a village and
civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...
in the English county of
Norfolk Norfolk ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in England, located in East Anglia and officially part of the East of England region. It borders Lincolnshire and The Wash to the north-west, the North Sea to the north and eas ...
. The civil parish of Wroxham has an area of 6.21 square kilometres, and in 2001, had a population of 1,532 in 666 households. A reduced population of 1,502 in 653 households was noted in the 2011 Census. The village is situated within
the Norfolk Broads The Broads (known for marketing purposes as The Broads National Park) is a network of mostly navigable rivers and lakes in the English counties of Norfolk and Suffolk. Although the terms "Norfolk Broads" and "Suffolk Broads" are correctly used ...
on the south side of a loop in the middle reaches of the
River Bure The River Bure is a river in the county of Norfolk, England, most of it in the Broads.Ordnance Survey (2005). ''OS Explorer Map OL40 - The Broads''. . The Bure rises near Melton Constable, upstream of Aylsham, which was the original head of ...
. It lies in an elevated position above the Bure, between Belaugh Broad to the west, and
Wroxham Broad Wroxham Broad is an area of open water alongside the River Bure near the village of Wroxham in Norfolk, England within The Broads National Park. The Norfolk Broads were formed by the flooding of ancient peat workings. Wroxham Broad has an area of ...
to the east and south east. Wroxham is some eight miles north-east of
Norwich Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of the county of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. It lies by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. The population of the Norwich ...
, to which it is linked by the
A1151 road This is a list of A roads in zone 1 in Great Britain beginning north of the River Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. A ...
. The village and broad lie in an area of fairly intensive agriculture, with areas of wet woodland adjoining the broad and river. For the purposes of local government, the parish falls within the
district A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municip ...
of
Broadland Broadland is a local government district in Norfolk, England, named after the Norfolk Broads. Its council is based at the Broadland Business Park on the outskirts of Norwich. The district includes the towns of Acle, Aylsham, Reepham, Spro ...
although the river, broad and their immediate environs fall within the executive area of the
Broads Authority The Broads (known for marketing purposes as The Broads National Park) is a network of mostly navigable rivers and lakes in the English counties of Norfolk and Suffolk. Although the terms "Norfolk Broads" and "Suffolk Broads" are correctly used ...
. On the northern side of the Bure is the village of
Hoveton Hoveton is a village and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the England, English county of Norfolk, within The Broads, the Norfolk Broads. Hoveton is located south of North Walsham and north-east of Norwich, separated from Wroxham by ...
, often confused with Wroxham. The village's name origin is uncertain; it is believed to mean 'wrocc's homestead/village' or '
buzzard Buzzard is the common name of several species of birds of prey. ''Buteo'' species * Archer's buzzard (''Buteo archeri'') * Augur buzzard (''Buteo augur'') * Broad-winged hawk (''Buteo platypterus'') * Common buzzard (''Buteo buteo'') * Easte ...
homestead/village'.


Wroxham Bridge

Wroxham Bridge was rebuilt with brick and stone in 1619, replacing a bridge built in 1576, which itself replaced an earlier, probably wooden, structure. It is considered to be the second most difficult on the Broads to navigate (after
Potter Heigham Potter Heigham is a village and civil parish on the River Thurne in the English county of Norfolk. It is situated north-east of the city of Norwich on the A149 road, and within the Broads National Park. The village is known for its medieva ...
) and a
pilot station A pilot station is an onshore headquarters for maritime pilots, or a place where pilots can be hired from. To get from a pilot station to an approaching ship, pilots need to use fast vessels to arrive in time, i.e. a pilot boat. History Histor ...
sits on the Hoveton side of the river to assist boaters for a fee: £12 each way per boat.


The Broad

Wroxham Broad Wroxham Broad is an area of open water alongside the River Bure near the village of Wroxham in Norfolk, England within The Broads National Park. The Norfolk Broads were formed by the flooding of ancient peat workings. Wroxham Broad has an area of ...
lies about one mile downstream from Wroxham Bridge. The broad has an area of 34.4 hectares and a mean depth of 1.3 metres. It lies to the west of the Bure, with two navigable openings between river and broad. The broad is popular for sailing and is the home of the Norfolk Broads Yacht Club. It is also an important habitat for broadland flora and fauna. Between 2000 and 2005, the island between the two channels linking Wroxham Broad to the Bure underwent restoration to stop erosion and improve the island's ecology, which had become degraded. The project was a joint initiative involving the
Broads Authority The Broads (known for marketing purposes as The Broads National Park) is a network of mostly navigable rivers and lakes in the English counties of Norfolk and Suffolk. Although the terms "Norfolk Broads" and "Suffolk Broads" are correctly used ...
, Norfolk Broads Yacht Club, and the local landowner, Trafford Estates. Scrub was cleared and a stretch of piling installed, allowing sedge, reed, and rush to grow back. By 2005 it was reported that more birds, including
kingfishers Kingfishers are a family, the Alcedinidae, of small to medium-sized, brightly coloured birds in the order Coraciiformes. They have a cosmopolitan distribution, with most species living in the tropical regions of Africa, Asia, and Oceania, ...
, were nesting on the island and the
Cetti's warbler Cetti's warbler (''Cettia cetti'') is a small, brown bush-warbler which breeds in southern and central Europe, northwest Africa and the east Palearctic as far as Afghanistan and northwest Pakistan. The sexes are alike. The bird is named after ...
was often spotted. Greater numbers of ducks, including
pochard Pochard is a common name used for several species of diving ducks: *Four species in the genus ''Aythya'': ** Common pochard, ''Aythya ferina'' ** Baer's pochard, ''Aythya baeri'' ** Ferruginous pochard, ''Aythya nyroca'' ** Madagascar pochard, ' ...
and
tufted duck The tufted duck (or tufted pochard) (''Aythya fuligula'') is a small diving duck with a population of nearly one million birds, found in northern Eurasia. They are partially migratory. The scientific name is derived from Ancient Greek , an unide ...
, now wintered nearby and there was a greater profusion of wild flowers and marsh flora including orchids. During the course of the work in 2004, volunteers came across an unexploded Second World War hand grenade in the dredgings, which was exploded by an army bomb disposal team.


Capital of the Broads

Wroxham is often called the ''Capital of the Broads'', an accolade that may, with some merit, be challenged by Hoveton, where the majority of local businesses and boatyards are situated; it has been the primary centre on
the Broads The Broads (known for marketing purposes as The Broads National Park) is a network of mostly navigable rivers and lakes in the English counties of Norfolk and Suffolk. Although the terms "Norfolk Broads" and "Suffolk Broads" are correctly used ...
for boating holidays and excursions from the late nineteenth century, when expansion of the rail network had made access to the area easier. The
East Norfolk Railway The East Norfolk Railway was a Railways Act 1921, pre-grouping railway company operating a standard gauge 25 mile, mostly single track, railway running between Norwich railway station, Norwich Thorpe railway station and Cromer railway station, C ...
arrived in Wroxham and Hoveton between 1874 and 1876. John Loynes, regarded as the father of the Broadland holiday business, started the first boat hire firm on the Broads of Wroxham where he moved the business he had started in Norwich in 1878.


Wroxham and Hoveton

Both Wroxham and Hoveton have several boat building and pleasure craft hire yards. Other local industries include the canning of soft fruits. Wroxham village had at one time, for much of the 20th century, its own public house (The Castle, in Norwich Road), four village shops (one in Castle Street and three in Norwich Road), and a primary school (in Church Lane), all now closed. A public library was built near Bridge Broad, a small broad near Wroxham Bridge, in the 1960s. Wroxham has almost merged with
Hoveton Hoveton is a village and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the England, English county of Norfolk, within The Broads, the Norfolk Broads. Hoveton is located south of North Walsham and north-east of Norwich, separated from Wroxham by ...
, with each village growing on either bank of the river, and much of the area's commercial activity developing in Hoveton. The area around Wroxham Bridge is a local shopping centre, mainly due to the presence of
Roys of Wroxham Roys of Wroxham is a family owned group of general stores based in Hoveton, Norfolk. Following a competition in the early 1930s, the store uses the motto "''The World's Largest Village Store''" in all its advertising and literature. History Roys ...
– situated near Wroxham Bridge since 1899 and, since the 1930s, proud bearer of the accolade ''world's largest village store''. Roys owns much of the commercial property in the area. Roys of Wroxham is entirely situated in Hoveton, as are the local post office and the Hotel Wroxham. It seems that the proximity and name of Wroxham Bridge, one side of which, naturally, is in Hoveton, gave rise to the common erroneous attribution of the name 'Wroxham' to that part of Hoveton that is close to the river and may be considered the commercial centre for both villages. Like many other local amenities, the
railway station Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...
is actually located in Hoveton. Wroxham in 1954 is featured in film held by the Cinema Museum in London. Ref HM0568.


Significant buildings

The Church of St Mary the Virgin is a
grade I In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, H ...
listed building and stands at the top of a steep slope above the River Bure. It is built of flint with limestone dressings and with lead roofs. It has a high tower and a famous Norman (12th century) south doorway, stained blue, with seven
orders Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * A socio-political or established or existing order, e.g. World order, Ancien Regime, Pax Britannica * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * H ...
and three shafts, described by the architectural historian
Nikolaus Pevsner Sir Nikolaus Bernhard Leon Pevsner (30 January 1902 – 18 August 1983) was a German-British art historian and architectural historian best known for his monumental 46-volume series of county-by-county guides, ''The Buildings of England'' (195 ...
as 'barbaric and glorious'. The church was heavily restored in the Victorian age. In the churchyard is the Trafford Mausoleum, mediaeval in appearance but built in 1831 to designs by the architect
Anthony Salvin Anthony Salvin (17 October 1799 – 17 December 1881) was an English architect. He gained a reputation as an expert on Middle Ages, medieval buildings and applied this expertise to his new buildings and his restorations, such as those of the ...
. The area near the church was historically the core of the village. A brick and pantile manor house to the south east of the church has stepped
gable A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of intersecting roof pitches. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system used, which reflects climate, material availability, and aesth ...
s showing Dutch influence, and a
panel Panel may refer to: Arts and media Visual arts *Panel painting, in art, a painting on a wood panel (as opposed to canvas, a wall etc) *Panel (comics), a single image in a comic book, comic strip or cartoon; also, a comic strip containing one ...
dating to 1623. A picturesque red brick grade II listed cottage dating from about 1820 abuts the churchyard. Other significant houses in the village include Keys Hill House, built to the east of Norwich Road around 1890 by important Norwich architect,
Edward Boardman Edward Boardman (1833–1910) was a Norwich born architect. He succeeded John Brown as the most successful Norwich architect in the second half of the 19th century.
George Formby George Formby, (born George Hoy Booth; 26 May 1904 – 6 March 1961), was an English actor, singer-songwriter and comedian who became known to a worldwide audience through his films of the 1930s and 1940s. On stage, screen and record he ...
, the early twentieth-century entertainer, once owned a riverside home in Beech Road, off the Avenue, a thatched house called Heronby, built in 1907. Nearby is Charles Close, a mid-20th century residential development on the site of the Charles family's large Georgian mansion, Wroxham House, demolished in 1954. Closer to Wroxham Broad to the south stands the early 18th century red brick estate house Broad House, formerly the seat of the local land-owning Trafford family, more recently a 'boutique' hotel. On the west side of Norwich Road stands the large former village inn, The Castle, which has been converted into flats. The red brick Victorian school house stands between Norwich Road and the church, the additional post-war school buildings having been demolished after the school closed in the 1980s (although the old school house continued as a Steiner school until the 2000s).


Sport and leisure

Wroxham has a
non-League football Non-League football describes association football, football leagues played outside the top leagues of a country. Usually, it describes leagues which are not fully professional. The term is primarily used for football in England, where it is ...
club,
Wroxham F.C. Wroxham Football Club is a Association football, football club based in Wroxham, Norfolk, England. They are currently members of the and play at Trafford Park. History The club was established in 1892 by George Preston, a former captain of th ...
, who play at Trafford Park.


Literary reference

The 20th-century children's author,
Arthur Ransome Arthur Michell Ransome (18 January 1884 – 3 June 1967) was an English author and journalist. He is best known for writing and illustrating the ''Swallows and Amazons'' series of children's books about the school-holiday adventures of childre ...
, visited Wroxham in the 1930s. In his book '' Coot Club'' (1934), he describes the busy scene on the river at Wroxham Bridge with numerous boats, a
wherry A wherry is a type of boat that was traditionally used for carrying cargo or passengers on rivers and canals in England, and is particularly associated with the River Thames and the River Cam. They were also used on the Broadland rivers of No ...
, punts, motor cruisers, and sailing yachts, jostling for a mooring.


Wherry base

In April 2011, a base for the restoration of the Norfolk wherry was opened in Hartwell Road by the Wherry Yacht Charter Charitable Trust. Work began with the restoration of the Edwardian wherry yacht, the ''Norada'', with restoration of another wherry yacht, the ''Olive,'' and the pleasure wherry, the ''Hathor'', projected over the following two years. Once restored, the wherries are intended to be available for use by school and youth groups as well as by private charter. A third of the cost of the project came from the
Heritage Lottery Fund The National Lottery Heritage Fund, formerly the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), distributes a share of National Lottery funding, supporting a wide range of heritage projects across the United Kingdom. History The fund's predecessor bodies were ...
.


Transport


Railways

Hoveton and Wroxham railway station Hoveton & Wroxham railway station is on the Bittern Line in Norfolk, England, serving the village of Hoveton and the adjacent village of Wroxham (the two settlements are usually regarded as one). Zoomed to station location with civil parish bo ...
is located over in Hoveton and was previously called ''Wroxham''. It is a stop on the
Bittern Line The Bittern Line is a railway branch line in Norfolk, England, that links to . It passes through the Broads on its route to an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty on the north Norfolk coast. It is named after the Eurasian bittern, bittern, a r ...
between , and , with services operated by
Greater Anglia Greater Anglia (legal name Transport UK East Anglia Limited) is a British train operating company owned as a joint venture by Transport UK Group and Mitsui & Co. It operates the East Anglia franchise, providing the commuter and inter-city se ...
.


Heritage

The
Bure Valley Railway The Bure Valley Railway is a minimum gauge visitors' attraction in Norfolk, England. It was created on the original disused trackbed of a standard gauge railway to incorporate a new, adjacent pedestrian footpath. The railway runs from Wroxh ...
is a minimum gauge
heritage railway A heritage railway or heritage railroad (U.S. usage) is a railway operated as living history to re-create or preserve railway scenes of the past. Heritage railways are often old railway lines preserved in a state depicting a period (or periods) ...
which runs from to . At , it is Norfolk's longest railway of less than
standard gauge A standard-gauge railway is a railway with a track gauge of . The standard gauge is also called Stephenson gauge (after George Stephenson), international gauge, UIC gauge, uniform gauge, normal gauge in Europe, and SGR in East Africa. It is the ...
. Barton House Railway is a miniature steam-driven railway (now two railways) large enough for passengers, with a full-size signal box and signals, and a museum of railway artefacts. It has been open to the public since 1963, in a large riverside garden in Hartwell Road. It is based on the
Midland & Great Northern Joint Railway The Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway (M&GNJR) was a railway network in England, in the area connecting southern Lincolnshire, the Isle of Ely and north Norfolk. It developed from several local independent concerns and was incorporated i ...
, which operated some of the train services in East Anglia before British
railway nationalisation Railway nationalisation is the act of taking rail transport assets into public ownership. Several countries have at different times nationalised part or all of their railway system. More recently, the international trend has been towards privat ...
in 1947. The original railway runs on a track with a miniature steam locomotive. In 1979, work started on the 'Riverside' railway which ran initially with an electric engine and later with a steam locomotive. The railway is run by volunteers and makes donations from proceeds to local charities.


Buses

Bus routes in and around Wroxham are operated primarily by
First Eastern Counties First Bus East of England is a bus operator that provides services in Norfolk and Suffolk in eastern England; it is a subsidiary of FirstGroup. It has five depots in operating areas spread out across East Anglia: Norwich, Ipswich, Great Yarmou ...
and
Konectbus Konectbus is a bus operator based in Dereham in Norfolk, England. It is a subsidiary of the Go-Ahead Group and forms part of Go East Anglia. History Konectbus was formed in 1999 when the Saham Toney depot of Norfolk Green was purchased from ...
. Destinations include Norwich,
Sprowston Sprowston ( or ) is a town and civil parish in the Broadland district of Norfolk, England. It is bounded by Heartsease to the east, Mousehold Heath and the suburb of New Sprowston to the south, Old Catton to the west, and by the open farmland ...
,
Aylsham Aylsham ( or ) is a historic market town and civil parish on the River Bure in north Norfolk, England, nearly north of Norwich. The river rises near Melton Constable, upstream from Aylsham and continues to Great Yarmouth and the North Sea ...
and
Acle Acle ( ) is a market town on the River Bure on the The Broads, Norfolk Broads in Norfolk, located halfway between Norwich and Great Yarmouth. It has the only bridge across the River Bure between Wroxham and Great Yarmouth.Ordnance Survey (2005). ...
.


References


External links


Information from Genuki Norfolk
on Wroxham. {{authority control Broadland Villages in Norfolk Civil parishes in Norfolk