A VISITORS GUIDE TO WATTON & WAYLAND

in the Breckland District of Norfolk

  GENERAL INFORMATION
ABOUT WATTON & WAYLAND

Wayland is an old 'hundred' area within Breckland at the heart of Norfolk (click to see "What is a Hundred").
 The name has been re-adopted with a new identity in the form of the dragonfly 'marque'.

 The area has undergone a regeneration directed by the Wayland Partnership Development Trust.

The Partnership is made up of 13 parish councils, Watton Town Council, the local Chamber of Commerce
 and the Tourism Association as well as other representative organisations.
Central to Norfolk's many attractions, the area is noted for its rural setting in the Brecks and traditional farmland.
  'Wayland' contains many small villages and hamlets linked by narrow lanes, with the thriving market town of Watton at its centre.
 An ancient route, the Peddars Way, now a National Trail, traverses the area.
Easily accessible by car, you will find us on the map some 20 miles west of Norwich at the intersection of the B1108,
 an old turnpike road, and the A1075 road linking Thetford (A11) and Dereham (A47).
Coach services to/from London Airports and Central London and rail links can be accessed at Thetford.
 An ideal area for cyclists and ramblers, visitors without cars can also explore much of Norfolk using the county's bus services.
A street market on Wednesdays augments a remarkable range of small privately-run shops, many specialising in crafts and craft-wares
and locally produced foods - look for local apple juice, the Wayland Sausage and the Wayland Bap!
There is a Farmers' Market in Watton town centre on the first Saturday of each month, except January.
 Just south of Watton lies the ancient Wayland Wood noted for its bluebells and its association with the "Babes in the Wood" legend.

This is depicted on the Town Sign which occupies a prominent position in the High Street in front of the Clock Tower,
 which was built in 1679 after the 'Great Fire of Watton'.

Come and join us under the open skies of Norfolk in the lovely Wayland countryside.
 

Hospitality providers listed in the 'Accommodation'  section of this site are members of
THE WAYLAND TOURISM ASSOCIATION.
 

FACILITIES AROUND WAYLAND
 & IN WATTON

Places to Eat & Drink

Most of the villages in and around Wayland have an inn or public house, some of which are noted for their bar meals, which can be up to gourmet restaurant standards. Noted, in particular, are:

In Watton there is a good selection of restaurants, cafés, coffee shops, public houses and take-away establishments, including:

Beijing Diner Chinese Restaurant & Takeaway, 44a High Street	01953 882282
Babaco Café & Deli (9.30-4.30 Mon- Sat), 62 High St	01953 881292
Crown Hotel, High St - Speciality: Low Priced Senior Citizens Luncheons	01953 882375
Express Fish Bar & Take-away, 84 High St	01953 883910
Fancies Breakfast & Sandwich Bar, 58b High St	01953 882208
Golden Lantern Chinese Take-away, 4 Dereham Rd	01953 882753
Great China Chinese Take-away, 2 Middle St	01953 881070
Hare & Barrel Hotel, Brandon Rd	01953 882752
Italian Job (All-day & Evening Restaurant & Take-Away), Chaston Place	01953 884141
Little Gary's Plaice (Fish & Chips) High St	01953 881116
Pizza Pluss Restaurant & Take-away, 82e High St	01953 884726
Richmond Park Golf Club, Saham Rd	01953 881803
Rivaaj Indian Restaurant, 11b High St	01953 889188
Steven Smith Meats, (Hot meat Baguettes to take away, Lunchtimes only) 23 High St	01953 885467
Treasure House Chinese Take-away, 86 High St	01953 883899
Watton Plaice Fish & Chips, 9 Middle St	01953 882401
Watton Kebab House Turkish Take-away, 5a High St	01953 885546
Willow House Hotel, 2-4 High St	01953 881181

Sport & Leisure

Watton Sports Centre (01953 881281) welcomes visitors; located just off Dereham Road, the range of facilities include carpet bowls, badminton, squash, tennis and a fully-fitted fitness centre. Fully Licensed Bar with food available.
There is an 18-hole Golf Course at Richmond Park Golf Club, (01953 881803) situated about half a mile from Watton town centre. It has all the usual professional facilities and amenities. Non-members and non-golfers are welcome to avail themselves of  the bar and restaurant facilities.

Events & Activities
The Wayland Agricultural Society runs an annual agricultural show, The Wayland Show, one of the oldest in the country. It is usually held on the first Sunday in August (3rd August 2008); for further details see their website: www.waylandshow.com.
The Household Cavalry provide a special treat with an Open Day during their summer camp at Bodney five miles outside Watton. The event is not published very far in advance due to uncertainties about unit deployments. As soon as we know the date, it will be shown on our EVENTS page.

An events leaflet is available in the TIC and is shown on the "What's On" page of the Partnership's Website at www.wayland.org.uk

To see "What's On" in list format, continually updated and amended with newly notified information, click on our EVENTS page.

 

The Wayland Word Journey & Watton Heritage Trail
Of interest to local people and visitors, a 'word journey' and a heritage brochure have now been published; they give some new, dynamic, and unique insights into the gems of the area. Click here for details.

 

Woods, Walks & Trails
Numerous walks and natural places are a feature of the area; information leaflets are available in the Visitor Centre. They include: Village Walks, Watton Walks, Wayland Wood, Pingo Trail, Peddars Way (see 'Hikers & Bikers' below) and several local Nature Reserves. The Brecks Project publishes leaflets on a number of subjects, from history to bridleways; they are available at a small charge. Local villages publish leaflets extolling their virtues, and their footpaths and walks, with many more coming into use, including a boardwalk at Sandwade Mere, Stow Bedon.

WALKING FOR HEALTH - GUIDED WALKS

A series of  walks suitable for various levels of ability and fitness are available in the area. Details are available from the Wayland Partnership Office at 76 High Street, Watton and the Visitor Centre.

Click here for details of the walks based on Watton.

CYCLING
Five special routes for cyclists are available in a handy A5 size folding out to A3; they are laminated (waterproof) and cover several of the most interesting aspects of the area - click here.

 

PEDDARS WAY This National Trail runs through the heart of WAYLAND. Click here for details.

Riding

Eden Meadows Riding Centre is situated on Sandy Lane between Lower Stow Bedon and Fen Street (Rocklands).  Tel 01953 483545.

Nearby Attractions
Our local attraction is Melsop Farm Park, situated at Scoulton on the Ellingham Road off the B1108 Watton to Norwich road, it offers 'Family Fun down on the Farm'. This venue is especially suitable for families with young children and has an extensive range of animals and rare breeds, including pigs, cattle, sheep, goats (with lambs and kids in season),  rabbits,  guinea pigs, ducks and geese. There is a Gift Shop, Café, a picnic area and ample parking. Private parties are catered for, and Children's birthday parties are a special treat! Group and school visits are most welcome welcome.  Telephone 01953 851943 for further information and booking enquiries.

Attractions within easy reach include Thetford Forest (High Lodge), Cockley Cley Iceni Village, Banham Zoo, Bressingham Steam Museum & Gardens, Grimes Graves (English Heritage), Rural Life Museum at Gressenhall,  Oxburgh Hall (National Trust) and Gooderstone Water Gardens. Not much farther away are Sandringham, HM The Queen's Norfolk Residence, and other stately county homes. The unique North Norfolk Coast is, on average, about 40 miles on an arc from northwest to northeast with coastal scenery varying from mudflats to cliffs,  and shingle to glorious miles of fine sandy beaches!

Shopping & Leisure
The Wayland Chamber of  Commerce publishes an annual Information, Trade & Service Directory. This lists local information, including clubs and societies and sports and leisure provision. The Trade & Services Section (click to read) lists many of the specialist shops in the area. It is available from the Visitor Centre and also from Chamber of Commerce member estate agents in the town.  Specialist shops include fashion (Doves, Gladrags), an antiquarian bookshop and picture gallery (JC Books), craft & ethnic at Trading Places, Wholefood & Organic specialists at Watton Earth too, and, unusually, two specialists in DIY, hardware and household goods stores, Myhills and Rudlings, together with another general & household goods store with the meaningful name of  "Spoilt for Choice".
The TLIC carries a range of local postcards, giftware and unique souvenirs, some of which are also available in the shops and by post (click here for details & order form). Our postcards, also on sale in Edwards Newsagents, include a millennium souvenir issue of 4 postcards, one of which is of the Watton Ceramic Mural. The Mural (click to view), which can be seen high up on Chaston Place, was commissioned jointly by the local Rotary & Inner Wheel Clubs to depict the history of Watton, and was inaugurated during the town's millennium celebration on 11 June 2000. In accordance with their international credentials, the Rotary & Inner Wheel Clubs welcome member visitors, contacts are given in the Information section of the Directory.
GIFT VOUCHERS. Wayland Gift Vouchers may be purchased from the Visitor Centre in denominations of £5.00 and £10.00. They can be personalised and supplied in any preferred value, subject to order.

Further Information
Details about retail facilities, trades and services, and a full listing of organisations, clubs etc, can be found in the relevant section of the Wayland Chamber of  Commerce Directory (available from Watton' Estate Agents or from the web version, clicking on Business or Information as required on the front page of www.wayland-chamber.org.uk                      
Further information about Wayland, its central town of Watton and its 13 individual villages see the Wayland Partnership website and to access the Wayland News and Watton History go to WattonInfo.
For a full listing of places to stay -  Hotels, B&Bs, Self Catering, and Campsites click on Accommodation. 
Information for other places nationwide can be found through Visitor Centres and Tourist Information Offices accessible by clicking HERE .
For further tourist information about Breckland and Norfolk, go to their respective sites, as shown hereunder:

The Future? PROJECT  RAINBOW  Perhaps? For full info go to: www.project-rainbow.org.uk
 

To explore Breckland: its landscape is full of surprises  click here

To explore Norfolk: such a lovely and diverse county click here

To view  pictures of some of the activities in Watton Click Here.

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