North Walsham - town and civil parish in Norfolk, United Kingdom

North Walsham is in Norfolk.

Understand

Through the 13th and 14th centuries Flemish weavers settled in the town making it a centre for wool and weaving industries. The town flourished as evidenced by the massive parish Church of St. Nicholas. In the 18th century the church was given an appropriately massive tower (the only higher church tower in the area being Norwich Cathedral). Unfortunately enthusiasm was greater than structural engineering skills and in 1724 the day following a long bell ringing sessions with a particularly heavy set of bells, two sides of the tower collapsed! There have been plans to re-build the tower but all have been abandoned so the tower ruins can still be seen today.

The Market Cross in the centre of town was built as a base for rent collectors for the town market stalls.

Norfolk still takes great pride in the fact that Vice Admiral Horatio Lord Nelson (1771-1805) was born and brought-up in the county. He attended Paston Sixth From College in the town until age 12 (when he went on to Norwich). He later went on to achieve many naval victories, maybe the most famous being at the Battle of Trafalgar (1805).

Today the town is mainly residential, catering for the local population.

Get in

The town lies on the A149 between Cromer (9 miles) and Great Yarmouth (25 miles). The B1145 to the west connects the town to the A140 main road to Norwich and Cromer.

Trains run hourly from Norwich, taking 25 min to North Walsham and continuing to Cromer and Sheringham.

The railway station is south side of town next to the Motorcycle Museum. It's just an unstaffed platform halt, with ticket machines but no kiosk, and no toilets. There's step-free access to both platforms, though the ramp is steep for Platform 2 from Norwich towards Sheringham.

Sanders Coaches operate a number of services between the town and Norwich, Holt, Cromer, Great Yarmouth and other destinations.

Get around

The town is small enough to see and get around on foot.

See

• Church of St Nicholas, 52.8216°, 1.3874°. In the era when the size of your church (and in particular the height of your church tower) reflected the prosperity and status of your town, in 1924 North Walsham truly experienced "pride comes before a fall" as their 2nd highest church tower in the area collapsed; the ruins of the tower still remain today as plans to re-built have never come to fruition. However only the tower collapsed and the church is still in use and can be visited today. 2017-05-15
• Gunton Park Sawmill, Hanworth NR11 7HH, 52.852°, 1.301°, +44 1263 768170. Open once a month Apr-Sept. Remarkable thatched building and mechanism installed in 1820. One waterwheel powers a huge reciprocating saw which still functions, the second powered a circular saw. Adult £3, child free 2021-06-28

Do

• Victory Swim & Fitness Centre (Gym, Swimming Pool & Studio), Station Rd, North Walsham, NR28 0DZ , 52.8182°, 1.3827°, +44 1692 409370. M-Th 06:30-21:30. F 07:00-21:30. Sa 07:00-18:00. Su 09:00-18:00. 2017-05-15
• Strikers (Tenpin Bowling), Aylsham Rd, North Walsham, NR28 0JQ , 52.8191°, 1.3682°, +44 1692 407793. 09:30-late. Adult 1 game £5.20, 2 games £8.80; child 1 game £4.30, 2 games £7.40 2017-05-15
• Bacton Woods, 3½ miles E of town, 52.8285°, 1.4390°. 280 acres of woodland with marked woodland walks & cycle routes. Parking. 2017-05-15
• {{do | name=Stompers | alt=Children's Adventure Playground | url=http://stompers.co.uk (dead link: December 2020) | email= | address=Aylsham Rd, North Walsham, NR28 0JQ | lat=52.8192 | long=1.3682 | directions= | phone=+44 1692 407793 | tollfree= | fax= | hours=Su-Th 09:30-18:00. F Sa 09:30-19:00 | price= | lastedit=2017-05-15 | content= }}

Buy

• Sainsbury's (Supermarket), Bacton Rd, North Walsham, NR28 9DS , 52.82378°, 1.38989°, +44 1692 500498. M-Th 08:00-21:00. F Sa 07:30-21:00. Su 10:00-16:00. Petrol station (longer hours). ATMs. 2017-05-14
• Lidl (Supermarket), 7 Yarmouth Rd, North Walsham, NR28 9AS , 52.82017°, 1.38872°. M-Sa 08:00-22:00. Su 10:00-16:00. 2017-05-14
• Roys (Department Store), Yarmouth Rd, North Walsham, NR28 9BW , 52.82036°, 1.38828°, +44 1692 501058. M Tu 09:00-17:30. W-F 09:00-20:00. Sa 09:00-18:00. Su 10:00-16:00. 2017-05-15

Eat

• Three Cottages Fish Restaurant (Restaurant & Take-away), 16 Bacton Rd, North Walsham, NR28 9DR , 52.82260°, 1.38953°, +44 1692 403819. Tu W 11:45-last orders 13:45 & 16:30-last orders 20:00. Th-Sa 11:45-last orders 13:45 & 16:30-last orders 20:30. 2017-05-14
• Lambone (Indian Restaurant), 13a Mundesley Rd, North Walsham, NR28 0DA , 52.82246°, 1.38508°, +44 1692 500062. Daily 17:00-22:30. 2017-05-15
• Chubby Panda (Chinese Restaurant & Take-away), 22 Market St, North Walsham, NR28 9BZ , 52.82199°, 1.38489°, +44 1692 500920, chubbypanda@hotmail.co.uk. Tu-Th 11:30-14:30 & 17:00-22:30. F Sa 11:30-14:30 & 17:00-23:00. Su 11:30-14:30 & 17:00-22:30. 2017-05-15
• Bocadillo (Baguettes/Sandwiches Take-away), 44 Market Place, North Walsham, NR28 9BT , 52.82130°, 1.38772°, +44 7947 759034 (mobile). M-Sa 07:30-14:15. 2017-05-15 There are also many take-aways in the town centre.

Drink

• Orchard Gardens (Pub), Mundesley Rd, North Walsham, NR28 0D , 52.82516°, 1.38961°, +44 1692 405152, web@theorchardgardens.co.uk. M-Th 15:00-late. F 13:00-late. Sa Su 12:00-late. Th Quiz Night. 2017-05-15
• The White Swan (Pub), 12 Church St, North Walsham, NR28 9DA , 52.82151°, 1.38834°, +44 1692 405981. 2017-05-15
• The Cosy Cafe, 1 Mitre Tavern Yard, North Walsham, NR28 9BN , 52.82220°, 1.38592°, +44 7833 561737 (mobile). 2017-05-15
• Christopher's Cafe & Bakery, 4 Church St, North Walsham, NR28 9DA , 52.82124°, 1.38821°, +44 1692 405955. M-Sa 08:30-16:00. 2017-05-15

Sleep

• Beechwood Hotel & Restaurant, 20 Cromer Rd, North Walsham NR28 0HD, 52.82284°, 1.38223°, +44 1692 403231, info@beechwood-hotel.co.uk. Check-in: from 14:30, check-out: by 10:30. F & Sa min. 2 night stays. Dogs charged £12 per night. Double £100-£175 2017-05-14
• King's Arms Hotel, 1 King's Arms St, North Walsham NR28 9JX, 52.82121°, 1.38576°, +44 1692 403054, office@thekingsarmshotel.co.uk. Single room £36 per night. Twin/double £56 per night 2017-05-14
• Chimneys (B&B), 51 Cromer Rd, North Walsham NR28 0HB, 52.82482°, 1.37455°, +44 1692 406172. Check-in: from 16:00, check-out: by 11:00. Pets by prior arrangement (only in some rooms). 2017-05-15
• {{sleep | name=Bradfield House | alt=B&B | url=http://www.bradfieldhouse.com (dead link: December 2020) | email=info@bradfieldhouse.com | address=19 Station Rd, North Walsham NR28 0DZ | lat=52.8178 | long=1.3816 | directions= | phone=+44 1692 404352 | tollfree= | fax= | checkin= | checkout= | price=from £32.50 per person per night | lastedit=2017-05-15 | content=Cash or cheque (no card payment). Free Wi-Fi. }}
• Magpie Meadow, Bradfield Rd, North Walsham NR28 0ND, 52.8325°, 1.3756°, +44 7508 205326. "Wild" campsite open May-Sept. Two person tent £20 2022-05-07

Connect

As of May 2022, North Walsham has 4G from EE, O2 and Vodafone, but only a patchy mobile signal from Three. 5G has not reached this area.

Go next

• The beaches at Cromer
• Sheringham
• Seal colonies, bird watching and nature reserves at Blakeney Point and Norfolk Wildlife Trust Cley Marshes Nature Reserve.
• Norfolk Broads
• North Norfolk coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).