Wroxham & Hoveton

Wroxham and Hoveton St. John are two connected villages, split by the River Bure. Most of the village facilities are actually in Hoveton, but are generally known as Wroxham - the capital of the Norfolk Broads. Boats of all kinds are for hire and there are also an abundance of hotels, pubs, restaurants, shops and a large department store. Most of the shopping is dominated around the Roys brand, claiming to be the worlds largest village store! Wroxham contains many visitor attractions including a riverside park, Miniature Worlds indoor model museum, the Bure Valley steam railway and nearby Hoveton Hall gardens and Wroxham Barns craft centre. The village certainly is a busy spot in high season, but is open all year round and is well worth a visit at any time of the year. A little way out of the village centre is Wroxham Broad, home to the Norfolk Broads Yacht Club. Large free car-parks can be found behind Roys department store.

	Hoveton Riverside Park is a great place to walk your dog.
	Kids can enjoy feeding the ducks at Granary Staithe or the Riverside Park. There is an ice-cream shop in the centre of Hoveton (near the bridge). There is always the option of exploring Roys Toy Shop!

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We start our tour of Wroxham and Hoveton at the bridge over the River Bure, separating Hoveton (North) from Wroxham (South). The old part of the bridge dates back to 1619 and is a semicircular road bridge with only an average high water headroom of 7 ft 3 in; making it one of the most difficult bridges to navigate on the Norfolk Broads; a bridge pilot is available for nervous skippers! A modern pedestrian bridge stands adjacent to the old bridge and gives walkers good views over the river. Even though the bridge technically divides Hoveton from Wroxham, they are collectively known as simply Wroxham - the capital of the Norfolk Broads; however, the majority of the facilities are actually located in Hoveton! To help you remember which bit is called what, the two parts, do have their own village signs!

Wroxham is centre of the Norfolk Broads boat hire industry. The first person known to have made a living out of hiring boats to holiday makers was John Loynes who founded his Wroxham business in 1878. The following 50 years saw many others follow his example as the popularity of the Norfolk Broads grew and boating became a recognised leisure interest for the ordinary person. By the late 19th century, boating on the Broads by the Victorians had mushroomed into a substantial tourist trade, with boatyards offering for hire craft of all description. Although visitor numbers have now fallen back from the pre-war heyday, hiring boats on the Broads is still a major industry. Today you can holiday on all shape and size of boat, take an organised cruise or hire your own boat for the day (or hour).

For holidaymaker's wishing to be land based, there is a labyrinth of dykes leading from the main river to attractive waterside houses, cottages and lodges, many of which are for hire. Wroxham makes a good base for your Norfolk holiday, since it is located at the heart of the Norfolk Broads and within easy access of both the sandy beaches of the Norfolk Coast and the city of Norwich; all of these are less than 30 minutes drive away.

Wroxham offers plenty of places to eat and drink. There is a hotel, located near the bridge (Hotel Wroxham) that has a riverside bar and restaurant. Opposite is the Wherryman's restaurant, cafe and bar. Both offer good views of the river. Situated on the other side of the bridge is Wroxham's only pub - the Kings Head. This pub has a fabulous riverside beer garden and inside they have a restaurant, plus a bar screening live football. Also located near the bridge is a new place, called 'The Bridge American Restaurant' or 'Liberty'. This fabulous structure, again overlooks the river and the family run American themed restaurant serving an alll day menu (dogs allowed). Scattered around Wroxham are numerous café's and worthy of mention are the riverside 'Old Mill' Restaurant and Cafe Bar, plus Number 14 Cafe in the main street.

Shopping in Wroxham is dominated by one brand - ROYS. Roys was founded in 1895 when brothers Alfred and Arnold Roy opened their first general store at Coltishall. In 1899, a second store was opened 3 miles away at Wroxham to meet the needs of the holiday makers visiting the Norfolk Broads. During the early years of the 20th century, the business expanded due to the increasing volumes of holiday traffic, and this helped Roy’s to win it’s accolade in a widely publicised competition as The World’s Largest Village Store– a title that has yet to receive serious challenge!! Roys is split into a number of stores including Roys Department Store, Roys Supermarket, Roys Garden Centre, Roys DIY and Roys Toy Shop. But there are plenty of other shops in Wroxham - including a small precinct, a Jewelry store, Gift shops, Newsagents, Butchers, Estate Agents and one of largest Boating Chandlery in the region. There are also numerous take-away food outlets including Fish & Chips, Pizza, Kebab, Indian and Chinese.

Although Wroxham is an all-year round resort, it comes to life in the summer, with a range of facilities ranging from day-boat hire to ice-cream stalls. Granary Staithe is a great place to eat your ice-cream and can be found adjacent to the bridge; it is also a great place to observe the boating scene or to feed the wildlife!

Hoveton contains a lovely riverside park with free 24 hour public moorings, bridges, footpaths and seating areas. The small park offers visitors the ability to escape the hustle and bustle of the village and enjoy the natural environment the Broads is well known for. A path leads under the railway viaduct to Hoveton Viaduct Moorings, located opposite the entrance to Belaugh Broad. It makes a lovely spot for a stroll or to feed the ducks! The riverside park is also the starting point for cruises aboard the Broads Authority launch Liana, a stylish Edwardian style launch (book inside Hoveton Tourist Information Centre).

Wroxham is one end of the Bure Valley Railway. Opened in 1990, the Bure Valley Railway offers an 18 mile round trip through picturesque countryside which is as varied, interesting and beautiful as any to be found on a railway journey in England. Norfolk's longest fifteen inch gauge line runs between the ancient market town of Aylsham and Wroxham. There are also intermediate stations at Brampton, Buxton and Coltishall. Visitors can walk or cycle the along the side of the entire line to Aylsham. For those wishing to travel by train, the line run regular steam and diesel train services and see our separate guided picture tour of the Bure Valley Railway for more information.

Situated opposite the railway station in Hoveton, Miniature Worlds offers numerous classic model and toy displays from around the world. Displays cover classic's such as 00, HO, N & G gauge model railways, Scalextric, Lego and Cindy Dolls. The major displays are themed "worlds" and are named Great Britain, European, Japanese, Little Brick World and Desert Race. Each of these displays is described below. Miniature Worlds has been created by 3 generations of the Green Family - Sean, Robert and Ray, who have created enough models to fill a football pitch sized building. Their work took 3 years of hard work to complete and is continually evolving, with new additions and modifications. The model exhibition is open all year round and is a short walk from the centre of Wroxham. See our separate guided picture tour of Miniature Worlds for more information.

The parish church of St Peter at Hoveton is about a mile north of the main village and hidden in the local countryside. This tiny, very pretty little church dating from 1624, is built of red brick, with stepped gables and a roof of Norfolk Reed. Inside the church has a fine array of hatchments hung from the walls from the 18th and early 19th Centuries. Wroxham parish church of St Mary is situated in the middle of a housing estate, south of the bridge in Wroxham, near Wroxham FC. Parts of this medieval church date back to the 12th century, such as the doorway.

The Barton House Railway is tucked away in the back garden of a large house in the residential part of Wroxham. This unusual railway consists of 2 narrow gauge railway lines on which steam, diesel and electric trains operate. There is also a signal box, museum and cafe. The BHR is run totally by volunteers and opens on the 3rd Sunday of the month from April to September, but please check opening times on their website before planning a visit. See our separate guided picture tour of the Barton House Railay for more information.

Wroxham Barns is located a couple of miles north of Wroxham. Here you will find a working craft centre, where craftsmen demonstrate their skills in individual studios and you can chat to them as they work. Studios include stained glass, pottery, colourful children's clothes and real Norfolk cider! You can purchase a range of unique products exclusive to Wroxham Barns and many of the crafts people undertake private commissions. Wroxham Barns also contains a Junior Farm, a Children's Funfair as well as a country food shop and a lovely restaurant/cafe. See our separate guided picture tour of Wroxham Barns for more information.

Situated about a mile north of Hoveton village centre, Hoveton Hall Gardens is a delightful 15 acre garden mixing both formal and informal planting across the seasons. Beginning with the burst of early Spring bulbs, the spectacular Rhododendrons and Azaleas in May and June through to the mid-summer delights of the 'Spider Garden'. Full summer colours of Hydrangeas followed by autumn berried shrubs and leaf tints complete what is truly a garden for all seasons. The gardens form part of the Hoveton Hall Estate and have limited opening times, mainly during the spring and summer months. See our separate guided picture tour of the Hoveton Hall Estate for more information.

Finally, about a mile south east of the village is Wroxham Broad, home to the Norfolk Broads Yacht Club. The best way to get there is by boat along the River Bure, but there is also access by road down a small private track. The yacht club has a large club house, moorings and there are organised events for both members and guests.

10 Top Things to SEE and DO in Wroxham and Hoveton

Barton House Railway

Bure Valley Railway

Belaugh

Coltishall

Fairhaven Woodland Garden

Horning

Hoveton Hall Estate

Miniature Worlds Wroxham

Neatishead

River Bure

Stalham

Wroxham Barns

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