Dereham
Dereham is a town in Norfolk, England. Dereham is a busy market town serving local residents and a wide rural area. The town has a market on Tuesdays and Fridays selling a range of food and household items. The town hosts the headquarters of the Mid-Norfolk Railway, which runs trains over an 11.5-mile heritage railway south to Wymondham.
Understand
Dereham, sometimes knows as East Dereham and not to be confused with West Dereham (around 15 miles away), has a population of around 18,000. The town is situated 25 miles to the W of Norwich and 40 miles NNE of Ely.
The Town badge is from the arms of the Bishop of Ely with a deer. The three golden crowns are from the princesses and saints, Withburga, Æthelthryth and Saxburga. The town is on the site of a monastery founded by St Withburga (whose body was stolen by the monks of Ely legend being that the Holy Well in St Nicholas' Church started to flow when her body was stolen). Æthelthryth was a princess, a Fenland queen and Abbess of Ely. Saxburga was a queen then regent in Kent until her son came of age after which she moved to live at the Abbey of Ely. Dereham's name derives from a deer park that (is thought to have) existed in the area.
The town is twinned with the town of Rüthen in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is also twinned with Caudebec-lès-Elbeuf, France.
Get in
By road
The town lies on the A47 King's Lynn, Dereham, Norwich, Great Yarmouth main road, about 27 miles E of King's Lynn and 18 miles W of Norwich.
By rail
The town does have a railway station but is serves only a preserved heritage Mid-Norfolk Railway linking the town to Wymondham and running between 3 and 6 trains per day (depending on the day and time of year) - so not a useful route into the town for most people.
By bicycle
- National Cycle Route (NCR) 13. runs to the north connecting to National Cycle Route 1 (to the North Norfolk Coast and beyond eventually to the Shetland Islands). To the south NCR 13 runs to Thetford, Bury St Edmunds and beyond to Colchester where it connects to NCR 1.
On foot
- Nar Valley Way. A long-distance footpath (33 miles) runs between Gressenhall (3 miles to the NE) and King's Lynn.
- Wensum Way. A long-distance footpath (12 miles) runs between Gressenhall (3 miles to the NE) and Lenwade where it connects with the Marriott's Way connecting to Norwich and to Aylsham.
- Cross Norfolk Trail. A 96-mile path that runs between King's Lynn and Great Yarmouth. It is made up of various other footpaths (including the Nar Valley Way and the Wensum Way).
Get around
The town is small enough to get around on foot.
See
- 🌍 Mid-Norfolk Railway, Station Road, Dereham, NR19 1DF, ☏ +44 1362 851723, bookings@mnr.org.uk. Trains run March to December. Adult day ticket £19, concession £16, child 5-15 £7, child under 5 free.
- 🌍 Bishop Bonner's Cottage (Museum), St. Withburga Lane, Dereham, NR19 1ED, ☏ +44 1362 853453, sue@suewhite.demon.co.uk. £2, accompanied under 16s free.
- 🌍 Gressenhall Farm and Workhouse (Museum), Gressenhall, Dereham, Norfolk, NR20 4DR (3 miles N of Dereham), ☏ +44 1362 860563, gressenhall.museum@norfolk.gov.uk. A 50-acre site. Historic workhouse museum. Life on the land exhibition. Traditional farm with rare breed animals. Adventure playground. £11.95 adult, £9.55 child, £11.40 (concessions, family tickets available..
- 🌍 Dereham Windmill, end of Greenfields Rd, Dereham, NR20 3TE, info@derehamwindmill.co.uk. F-Su 10AM-4PM. Grade 2 Listed Windmill built in 1835. Exhibitions change monthly. Coffee and cake shop. £2.50 adult, £2.00 concessions, £1.00 under 16s.
Do
- 🌍 Strikes (Ten Pin Bowling Alley), Station Rd, East Dereham, NR19 1DF, ☏ +44 1362 696910. Daily 10AM-late. Also indoor children's adventure play area (Planet Zoom open daily 10AM-18:00). For 1 game: £6.95 adult, £5.95 child.
- 🌍 Puzzelscape (Live escape game.), 11 Church St, Dereham, NR19 1DP, ☏ +44 7564 499494, sales.puzzlescape@gmail.com. Live escape room game. 2-6 players are shut in a themed room & must solve hidden puzzles (duration 1 hr for escape).
- 🌍 Holywood Cinema (3 Screens Cinema), Market Place, Dereham, NR19 2AW, ☏ +44 1362 691133. £7.30 adult, £5.99 under 15 & OAP, other rates available.
Buy
- 🌍 Roys (Department Store), Yaxham Rd, East Dereham, NR19 1HD, ☏ +44 1362 690555. M-F 8:30AM-8PM, Sa 8:30AM-7PM, Su 11AM-5PM.
- 🌍 Lidl (Supermarket), Kingston Rd, Dereham, NR19 1WB. M-Sa 8AM-10PM, Su 10AM-4PM.
- 🌍 Morrisons (Supermarket), Station Rd, East Dereham, NR19 1DF, ☏ +44 1362 691004. M-Sa 8AM-10PM, Su 10AM-4PM. Cafe (different hours). Petrol station (different hours). ATMs.
Eat
- 🌍 Spice Fusion (Indian Restaurant), 25 Wellington Rd, Dereham, NR19 2BP, ☏ +44 1362 288775, spicefusion2k@gmail.com. M noon-2PM & 5-11PM, Tu-Th 5-PM, F Sa 5PM-midnight, Su noon-2PM & 5-11PM. Restaurant, take-away, delivery.
- 🌍 Cockers Bistro, 28 Norwich St, East Dereham, NR19 1BX., ☏ +44 1362 692131. W Th 11AM-3PM & 5:30-9PM, F 11AM-3PM & 5:30-10:30PM, Sa 11AM-11PM, Su noon-5PM.
- 🌍 Lodge Bar & Restaurant, Main Rd, North Tuddenham, NR20 3DJ, ☏ +44 1362 638466. Tu-Sa noon-9PM, Su noon-3PM.
Drink
- 🌍 The Gemini (Pub & Restaurant), Sandy Lane, Dereham, NR19 2EA, ☏ +44 1362 697610, 1942@greeneking.co.uk. M-Th 11AM-11:30PM, F Sa 11AM-1AM, Su 11AM-1:30PM. Free Wi-Fi.
- 🌍 The Railway Tavern (Pub), 21-23 Yaxham Rd, Dereham, NR19 1HB, ☏ +44 1362 288166, the-railway-tavern@hotmail.co.uk. M-Th 11:30AM-10PM, F Sa 11:30AM-midnight, Su 11:30AM-9PM. Also food.
- 🌍 The Bull (Pub), 25 High St, Dereham, NR19 1DZ, ☏ +44 1362 697771, hello@bull-dereham.co.uk. M-Th 11AM-11PM, F Sa 11AM-midnight, Su noon-11PM. Wi-Fi. Food M-Sa 11AM-9PM; Su noon-9PM.
- 🌍 Longham White Horse (Pub, Restaurant & B&B), Wendling Rd, Longham, NR19 2RD (6 miles NW of town), ☏ +44 1362 687464, barry@longhamwhitehorse.co.uk.
- 🌍 The Angel (Pub), 66 Greengate, Swanton Morley, NR20 4LX (3 miles NE of town), ☏ +44 1362 637407, peter@theangelpub.co.uk.
- 🌍 Brisley Bell, The Green, Brisley NR20 5DW (on B1145 Elham Rd), ☏ +44 1362 705024. Daily 11AM-11PM. Great village pub. Also has rooms (B&B double £120) but it's the food that gets the rave reviews.
Sleep
- 🌍 The George Hotel, Swaffham Rd, NR19 2AZ, ☏ +44 1362 696801, thegeorgedereham@gmail.com.
- 🌍 The Romany Rye, Church St, NR19 1DL, ☏ +44 1362 654160. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: 11AM. Hotel, restaurant and pub with free Wi-Fi. From £39 per night.
- 🌍 Lynn Hill Guest House, Yaxham Rd, NR19 1HA, ☏ +44 1362 696142.
- 🌍 Glendower Guesthouse & Apartments B&B, Commercial Rd, NR19 1AE, ☏ +44 1362 652960, steve@glendowerbb.com. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: 11AM.
Stay healthy
- 🌍 Nearest Accident & Emergency: Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital (Casualty or the Emergency Room), Colney Lane, Norwich, NR4 7UY (16 miles E of town). 24/7.
- 🌍 Dr Rosbergen & Partners (GP or Primary Healthcare), 27 Theatre St, East Dereham, NR19 2EN, ☏ +44 1362 852800. M-F 8AM-6:30PM.
- 🌍 OASIS Dental Care (Dentist), 1 Gwersylt Villas, Cowper Rd , Dereham, NR19 2BY, ☏ +44 1362 654955. M-Th 8AM-7PM, F 8:30AM-5PM.
- 🌍 Lloyds Pharmacy, Orchard Surgery, Commercial Rd, Dereham, NR19 1AE, ☏ +44 1362 692080. M-F 8:30AM-6:30PM, Sa 9AM-1PM.
Connect
As of July 2022, there is 4G from all UK carriers in Dereham and on the main east-west highway A47, but a patchy signal north or south. 5G has not reached this area.