Garden: Open Daily all year
10.00am-5.30pm (or dusk)
Enquiries: 01603 712913/ 07730 551945
Located 6 miles S.W. of Swaffham between
Cockley Cley Iceni village and Oxburgh Hall
PE33 9BP. Dogs on leads allowed
6.5 Acre Gardens Nature Trails
Four Ponds Plant Sales Thirteen Bridges
Natural Trout Stream Kingfisher Hide
Morning Coffee/Afternoon Teas: Saturday, Sunday
& Bank Holidays Easter to 4th October plus Tuesday,
Wednesday & Friday from 26th May.
www.gooderstonewatergardens.co.uk
Tel: 01760 724588/721339
www.icenivillage.com
Iceni Village
Nature Reserve & Museums
Cockley Cley, Swaffham, Norfolk
A family settlement typical
of the Boadicca Iceni Tribe
plus Farm Bygones,
Implements and Carriages
in a 200 year old Farm,
a 17th Century Cottage
and a Saxon Church
Tourist Information
Swaffham Tourist Information Centre: Town
Museum, London Street, Market Place, tel
01760 722255.
Market: Saturdays.
THE Iceni Village and Museums is a
place for all the family and can be
both fun and educational for all
ages.
The site also includes a nature
trail, 17th century cottage and a
church.
Situated at Cockley Cley, near
Swaffham, the Iceni Village is a
reconstruction of the type of settle-
ment occupied by a British tribe,
the Iceni, shortly before the Roman
occupation -- about 2,000 years
ago.
Their territory came under
Roman rule after the invasion of
Claudius in 43AD. They staged an
unsuccessful rebellion in 60-61AD:
after that we have no record of
them. Culturally, they belonged to
the Iron Age and could smelt iron
and work it into weapons and uten-
sils, often with great skill, but they
were illiterate. There is archaeolog-
ical evidence that around the time
of Christ there was a settlement at
Cockley Cley.
Following the River Gadder from
the Iceni village to the lake, the
nature trail through the nature
reserve is a gentle walk of about
two kilometres.
The Farming and Carriage
Museums are housed in a beautiful
old barn which more than a century
ago was a hive of activity.
Among the exhibits, perhaps the
most striking is the Vierson horse
drawn steam engine, complete with
engine driver's van, and a threshing
machine of 1930s vintage.
Adjoining the farming implement
section, there is a display of horse
drawn carriages ranging from a
shepherd's trap to a Landau car-
riage.
Exhibits in the "Classroom" deal
with three main periods of human
pre-history, namely, the Stone Age,
Bronze Age, and Iron Age.
The 17th century cottage was
built around 1640. It was actually a
farmhouse comprising a kitchen,
parlour, linhay, sleeping loft, mas-
ter's chamber and the privy.
St. Mary's Church, thought to be
one of the oldest churches in the
country, may originally have been
built during the time of the
Augustine mission in 628AD.
The church now stands much as
it must have done 1300 years ago,
with the exception of the Roman
coffin and the Roman tiles in the
western end of the nave. This lead
coffin was found on the estate in
1970 and is dated between 300
and 350AD.
THE TITLE `market town' was never
more apt than in the case of
Swaffham.
Not only is the market place an indelible, dom-
inant feature of the centre of the town, but it
springs into life every Saturday.
Bargain hunters, bidders and onlookers come
from all walks of life and from miles around to
enjoy the banter and friendliness of Swaffham
market and auction, a famous gathering which
dates back hundreds of years.
The market place, surrounded by fine Georgian
buildings, has as its centrepiece the domed mar-
ket cross which was presented to the townsfolk
in 1783 by the Earl of Orford.
Just off the market place is the parish church
of St Peter and St Paul, one of the finest of the
many medieval churches in East Anglia, with its
magnificent double hammer-beam roof and carv-
ings depicting the legendary Pedlar of Swaffham.
The church dates back, in part at least, to the
15th century.
As well as the historic interest, Swaffham is a
busy shopping centre with easy parking and the
friendly personal service that is typical of West
Norfolk's small market towns.
It is also an ideal base for visiting many of the
area's other tourist attractions. The National
Trust's Oxburgh Hall is seven miles away and
Castle Acre's 11th century Cluniac Priory only
four miles.
The Peddar's Way long distance footpath is
within easy reach, along with Thetford Forest to
the south and the coast in the opposite direction
to the north.
WHAT could be nicer than a stroll
through an enchanting garden,
then exploring a nature trail and
perhaps spotting a kingfisher, fol-
lowed by tea and real homemade
cakes?
That's the charm of
Gooderstone Water Gardens, a
magical place only ten minutes
south-west of Swaffham. It's a
`must' for garden-lovers and any-
one seeking peace and relax-
ation.
The gardens were created in
1970 by Billy Knights, already in
his 70th year. He was a retired
Tradition
lives on
farmer with no training in gar-
dening or garden design, yet he
created a beautiful six-acre
haven for both people and
wildlife.
Billy knew what he liked and
was brave enough to follow his
ideas; he was certainly no fol-
lower of fashion or gardening
trends. He worked and planned
his garden with constant enthusi-
asm until he died, aged 93.
For twenty years Billy and his
wife Florence had loved their
gardens and sharing them with
others. After five years' closure,
and as a tribute to her parents,
Coral began restoration, reopen-
ing in 2003 with a refurbished
tearoom, toilets for disabled peo-
ple and an eight-acre nature trail.
There has since been the addi-
tion of a plant sales area, king-
fisher hide, bamboo grove and
scented arbour -- and more
plants are being added every
year.
A natural trout stream feeds
the four ponds and several
waterways, which are spanned
by 13 bridges. There are mature
trees and shrubs, bog plants and
colourful borders, and lots of
seats and shady places.
Enjoy the tranquillity of Gooderstone Water Gardens.
Relaxing Gooderstone
ICENI VILLAGE
The success of
the TV series
Kingdom, star-
ring Stephen
Fry, has given
Swaffham a
huge tourist
boost. Not only
is the series
filmed in and
around
Swaffham, but
Stephen also
has a home
close to the
town.
6 New Superior Bedrooms En Suite � B & B
Rambling Country Inn with Olde Worlde Charm � 6 Real Ales � 3 Bars
6 Family Dining Rooms � Beer Garden � Extensive Competitive Menu
Telephone: (01760) 756232 Fax: (01760) 756400
Web: www.oldewindmillinn.co.uk
Email: email@oldewindmillinn.co.uk
The Olde Windmill Inn
Water End - Great Cressingham
Twixt Swaffham & Watton, IP25 6NN

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