Go Back
Buttercross, Swaffham, Norfolk, England: Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Buttercross,_Swaffham_-_geograph.org.uk_-_191653.jpgAuthor: Eileen Henderson
Swaffham is a small market town in Breckland district, at the west-central part of Norfolk, England. Covering 29.57 sq km (11.42 sq mi), it has a population of 7,000 people (2012 estimate).
The history of Swaffham goes back to the Anglo-Saxon period. Manors in the area were mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086. In the early days, surrounding villages were bigger, among them Castle Acre to the north. Swaffham came into its own in the 14th century, when it developed into a center for the sheep and wool trade. The resulting prosperity is reflected in its sizable market place.
Modern Swaffham is known for its two large wind turbines owned by Ecotricity. One of them has an observation deck.
The Ecotricitiy Wind Turbine in Swaffham with its observation deck: Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ecotricity_wind_turbine_at_Swaffham.jpgAuthor: Crispin Semmens
Visiting Swaffham
From London, take the M11 motorway till Exit 9, then continue on the A11 road until you reach Mildenhall. From there, continue north on the A1065 road until you arrive in Swaffham.Places of Interest in Swaffham
- Buttercross, Swaffham: Market cross or pavilion dating to 1783, at the Swaffham market place.
- Castle Acre Castle: Remains of a motte-and-bailey castle in the village of Castle Acre, some 8 km to the north of Swaffham.
- Castle Acre Priory: Ruins of a 11th century priory in the village of Castle Acre near Swaffham.
- Swaffham Museum: Museum of local history, though interestingly it devotes a section to egyptology and the life or Egyptologist Howard Carter.
Latest updates on Penang Travel Tips
About this website
Dear visitor, thank you so much for reading this page. My name is Timothy Tye and my hobby is to find out about places, write about them and share the information with you on this website. I have been writing this site since 5 January 2003. Originally (from 2003 until 2009, the site was called AsiaExplorers. I changed the name to Penang Travel Tips in 2009, even though I describe more than just Penang but everywhere I go (I often need to tell people that "Penang Travel Tips" is not just information about Penang, but information written in Penang), especially places in Malaysia and Singapore, and in all the years since 2003, I have described over 20,000 places.
While I try my best to provide you information as accurate as I can get it to be, I do apologize for any errors and for outdated information which I am unaware. Nevertheless, I hope that what I have described here will be useful to you.
Copyright © 2003-2025 Timothy Tye. All Rights Reserved.