Fakenham Watermill
The Shopping Arcade in Fakenham
War MemorialAttractive Norfolk market town Fakenham is a perfect holiday base boasting a popular weekly market, numerous traditional real ale pubs, Fakenham Racecourse with onsite leisure facilities and a stunning choice of farmhouse B&Bs and countryside cottages. Around Fakenham are the glorious natures reserves of Sculthorpe Moor and Pensthorpe, havens for wildlife including many birds. » Find Fakenham Accommodation
Heritage attractions within easy reach of Fakenham include one of Norfolk's classic windmills, the Bircham Windmill. See demonstrations of glass making at Langham Glass or listen to master organist Robert Wolfe play the mighty Wurlitzer at the Thursford Collection heritage attraction. Houghton Hall, historic home of Britain's first Prime Minster Robert Walpole is situated just west of Fakenham. Gateway to the Norfolk Coast, Fakenham is just a 10 minute drive from the Norfolk Heritage Coast.
National Hunt racing at Fakenham Racecourse has been here for over 100 years. The racecourse hosts race meets annually between October and May. Premier hospitality and leisure facilities at Fakenham Racecourse include a full catering service with an emphasis on local produce and an onsite caravan and camping site.
Two excellent restaurants are at Fakenham Racecourse. The Firth Restaurant sits on the first floor of the Prince of Wales Stand overlooking the entire racecourse whilst W.J.Weston's Lobster & Oyster Restaurant Bar is within the Parade Ring Room affording views of the Parade Ring and Racetrack. The 1824 Bar is also onsite at Fakenham Racecourse.
The Prince of Wales Stand at Fakenham Racecourse is licensed for Civil Wedding Ceremonies and boasts spectacular views across to the Racecourse and Norfolk countryside beyond. Private hire rooms are available for weddings, parties and seminars at Fakenham Racecourse. The racecourse also contains a prime site for caravanning or caming holidays in North Norfolk adjacent to the racecourse and just a 10 minute drive from the Norfolk Coast. Fakenham Racecourse is located just to the south of Fakenham town centre.
Awarding winning Pensthorpe Nature reserve spread across 500 acres will be familiar to many as the host of the BBC's Springwatch TV programme. Pensthorpe is located 1 mile from Fakenham market town centre just off the A1067. A haven for wildlife, the nature reserve at Pensthorpe consists of a network of lakes, meadows, woodland, farmland, gardens and riverbanks. Wildlife at Pensthorpe includes many species of birds and wildfowl. Pensthorpe is a nationally important breeding site for birds like the Little Ringed Plover and Sandmartin.
Bird hides are on-site and visitors can expect to see Avocets, Greenshank, Bittern and a range of Summer migrants and warbler species. Weekly recordings of sightings at Pensthorpe are listed on the reserve's official website. Pensthorpe is involved in a number of conservation projects and many vulnerable species have a home in the reserve including Red squirrels, cranes and corncrakes.
Stunning gardens at Pensthorpe feature the beautiful Millennium Garden designed by award winning garden designer Piet Oudolf. Other garden highlights include the Wildflower Meadow garden and Wildlife Habitat Garden, a garden which has evolved from what was the original Butterfly Garden.
Pensthorpe is an outstanding family friendly nature reserve and there are numerous interactive activities here for children like getting involved in feeding birds and following designated children's trails with stamp as you find activity books. Children will love the Bug Walk Trail with creepy-crawlies. The Wensum Discovery Tour available at Pensthorpe involves a trip around the site via a specially designed Land Rover and trailer with full commentary inclusive.
Charming Norfolk windmill the award winning Bircham Windmill sits just northwest of Fakenham clearly signposted with brown signs from Bircham village. Of around 300 windmills spread across the Norfolk countryside over 100 years ago, the beautiful Bircham Windmill is one of the few that remains. A selection of attractions are at the Bircham Windmill site, most of which are free to enter, including the bakery and gift shop, tea rooms & gallery, gardens, the Wild Thyme Cottage Museum and various farm animals. Sheep milking, which visitors can watch, takes place daily at 2pm.
The Bakery adjacent to the historic Bircham Windmill features its original coal-fired oven and visitors can purchase a range of cakes and bread still made here in the bakery.
A tour of the Bircham Windmill is a particular highlight. Visitors can actually climb to the top of the mill and view the original machinery as they climb the five floors to the top to be greeted by spectacular views. Coach parties are welcome at the Bircham Windmill which also boasts onsite holiday cottage accommodation and camping.
Architectural historic gem Houghton Hall, former residence of Britain's first Prime Minster Sir Robert Walpole, is located just west of Fakenham off the A148. Houghton Hall was built in the early 18th century and Walpole commissioned the architect William Kent to design the magnificent interiors. James Gibbs and local architects like Henry Bell of King's Lynn also worked on Houghton Hall through the 1720s and 30s.
The Houghton gardens are a Garden of the Year Award winner, given by Christies and the Historic Houses Association in acknowledgement particularly of the restoration of the spectacular 5 acre walled garden. The Houghton gardens featuring Rose Garden with stunning Classical statues and the Italian Garden with plum trees and pleached limes rank with the best of Britain's stately home gardens.
A tour of the hall is essential visiting for lovers of fine architecture. Some of the finest craftsmen of the day in the early 18th century worked on the interior of Houghton Hall. Vistors will see plasterwork by Guiseppe Atari, leading Italian stuccadores in England in the 1920s, on the ceiling of the central Stone Hall. William Kent's elaborate painted central octagon ceiling in the Saloon is another hightlight in the tour. Portraits of the Walpole and Cholmondeley family feature in The Common Parlour.
The Houghton Hall estate also contains original Stables built between 1733 and 1735, the Soldier Museum and extensive parkland frequented by fallow deer. Classic gate lodges at Houghton Hall are also available as holiday accommodation. Visit the Houghton Hall website for up-to-date opening times. The hall is open to the public from Easter to late September annually.
Delightful market town Fakenham is ideally situated for touring North Nofolk just off main King's Lynn to Cromer through road the A148, one of Norfolk's most beautiful touring roads. Fakenham sits in the Wensum Valley, a Norfolk hotspot for stunning nature reserves and birdwatching. Highlight nature reserves around Fakenham include Sculthorpe Moor just west created by the Hawk and Owl Trust. The Wensum Valley's only example of saw sedge wetland is here at Sculthorpe with wildlife featuring breeding marsh harriers, barn owls, otters, kingfishers and numerous insects which feed off the rich resource of the wetlands.
Attractions in Fakenham market town centre include the fascinating Fakenham Museum of Gas and Local History (free admission/donations welcome). Housed in a Victorian gas works which operated from 1846 to 1965, this is the only surviving town gasworks in England and Wales. The Fakenham Museum offers great insight into the development of domestic gas use with displays of many historic gas appliances, meters and lighting. Fakenham received its Market Charter in 1250 and todays modern Thursday Fakenham Market, one of the most popular local markets in Norfolk, offers a range of market stalls selling everything from fresh locally sourced food to fine clothing.
A wide choice of fantastic attractions are located around Fakenham including Langham Glass with onsite visitor centre and glass making demonstrations, a tearoom and a shop where you can buy exquisite glass pieces made in the glasshouse. Mid-way between Fakenham and Holt clearly signposted off the A148 is heritage treasure attraction the Thursford Collection. Historic steam engines and organs including a beautiful mighty Wurlitzer organ are on display. Acclaimed theatre organist Robert Wolfe often plays the mighty Wurlitzer organ at Thursford. Many exquisite craft shops are also onsite at the Thursford attraction as well as restaurants, heritage fairground rides and play areas. Outstanding seafood restaurants and character B&Bs and holiday cottages are in pretty historic Thursford village.
Often described as a 'gateway to the Norfolk Coast', Fakenham is one of the most attractive historic market towns in Norfolk. The town is home to a great choice of traditional real ale inns and fine restaurants and is just a 10 minute drive from the Norfolk Heritage Coast. Famed for its racecourse, and boasting a host of surrounding nature reserves and heritage attractions, Fakenham is the perfect Norfolk holiday base ideally situated for North Norfolk and Norfolk coast touring.
Fakenham accommodation features stunning farmhouse B&B guesthouse accommodation alongside wonderful country cottages in Sculthrope, Little Snoring and West Raynham - all pretty Fakenham villages ideally close to local nature reserves. Ample choice of Fakenham caravan and camping sites are also available including the caravan site at Fakenham Driving Range and Golf Centre. Discover more beautiful character B&Bs and holiday cottages in Thursford village near Fakenham. Find Fakenham holiday cottages, caravan sites and B&Bs listed here on iknow East Anglia.
Shopping Arcade image contributed by David Williams. War Memorial image contributed by Philip Halling. Watermill image contributed by Martin Pearman. All images are copyrighted but licensed for further reuse under the Creative Commons License.
