Wroxham

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Wroxham
Wroxham shown within Norfolk
Population	1532
OS grid reference	TG3017
Parish	Wroxham
District	Broadland
Shire county	Norfolk
Region	East
Constituent country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	NORWICH
Postcode district	NR12
Dialling code	01603
Police	Norfolk
Fire	Norfolk
Ambulance	East of England
European Parliament	East of England
UK Parliament	North Norfolk
List of places: UK • England • Norfolk

Coordinates: 52°42′22″N 1°24′43″E / 52.706, 1.412

The Coltishall side of Wroxham Bridge

Wroxham is a small town and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It situated on the south side of the River Bure, within the Norfolk Broads, and some eight miles north-east of Norwich. Wroxham Broad lies about one mile downstream to the southeast.^[1] On the northern side of the Bure is Hoveton.

The civil parish has an area of 6.21 square kilometres and in 2001 had a population of 1532 in 666 households. For the purposes of local government, the parish falls within the district of Broadland.^[2]

Wroxham regards itself as the "Capital of the Broads". Wroxham bridge is considered to be the second most difficult on the Broads to navigate (after Potter Heigham) and a pilot station sits on the Hoveton side of the river to assist boaters for a fee.

Wroxham has almost merged with Hoveton – with each village growing on one bank of the river. The combined Wroxham/Hoveton area is a local shopping centre, mainly due to the presence of Roys of Wroxham – the self-named "world's biggest village store". Roys owns much of the commercial property in the town. In fact, Roys of Wroxham is entirely situated on the Hoveton side of the river. Hoveton itself contains only a few local shops and pubs. Both Wroxham and Hoveton have several boat building and pleasure craft hire yards. Other local industries include the canning of soft fruits.

Wroxham is served by Hoveton and Wroxham railway station, which is on the Bittern Line from Norwich to Cromer and Sheringham, and which is the terminus of the narrow gauge Bure Valley Railway to Aylsham. The station is actually located in Hoveton.

The Church of St Mary has a famous north doorway with seven orders and three shafts. In the churchyard, is the medieval-appearing Trafford Mausoleum, which was built in 1831. A manor house is southeast of the church which has a panel dating to 1623 – its stepped gables show Dutch influence.

George Formby, the early twentieth-century entertainer, once lived in Wroxham in Heronby. Nearby is Charles Close on the site of the former Wroxham Hall.