Car-free adventures aroundWymondhamNorfolk
Ten miles west of Norwich, the lovely Norfolk town of Wymondham has an extraordinary abbey, whose towers soar over the surrounding landscape, and an octagonal half-timbered market cross. With a railway station, regular buses, a cycle route to Norwich and a network of paths, Wymondham makes an excellent base or destination for car-free adventures. Here are a few suggestions for days out in the area without driving.
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1. Visit Wymondham Abbey
William d’Aubigny founded a monastery here in 1107 with a church that was twice as big as the majestic building you can see today, but with shorter towers. Walk round to the South side of the abbey to see the ruined arch of the monastic chapter house. In the field nearby, the remains of walls show where the monks once lived.
- Head inside Wymondham Abbey to see artworks from several centuries. Look out for the carved fifteenth-century font, the wooden angels on the ceiling, the gilded screen behind the altar and lots more. The abbey is welcoming and free to visit. There are refreshments and picnic tables to help make it a great destination for a car-free day out.
- How do I get to Wymondham Abbey car-free? It’s a lovely mile’s walk or cycle ride from Wymondham railway station to the abbey. Wymondham has direct trains from Norwich and Cambridge. Or you can arrive from Norwich by bus or bike (see 2 below). There are Beryl Bikes available in Wymondham and all over Norwich.
- To walk or cycle from Wymondham railway station, turn left along Cemetery Lane. After about 250m, turn right onto a pretty path across Toll’s Meadow, over a bridge and towards the houses. Turn left across the B1172 into a signed path, follow it right onto Russell Way and turn left onto Fairland Street, signed Town Centre. Keep on down Market Street, passing the timber-framed Market Cross, which now houses the tourist info centre.
- You’ll also find lots of great cafés round here, like the Lemon Tree, serving breakfasts, soup, cake and coffee. Continue along Church Street, past the half-timbered Green Dragon pub, to explore Wymondham abbey. Wymondham also has a Heritage Museum, series of trails and a fascinating history. You can find out more in the town guide.
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2. Cycle from Norwich
One great way to get to Wymondham is by bike – either your own or a Beryl Bike, available across Norwich and beyond. One possible route, via Eaton, passes close to the University of East Anglia with its fabulous art gallery and sculpture park (see 3 below), the town of Hethersett, where you can stop off for refreshments, and ancient Kett’s oak (see 4 below).
- How do I get from Norwich to Wymondham by bike? You can read about the route here and download a map of cycle routes across Norwich here.
- Where can I rent a bike in Norwich or Wymondham? There are turquoise Beryl Bikes to hire via the app outside Norwich station. Simply turn left out of the station doors and follow the covered walkway to find them. Nearby, there are live-sized metal silhouettes or Stephen Fry, Edith Cavell and Admiral Nelson – three famous people from Norfolk!
- Do I have to cycle back? You don’t need to cycle both ways if you don’t want to. There are regular trains back from Wymondham station. Or buses 6 and 13 if you’ve come by Beryl bike. You can simply leave your Beryl bike locked up in the Beryl bay just off Market Street, almost opposite the White Hart. If you have your own bike, you could take it back with you on the train.
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3. Where can I stop along the way?
Art lovers with time to stop off shouldn’t miss the Sainsbury Centre and Sculpture Park at the University of East Anglia. It’s a short detour from the blue cycle route in Norwich with plenty of places to lock your bike and several Beryl Bike bays. There are also woods and lakes to explore (see 4 below).
- Inside the Sainsbury Centre, there are dancing figures from ancient Chinese tombs or snow goggles from Alaska, unsettling fibreglass figures by John Davies and etiolated bronzes by Giacometti. There are paintings by Modigliani and Picasso, Leonora Carrington and Francis Bacon. And when you need a break, there’s a great cafe too.
- In the surrounding parkland, wander past metal beasts by Lynn Chadwick and Henry Moore’s reclining figures. Look out for statues by Anthony Gormley and Vladmir Tatlin’s tower, all scattered across 350 acres of grass, trees and water around striking modernist buildings, designed by architects like Denis Lasdun and Norman Foster.
- Seven miles south-west, Wymondham is packed with places to eat and drink, but you can also stop off around half way in the village of Hethersett for refreshments at the welcoming Kin café or the Queen’s Head pub. Janey’s Village Café, a little further into Hethersett, is open until 2pm Wednesday to Sunday and serves stonking breakfasts, homemade soup and legendary cheese cake.
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4. Oak trees, bluebells, country walks
The countryside around Wymondham is full of good walks and interesting sights. Here are just a few suggestions, including historic landmarks, wildflowers and more.
- The cycleway between Hethersett and Wymondham has a lovely mile-long section that is screened from the busy B1172 road by a row of oak trees. Along this shady path is Kett’s Oak. This tree, also known as the Oak of Reformation, is traditionally where Robert and William Kett addressed what became a rebellion in 1549, protesting against the enclosure of common land. You can learn more about Robert Kett and the rebellion he led in Wymondham’s Heritage Museum.
- Kett’s oak is not the only ancient tree in the area. There are some lovely old oaks in the bluebell woods near the Sainsbury Centre on the way out of Norwich, where you can explore winding paths beside the River Yare and around the broad (or lake). Listen out for the cuckoo calling in spring and summer.
- Another great place locally to see bluebells and other spring flowers, including wild garlic and early purple orchids, is Lower Wood near Ashwellthorpe. This village is about three miles south of Wymondham station. You can walk or cycle there, but there are no direct buses. You could get bus 37A from Norwich and walk to Wymondham, which has regular trains and buses back to Norwich. Or, for a real challenge, the 18-mile Kett’s Country Way loops through Lower Wood on its journey from Wymondham to Norwich.
- This booklet of local walks shows lots of green areas to explore around Wymondham and Hethersett. This includes some lovely routes just beyond Wymondham Abbey, a series of permissive paths following the little River Tiffey through the green Norfolk countryside.
- For more car-free ideas in the Norwich area, see Good Journey’s guide to the city and suggestions of places to visit by bus.
Discover more car-free adventures and discounts at attractions around Norfolk – the UK’s first Good Journey County.
