Swaffham is a picturesque market town in the west of Norfolk. It has become famous in recent years as one of the principle filming locations for the ITV television series Kingdom.

Get in

By road

Swaffham is located just south where the west-east (Kings Lynn to Norwich) A47 and the south-north A1065 (London, Cambridge and Newmarket to Fakenham and North Norfolk) roads cross. These two busy routes provide Swaffham with a large volume of passing trade and travellers, especially at weekends and during the summer months.

By bus

Swaffham's most frequent and important bus connection is the Excell X1 [1] regional bus. Services call every half hour (Monday to Saturday) or hourly (Sundays) in both directions:

• X1 westbound towards Kings Lynn, Wisbeach, Peterborough bus station, Peterborough railway station and most villages en route.
• X1 eastbound towards Dereham, Norwich, Great Yarmouth, Lowestoft and most villages en route.

Passengers travelling by train to or from Peterborough can buy a through rail ticket to/from Swaffham on the X1 bus, thereby saving on the combined cost of train and bus tickets.

Swaffham has daily National Express [2] service on two routes:

• NX308 westbound towards Kings Lynn, Wisbeach, Peterborough, Leicester, Coventry and Birmingham.
• NX308 eastbound towards Dereham, Norwich and Great Yarmouth.

and

• NX496 southbound towards Mundford, Brandon, Mildenhall, Stratford (London) and London.
• NX496 northbound towards Dereham, Fakenham, Holt, Sherringham and Cromer.

Details of additional rural bus routes between Swaffham and neighbouring towns and villages can be found on the website of Traveline East Anglia [3] or by calling the National Traveline service on 0870-608-2-608.

By train

There are stations on different lines, approximately equidistant to Swaffham.

• Downham Market is 25 km (15 miles) west, for services north to Kings Lynn and south Ely, Cambridge and London King's Cross.
• Brandon 25 km (15 miles) south, for services east to Thetford, Attleborough, Wymondham and Norwich and west to Ely and Cambridge. Cross country trains from the northwest and midlands do not stop at Brandon, but they do stop at Thetford, which is just a few miles further away from Swaffham than Brandon.

Get around

Swaffham is small enough to be easily explored on foot. There are a number of public transport options within the town itself (excluding train services).

See

Oxburgh Hall

• Swaffham Museum, 4 London Street, PE37 7DQ, ☏ +44 1760 721230. M-F 10AM to 4PM; Sa 10AM to 1PM. adults £3, children £1, concessions £2. 

• Ecotech Centre, The Green Britain Centre, Turbine Way, PE37 7HT, ☏ +44 1760 726100. M-F 10AM to 4PM. adults £6, children £4, concessions £5. 

• 1 Castle Acre Priory, Castle Acre, PE32 2XD (5 miles north of Swaffham), ☏ +44 1760 755394. adults £5.80, children £3.50, concessions £5.20. 
• 2 Castle Acre Castle and Bailey Gate (5 miles north of Swaffham). Free. 
• 3 Oxburgh Hall, Oxborough, PE33 9PS (8 miles south west of Swaffham), ☏ +44 1366 328258, oxburghhall@nationaltrust.org.uk. 

Buy

Swaffham Market takes place in the town centre every Saturday from around 08.00 until around 15.00. The market square is occupied with stalls, and the town is usually bustling with people from surrounding towns and villages. Fresh meat, fish, fruit and vegetables are widely available, as well as more specialised local produce.

For when the market isn't in town, there are three supermarkets in Swaffham. There's a basic Rainbow Co-Op on London Road, just south of the market place; a discount Netto north-east of the town centre on the Lynn Road; and a well stocked Waitrose supermarket with organic counters and petrol station, on the Castle Acre road next to the junction of the A47 and A1065. The latest addition to the town is a large Iceland store

Eat

The Market Cross Cafe & Bar on the marketplace is highly rated, providing customers with hot and cold food and drink throughout the day.

Drink

The Grey Hound in Swaffham is a family friendly pub with seating out front and a pub garden. Very welcoming.

Sleep

• Value Rooms, Richmond Lodge 11-15, Merryweather Rd. Offers a selection of clean, comfortable, basic rooms. 

• Strattons Hotel, 4 Ash Close, PE37 7NH, ☏ +44 1760 723845. Offers a dozen or so elaborately themed and luxurious double bedrooms and suites. Rates start at approximately £70 per night.