Experience and enjoy Swaffham’s rich heritage

Swaffham is an attractive, family friendly Norfolk market town which sits at the very northern point of the Brecks, an area of outstanding tranquillity and beauty which stretches across Norfolk & Suffolk.

Explore the Market Place

The first church in Swaffham, as far as we know, may have been built in the 11th-13th centuries but had collapsed by the early 15th century leaving few details and a great many debts.

The then rector, the Swaffham born Dr John Botright, was determined to collect the debts and have a new church built and funded by the people of Swaffham. The transactions are recorded in the still extant Black Book of Swaffham.

The Pedlar of Swaffham / John Chapman’s donation of a north aisle complete with stained glass windows, a roof and a marble floor is recorded in the book.

The new church was built in a 15th century perpendicular style with an early 16th century double hammer beam oak roof with 192 angels carved in chestnut.

The tower was also built in the early 16th century and carries the crossed keys of St Peter and the crossed swords of St Paul.

The church and tower were completed by 1533.

The flèche or spike on top of the tower dates from 1778 but was rebuilt in 1897, and the church clock from 1856. In the churchyard were once the vicarage, the rectory and the first workhouse.

The house to the north may originally have been a guildhouse but was also used as a school and the parish clerk’s house. There are several graves of the Carter family here.

Inside are stained glass windows and pew wood carvings including the original medieval Chapman pew, although now cut into two.

On the north side the windows are said to depict the Chapman family.

A memorial to Catherine Steward, the grandmother of Oliver Cromwell who held land here, is on the Lady Chapel wall and William Morris designed the Memorial window close by which depicts scenes from the Great War.