Howard Carter

Although Howard Carter (1874-1939) was born in London he was brought to the family home in Swaffham as a baby and spent considerable time here as a child.

He inherited the Sporle Road house when his mother died in 1920. 

Both of his parents were born in Swaffham and the connection with the town and neighbouring villages goes back to the 18th century.

When he chose at age 15 to become an artist he worked with his father – an animal portrait and wildlife painter- at Didlington Hall where there was a large ancient Egyptian museum. It was here that he first felt a longing for Egypt.

Two years later he was invited to join a team of archaeologists in Egypt as a tomb painting copyist and soon developed a love for archaeology.

Working in the field he came across the mystery of the young, little known Tutankhamun and dreamt of being the one who discovered his tomb. But it was only many years later and with the financial support of Lord Carnarvon that he could follow and achieve that dream.