Reepham and Salle

About trip

Reepham has one churchyard, but three churches once graced its confines. Two of these still exist, sitting oddly side by side right in the centre of this pretty Norfolk market town. The biggest is St Michael’s, dominating the Market Place with its tall tower. It is used as a hall rather than a place of worship and has suffered from over-enthusiastic restoration. Right next to it is St Mary’s, which was also ravaged by the Victorians. Parts date from the 13th century, and there is a handsome effigy of a reclining Sir Roger de Kerdiston (died 1337), and his son William. All that remains of All Saints’, the third church, is a wall that survived the demolition of the rest of the building in 1796. A Trilogy of Churches. There is a reason why Reepham ended up with three churches in one yard, although it’s not obvious. Reepham was originally more than one parish and in William I’s Domesday Book it was closely associated with the settlements at Kerdiston, Whitwell and Hackford. All Saints’ belonged to Hackford, St Michael’s to Whitwell, and St Mary’s to Reepham and Kerdiston. This curious set-up seems to have worked remarkably well. In 1543, Hackford’s church became ruinous, probably after a fire, and the parishioners moved to share with Whitwell. Eventually, the parishes lost their separate identities and merged into Reepham. Reepham’s Rise and Fall. In the 19th century, the town was prosperous, with its brickworks, horsetraining centre, a pair of tanneries and a brewery. It had a Wednesday market and a stock fair, and was served by two fire engines and a company of the Third Norfolk Rifle Volunteers. Railway stations opened in Reepham and Whitwell in 1882, built by men with colourful names like Lumpy Ling, Spitting Joe and Sam Shirt. Unusually, the railway did not bring greater prosperity to Reepham, but served to secure its demise. Cheaper goods became available from outside and local industries began to lose customers. By the end of the century, the population had dropped from 1,800 to 400. There are still many treasures to discover in Reepham. The Old Brewery House, now a hotel, was built in the early 1700s, and the King’s Arms is a former coaching inn dating from the 17th century. There was once a windmill situated on Ollands Road, but the local people objected to it so much that they planted fast-growing trees near by to prevent the wind from turning its sails. The devious ploy seemed to have worked and the miller was forced to move to a more reliable spot on the Norwich Road. While you're there: In Cawston, to the east, St Agnes’ Church has a 16th-century gallery with a poem about making ale. Between Cawston and Booton is Booton Common, a wild area in the care of Norfolk Wildlife Trust. Booton’s Church of St Michael and All Angels is medieval, although made to look Victorian in the 19th century. What to look out for: Salle (pronounced ‘Sawl’) is a gorgeous little hamlet that has won prizes for Best Kept Village. It comprises the vast St Peter and St Paul Church (one of the most impressive late medieval churches in the country), an 18th-century country house and a collection of red-brick cottages along the edge of a well-maintained green. Where to eat and drink: The Crown on Stony Lane and the Old Brewery House Hotel in the centre of Reepham offer bar meals and restaurants. The Crown also has a beer garden. There is a tea shop in picturesque Reepham Station, which has been restored and has edible goods and crafts for sale. Directions: From the car park turn right towards the Methodist church and turn left up Kerdiston Road, signposted ‘Byway to Guestwick’. At the junction with Smuggler’s Lane, take the path left into the CaSu Park. Take the footpath ahead of you, then bear to the right each time paths meet, and you will emerge through trees on to the lane again. Turn left and walk under a bridge. Continue along the road to Manor Farm, then keep straight on to a track. At first the track is gravelled, then changes to grass. Watch out for the point near the end of the field where the path takes a dive to the left through the trees. The path then emerges on to a wide track. Turn right along the track and take the next turning to your right, with the splendid tower of Salle church ahead. Stay on the track, looking for the occasional circular walk markers. When the track ends at a lane, turn left and continue to the next junction. At the junction, turn right by Gatehouse Farm and walk up Salle’s High Street to the church. There is a bench in the gate for the weary to rest. On leaving the church, cross the road and walk behind the two buildings opposite the church to the far left-hand corner of the village green, and turn right on to a wide green path.Walk along the edge of a field with fir trees on your right, ignoring the footpath to your left, until you reach the end of the plantation. Turn right towards the road and then left along the side of a hedge. Continue until the path emerges on to a lane and turn left until you reach a junction. At the junction, take the path that leads under the old railway bridge on to Marriott’s Way. Walk along this cycle route past Reepham Station, complete with its platform. Continue until the path crosses a road, and you see some steps to your right. Walk down them, cross a stile, and turn right under the bridge. Walk along this lane to reach a fork, where you bear right to the car park.