Dereham

Dereham is a town in Norfolk, England. Dereham is a busy market town serving local residents and a wide rural area. The town has a market on Tuesdays and Fridays selling a range of food and household items. The town hosts the headquarters of the Mid-Norfolk Railway, which runs trains over an 11.5-mile heritage railway south to Wymondham.

Understand
Dereham, sometimes knows as East Dereham and not to be confused with West Dereham (around 15 miles away), has a population of around 18,000. The town is situated 25 miles to the W of Norwich and 40 miles NNE of Ely.

The Town badge is from the arms of the Bishop of Ely with a deer. The three golden crowns are from the princesses and saints, Withburga, Æthelthryth and Saxburga. The town is on the site of a monastery founded by St Withburga (whose body was stolen by the monks of Ely legend being that the Holy Well in St Nicholas' Church started to flow when her body was stolen). Æthelthryth was a princess, a Fenland queen and Abbess of Ely. Saxburga was a queen then regent in Kent until her son came of age after which she moved to live at the Abbey of Ely. Dereham's name derives from a deer park that (is thought to have) existed in the area.

The town is twinned with the town of Rüthen in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is also twinned with Caudebec-lès-Elbeuf, France.

By road
The town lies on the A47 King's Lynn, Dereham, Norwich, Great Yarmouth main road, about 27 miles E of King's Lynn and 18 miles W of Norwich.

By rail
The town does have a railway station but is serves only a preserved heritage Mid-Norfolk Railway linking the town to Wymondham and running between 3 and 6 trains per day (depending on the day and time of year) - so not a useful route into the town for most people.

Get around
The town is small enough to get around on foot.

Connect
As of July 2022, there is 4G from all UK carriers in Dereham and on the main east-west highway A47, but a patchy signal north or south. 5G has not reached this area.

Go next

 * North Elmham


 * Norwich
 * Fakenham
 * Swaffham
 * Aylsham