Swaffham High Street Heritage Action Zone

The main goals of the Swaffham High Street Heritage Action Zone are to improve, repair and restore the historic buildings surrounding the main market place and create an improved experience for the local community and visitors. 

Contents
  1. How the Swaffham High Street Heritage Action Zone will help
  2. Stay up to date
  3. Working in partnership with

Swaffham Market Place has a rich history dating back to key trading routes at the end of the Roman period. The iconic Buttercross, which forms a central focus to the Market Place, was gifted to the town by George Walpole, 3rd Earl of Orford in 1783. There are 34 listed buildings of architectural interest linked to the High Street Heritage Action Zone area include Ceres Pharmacy, the Kings Arms Public House and the Post Office.

The Market Place is described as 'car dominated' based on the volume of cars that come through the town and the amount of car parking available throughout this central area. The traffic and parking distracts from the wealth of historic buildings surrounding the marketplace.

How the Swaffham High Street Heritage Action Zone will help

In partnership with Breckland Council, the Swaffham High Street Heritage Action Zone aims to improve, repair and restore the historic buildings and shop fronts. It will also enhance the public realm surrounding the main Market Place area and deliver a Market Place master plan to reduce traffic and create an improved experience for both the local community and visitors.

Stay up to date

Below you can find just some of the progress being made in the Swaffham High Street Heritage Action Zone. For more, follow us on Twitter @HistoricEngland

  • Working with urban planning specialist Urban Symbiotics to develop the master plan for improving Swaffham’s town centre
  • Development of a Conservation Area Appraisal to inform a management plan that celebrates, protects and enhances Swaffham’s conservation area
  • Working with conservation accredited architects Kings & Dunne to devise a shopfront improvement scheme for Swaffham’s historic high street
  • Promotion of buildings improvement grants that will improve, repair and reinstate historic shopfronts on the high street
  • A community led Cultural Consortium will deliver a programme of events celebrating Swaffham’s rich history and historical connections such as Howard Carter

Gallery

There's a wealth of historic buildings surrounding Market Place. Please click on the gallery images to enlarge.

Domed structure resting on seven white pillars. In the background is a two-storey white-painted pub with sign that reads: Red Lion. Old brick building behind a line of parked cars. Single storey white building with three large windows and an arched door at the far end. Three-storey brick built building with Mr. Chips chip shop on ground floor. Three flag poles project from the front. One with a Union Jack, one with a St George's cross and one not visible.

Working in partnership with

  • Breckland District Council

High Streets

Also of interest

East of England Highlights