Swanton Morley Parish Council

Swanton Morley Parish Council represents Swanton Morley which is a vibrant rural village, situated in the heart of the beautiful Norfolk countryside.  Named after Robert de Morli, a landowner in the 14th century, it is now home to more than 2300 inhabitants.  We benefit from two public houses – the Angel, once home to ancestors of Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the USA and Darbys, Swanton Morley Butchers and Deli as well as a shop and Post Office.

Due to the current coronavirus pandemic the Parish Council office is temporarily closed, however, we are still very much here – please get in touch by email or phone. We continue to monitor government guidelines and hope to re-open as soon as it is safe to do so. *Office staff will be on annual leave from Friday, 18th December until Monday, 4th January 2021*

The Village is presided over by the magnificent 14th century church of All Saints.  The well maintained and peaceful hilltop graveyard offers views across the water meadows to where a paper mill once stood and to what is now a popular wild swimming and picnicking area.  A section of the graveyard is dedicated to war commission graves, more of which can be found at the burial ground in Hoe Road East.  A recent addition to the village is a memorial to fallen soldiers with a connection to the village which can be found in the new Davidson Park, itself named after one of our more recent fallen soldiers. The popular play area at Gooseberry Hill offers a range of play equipment, whilst the Village Hall hosts regular events, clubs and classes for all ages.

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Swanton Morley Council Facilities

Swanton Morley Parish Council own and/or are responsible for: The village hall (as sole managing trustee) – Gooseberry Hill play area – Common land including Burgh Common, Mill Common and Little Common – The burial ground – The closed churchyard – The village green – The green open space at Davidson Park – The allotments – The defibrillators – The telephone box library – The flag pole – The litter and dog waste bins – General maintenance around the village. For further information about any of these facilities, please see the relevant web page or contact the Clerk. To report damage to or any other problem with any of the above facilities please contact the Clerk. Click here for information on each responsibility.

The Robertson Barracks lies at the edge of the village and is currently home to the Queen’s Dragoon Guards.  The listed Control Tower there once held Winston Churchill and General Eisenhower as they watched the first bombing raids take off for Europe during World War II.

The 12 mile Wensum Way passes through the village and links the Nar Valley Way at nearby Gressenhall Farm and Workhouse Museum to the Marriott’s Way at Lenwade.  The route takes its name from the River Wensum which flows through the village and is home to abundant wildlife.  There are a number of geocaches to be found along the Wensum Way as well as at other locations throughout the village.

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Swanton Morley lies 18 miles from the historic city of Norwich and just 3 miles from the market town of Dereham.  The village is served by a regular bus service to both enabling easy access to rail connections to London and the rest of the UK.  The village is home to a cricket club, bowls club, two football teams, table tennis and badminton groups as well as Cub Scout and Brownie groups.

The Parish Council meet monthly at the Village Hall and public are always welcome to attend or to get in touch at any time with their concerns or ideas to help maintain the community spirit within the village and to drive it forward to a bright future.