Spixworth is in the Norfolk Broads. Historic buildings in the village include a threshing barn, a former granary, St Peter’s Church and the late Georgian rectory, The Old Rectory. These specific themes can be a useful guide when choosing where to stay: they show whether you are more interested in agricultural building styles, church architecture or individual historic details. The buildings also differ in their former functions, as well as in their roof shapes, masonry and architectural features.
Barn and Granary
The “Barn at Site of Spixworth Hall” is a threshing barn with three bays, red-brick walls and a steeply pitched pantile roof. Three aspects can be considered separately: the division into bays, the wall material and the roof shape. Its building type also identifies it as a threshing barn. This gives you a specific example if you are interested in the agricultural use and design of historic buildings.
The “Granary to West of Barn” was formerly a granary for Spixworth Hall. The sundial plaque on its south wall bears the date 1730; above a square stone sundial is a dial face. Here, the building’s former use for storage is paired with a timekeeping detail in a specific location. This combination makes the granary an example in which both its former use and a detail of timekeeping can be considered.
St Peter’s Church and Its Architectural Forms
St Peter’s Church has a large, unified chancel and nave in the Decorated style. Inside is a Norman font. The slender, unbuttressed west tower may have belonged to an older and smaller church. The chancel and nave refer to different parts of the church building; their unified layout is an indication of its overall form, while the font and west tower are features in their own right. The tower’s possible earlier association remains a possibility.
The Old Rectory and the Gate
The late Georgian rectory, The Old Rectory, is made of red brick and has a slate hipped roof. A stone dated 1705 has been reset in the north wall. The date belongs to the stone, not to the year the house was built. This makes it possible to distinguish the date of the individual feature from the rectory’s stylistic classification.
The “Garden Wall and Gatepiers South of Barn and Gaffer's Cottage” comprises an 18th-century garden wall and gate piers, as well as a brick gate with a stepped gable. A stepped gable has a stair-step outline. This is a distinct design feature alongside the dating of the garden wall and gate piers. Together with the rectory, the structure offers another, different way to explore Spixworth’s architecture: here, the focus is on the wall, piers and shape of the gate.
Walking and Practical Planning
For a walk in Spixworth, you can choose a circular route that is completed by returning along the paved Buxton Road. Check the route conditions locally. There are a few parking spaces at Quaker Lane for the walk; availability may change. Checking before you set off can help you plan your parking accordingly. This gives you both a described return option for the circular route and a specific place to look for parking.
Discover more destinations: Gayton, Easton, Great Bircham, Aldborough, North Walsham, Salthouse, Dereham, Necton.
For the main travel overview: Norfolk.
