Acle
Acle is a flourishing market town with some very attractive 17th and 18th century buildings and a church which is more than 900 years old. It is situated 10 minutes east of Norwich and 8 miles west of Great Yarmouth with good rail connections to both places.
A small market is held every Thursday, vastly different from the traditional livestock market of years gone by.
The church of St Edmund is one of 124 existing round-tower churches in Norfolk and the round stage of the tower is the oldest part of the church, thought to be Saxon in origin and dates between 850 and 950 AD.
In 2000 Acle won the ‘Eastern Daily Press’ ‘Village of the Year’ competition and is considered to be the gateway to the Norfolk Broads and is the starting point of many boating holidays.
Acle has many amenities including a library, two schools and recreational facilities. Two miles from the centre is Acle Bridge where there are two boatyards which offer boat hire and an excellent view of the River Bure. The annual Acle Sailing Regatta takes place west of the bridge, which attracts sailing boats from all across the Broads.
Acle village website:
Interesting facts about Acle
- "Acle" means "oaks lea", which is a clearing in an oak forest. During Tudor times many oak trees were felled here for timber to construct Elizabeth I's warships
- Acle has the only bridge across the River Bure, between Wroxham and Great Yarmouth
- Howlett & Edrich established their auction business on the present site in Acle in 1919 and it continues to run as a successful auction centre today, now called Horners
Useful links
Official website for information on Acle Academy
Visit Acle - information on Acle town & community
Map of Acle
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Get startedUpdated November 2026
Acle visitor guide 2026
Current places to eat, stay and visit in and around Acle, plus practical visitor information. Opening times change through the year, so check with the venue before you travel.
Visitor essentials
- Getting there
- Acle is on the Greater Anglia Wherry Lines between Norwich and Great Yarmouth, roughly ten miles from Norwich, with about one train an hour. By road it sits on the A47 between the two.
- Market days
- Thursday morning village market, with a live auction of household furniture and decorative items.
- Good to know
- The annual Acle regatta is held in May near the bridge. Acle Bridge is the gateway to the Broads, with moorings, boat hire and Weavers Way walks across the marshes. RSPB Strumpshaw Fen is reached across a railway crossing, so use the gate phone before crossing.
Where to eat in Acle
Butterfly Bistro
Local cafe-bistro in a newer part of the village.
The Kings Head
Village pub with a steak-focused menu.
The Vault Bar & Bistro
Village bar and bistro.
Desi Flavourz
Indian takeaway in the village centre.
Acle Bridge Inn
Waterside pub with moorings and a gluten-free menu; Broadland Pub of the Year 2024.
The Cantley Cock
Traditional pub with local ales and weekday food specials; CAMRA best rural pub accolade for 2025.
Where to stay in Acle
The Huntsman
Three rooms with restaurant and bar, about a 15-minute walk from the Broads; reviewed as recently as October 2026.
The King's Arms
19th-century pub with two AA rosettes for its seasonal menus and B&B rooms.
The Stag
Renovated village pub with four bedrooms, close to Salhouse Broad.
Norfolk Mead Hotel
Georgian house in parkland with an AA-rosette restaurant and afternoon tea, about a 25-minute drive.
More things to do around Acle
RSPB Strumpshaw Fen
Woodland, meadow and fen trails on the River Yare with bitterns, kingfishers and swallowtail butterflies; no dogs.
Reedham Ferry
One of the last chain ferries in the region, crossing the River Yare daily, with a riverside inn and touring park.
Acle Bridge and Weavers Way
Free walks above and below the bridge across open marshland, including a circular route via Upton back to the village.
Listings are independent suggestions, not paid placements. Spotted something out of date? Let us know.
Live
River levels near Acle
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Source: Environment Agency real-time flood-monitoring data (Open Government Licence).
Local information
Acle in numbers
Top historic buildings in Acle
- Grade I
- Grade II*
- Grade II
- Grade II
- Grade II
- Grade II
- Grade II
- Grade II
- Grade II
- Grade II
Food hygiene ratings in Acle
- 5/5
- 5/5
- 4/5
- 5/5
- 4/5
- 5/5
- 4/5
- 5/5
- 5/5
- 5/5
Ratings: Food Standards Agency (Open Government Licence).
Wildlife recorded around Acle
The most frequently recorded species within 5 km of Acle since 2022 (19,697 records submitted to the National Biodiversity Network).
Birds
- Woodpigeon
- Robin
- Blue Tit
- Blackbird
- Wren
- Great Tit
- Jackdaw
- Goldfinch
- Chaffinch
- Dunnock
- Magpie
- Carrion Crow
Other wildlife and plants
- Grey Squirrel
- Small White
- Feral Cat
- Large White
- Meadow Brown
- Peacock
- Red Admiral
- Gatekeeper
- Muntjac
- Speckled Wood
- Common Darter
- Holly Blue
Source: NBN Atlas – records from Norfolk recorders and conservation groups. Please follow the Countryside Code and keep to paths.
Villages around Acle
- Damgate 0.4 miles
- Tunstall 1.6 miles
- Beighton 2.2 miles
- Billockby 2.3 miles
- South Burlingham 2.5 miles
- Lingwood 3.0 miles
- Clippesby 3.1 miles
- Freethorpe 3.1 miles
- Wickhampton 3.3 miles
- Hassingham 3.7 miles
- Strumpshaw 3.8 miles
- Panxworth 3.8 miles
- Hemblington 3.9 miles
- Buckenham 4.0 miles
- Limpenhoe 4.0 miles
- Filby 4.1 miles
Live weather
Weather in Acle
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Updated every time the page loads · Data: Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0)
Acle guide 2026
Where to eat, where to stay and visitor essentials for Acle, checked November 2026.
Getting to Norfolk
- Train: Greater Anglia runs direct trains from London Liverpool Street to Norwich, plus lines to Cromer, Sheringham, Great Yarmouth, Lowestoft and Cambridge. National Rail journey planner
- Road: the A11 (from Cambridge and London) and the A47 (east–west) are the main routes.
- Air: Norwich Airport is 4 miles north of the city.
- Bus: plan local journeys on Traveline.
Useful links
- Visit Norfolk – official tourism site
- Visit the Broads – Broads Authority
- Met Office weather warnings
- RNLI beach safety and tide advice
- National Trust in Norfolk
In an emergency
- 999 – police, fire, ambulance and coastguard
- 111 – NHS urgent medical advice
- 101 – Norfolk Police, non-emergency