Burgh St Peter in the pretty Waveney Valley in South Norfolk is definitely off the beaten track, with Beccles over the county border in Suffolk the nearest town. Boating enthusiasts will though be drawn to the Waveney River Centre just a ten minute walk from the village, as those needing refreshment will be drawn to the Waveney Inn just behind the marina. The village is small indeed – at the last census 274 inhabitants in 113 households, although retaining a small shop and post office – but it has two linked claims-to-fame. Firstly, the Church of St Mary in the village is probably the strangest looking historic church in the county. While the nave and chancel are not untypical of church architecture in the area, dating from the twelfth century, with a thatched roof design of the fifteenth, the tower is extraordinary. Built by Samuel Boycott, whose family controlled the living, and for two hundred years occupied it too, the tower resembles a child’s block-stacking set, with five square sections of decreasing size one atop the other, a style totally at odds with the rest of the building. Some say it is modeled on a ziggurat temple, others that it was copied from an Italian church. There is even a supernatural explanation, with a local legend saying the devil loaned a poor man money to build the church, and when Satan came to claim his dues the man had escaped his fate by dying hours before and being safely buried in consecrated ground. The second claim-to-fame is that a descendant of Samuel Boycott, one Charles Cunningham Boycott, was the heartless land agent in Ireland shunned by all, giving rise to the concept of boycotting.
Pub and Bar
Self-Catering
Featherdown Farm
Waveney River Centre
Places to Stay near Burgh St Peter
Waveney River Centre (1.25 miles)
Waveney River Centre is the Broads' multi-award winning Holiday Park & Marina, set in the beautiful surroundings of South Norfolk's Waveney Valley, with stunning south and west facing views across marshes and river.
The Park is ... More | visit website
Ivy House Country Hotel (2.99 miles)
Tucked away down a leafy driveway nestling beside Oulton Broad. Ivy House Country Hotel is a mixture of sympathetic conversion of farm buildings and new buildings in the vernacular. Attention to detail is evident at ... More | visit website
Kings Head Hotel (3.42 miles)
Wherry Hotel (3.45 miles)
Situated on the shores of Oulton Broad, offering exceptional views over the Broad. Ideal for touring around the beautiful area or just for relaxing and enjoying the breathtaking views. There are two bars at this ... More | visit website
The Swan House (3.46 miles)
MJB Apartments Oulton Broad (3.55 miles)
Flat 4 Oulton Broad is a 2 Bed Apartment, 1 double room and 1 single room. The apartment has an open plan lounge/kitchen/diner and is fully furnished with a fully ... More
Winelodge Suites & Apartments (3.55 miles)
Winelodge Suites are stylish, modern apartments in Oulton Broad. This dockside location has views of the wharf. Enjoy stylish, fully equipped kitchens and 42-inch plasma-screen TVs. In the Oulton Broad ... More
Waveney House Hotel (3.89 miles)
The Waveney House Hotel is situated in the beautiful Waveney Valley. Since at least 1540, guests to the house have enjoyed its unique hospitality.
... MoreFritton House Hotel (4.27 miles)
Fritton House is a relaxed award winning restaurant with rooms in a countryside location close to the Norfolk Broads. The house may look traditional from the outside, but inside you ... More
Camps Heath Barn (4.30 miles)
Brit Quote: |
On this day: |