That Scole, a small town of fewer than 1400 inhabitants on the Norfolk/Suffolk border, was a Roman town of some significance is attested to by archaeological finds and by its importance as a crossroads. There was a Roman settlement on the north bank of the Waveney where Scole now stands until the fourth century, with burial sites and evidence of iron working excavated here. On the Suffolk side of the river there was at one time a legionary campaign fort. Until a bypass was built the main roads linking Norwich and Ipswich, and Great Yarmouth and Bury St Edmunds passed though the centre, and in the heyday of the coaching trade in the 17th and 18th centuries up to 40 coaches a day passed through the town. The Scole Inn, once called the White Hart, was built in 1655 to serve this coaching traffic, its massive sign at one time spanning the road outside. Charles II slept at the inn, (was the man never at home?) as did Nelson, and highwayman John Belcher is said to have ridden his horse up the stairs at the inn to evade the law. A longer term resident is the white lady supposed to haunt one of the bedrooms, murdered by an erroneously jealous husband. Two other sites are particularly worthy of mention regarding Scole (at one time known as Osmondiston). The church of St Andrew in the town was badly damaged by arson in 1963, but was rebuilt, the refurbishment including some absolutely stunning stained glass by Patrick Reyntiens, well-known for his work on Coventry cathedral. Outside the town, in Billingford, stands a 19th century tower windmill open to the public.
Camping
Willows Camping & Caravan Park
Pub and Bar
School
Taxi
Places to Stay near Scole
Scole Inn (0.12 miles)
The Horseshoes (1.07 miles)
Food served all day every day
Senior Citizens special lunch every Wednesday.
Bed & Breakfast En-Suite Rooms.Beer Garden.Disabled toilet & access.
Real Ales, Keg Beers.
The Horseshoes is a privately owned free ... More | visit website
Cornwallis Country Hotel and Restaurant (The) (1.76 miles)
Few and far between are opportunities to experience something very special. If you appreciate an informal yet refined hospitality combined with a beautifully understated elegance, then you'll find The Cornwallis ... More
Brome Grange Hotel (1.87 miles)
The Park Hotel (2.24 miles)
Gissing Hall (4.08 miles)
Gissing Hall is a listed family mansion, dating back to the fifteenth century. Once the centre of an estate, it is now the home of its owners, Ann and William Brennan. This ... More
Orchard Cottage (4.20 miles)
Click here to book this cottage with Hoseasons
A perfect rural idyll, this lovely, recently built and very comfortable cottage lies peacefully on the Norfolk/Suffolk border. Set in its own garden, it overlooks horses, sheep ... More
Bull Auberge (4.24 miles)
The Auberge is a superb family run hotel and restaurant in the centre of East Anglia. It is conveniently situated for visits to Cambridge, Newmarket, Norwich, Ipswich, the Norfolk Broads ... More | visit website
Old Ram Coaching Inn (4.43 miles)
The Old Ram Coaching Inn is a listed Inn dating back to the 17th Century; documents reveal that it has been a coaching Inn for most of its life. The ... More
Villa Farm (4.78 miles)
Villa Farm is set in the open countryside in the village of Bressingham, close to the picturesque market town of Diss. Surrounded by open fields and sitting in five acres ... More
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