Brampton is a small village and parish just east of Aylsham. Although now one of Norfolk’s smallest communities, Brampton was once the site of a Roman manufacturing centre.
Travelling towards Wroxham and having passed through the loop is a seemingly ordinary field on your right.
This field was the site of the largest pottery in Roman Britain and household pottery was mass-produced in Brampton and then exported by boat along the river Bure all over Britain.
Evidence of a Roman bathhouse has been excavated, along with several pottery kilns. The village sign also reflects the Roman history, depicting a double-headed fish as found on a Roman brooch discovered in Brampton.
The parish church, St Peter, is one of 124 surviving round-tower churches in Norfolk. Its Norman tower has a 15th-century brick octagonal top.
There are also several excellent walks starting from Brampton, with footpaths winding through quiet country roads and picturesque fields.
The parish includes the quaint hamlet of Oxnead where the remaining service wing of the once splendid Oxnead Hall stands on the banks of the Bure.
The late 16th century Hall was the home of the Paston family famous for their illuminated manuscripts describing life in Britain in the Dark Ages.
The small Oxnead church is worth a visit for quiet contemplation!