A1065 road
Encyclopedia
The A1065 is a main road in the English
region of East Anglia
. It provides the principal road connection to parts of the west and north of the county of Norfolk
from Newmarket and points south of there, including London
. It runs from a junction near Mildenhall
, to a junction on the western outskirt of Fakenham
.
The first 9.4 miles (15.1 km) of the road are in the county of Suffolk
, with the remainder of the road in the county of Norfolk..
and the same distance north east of the village of Barton Mills
. At the same roundabout the A1101 Bury St. Edmunds to Littleport road
crosses the A11. To the south of this junction the A11 and M11
provide a fast, dual carriageway
and largely grade separated route as far as the outskirts of London.
From this roundabout, the road passes through Mildenhall Woods, an outlying section of Thetford Forest
. Along this stretch, the Cut-off Channel, a large fenland
drainage channel, is crossed. After 3.5 miles (5.6 km), the large United States Air Force
base at RAF Lakenheath
is reached. The road originally crossed what is now part of the airfield, and was diverted during World War II
to run along the eastern perimeter fence of the base as far as Wangford, where it passes close to the end of the runway
.
The road then passes through more of Thetford Forest, before reaching the town of Brandon
. The road passes through the town centre, turning sharply left there, bridging the River Little Ouse
, and crossing the Cambridge to Norwich railway line
on a level crossing
adjacent to Brandon station
.
A larger section of Thetford Forest follows as far as the village of Mundford
. On this stretch the road passes close to Grimes Graves
, a large Neolithic
flint
mining complex. At Mundford the A1065 crosses the A134 Colchester to King's Lynn road
.
Beyond Mundford the road passes through the villages of Ickburgh
and Hilborough
before reaching the town of Swaffham
. Along this stretch the surrounding countryside becomes less wooded, although the road still passes through outliers of Thetford Forest. The passes through the centre of Swaffham and traverses the town's large market place. On the northern edge of the town, the Ecotricity
wind turbine
s are a major landmark alongside the road, and a grade separated junction gives access to the A47 Birmingham to Great Yarmouth road
.
Some 3.5 miles (5.6 km) beyond Swaffham the A1065 by-passes the ancient settlement of Castle Acre
, although the ruins of Castle Acre Castle
and Castle Acre Priory
are clearly visible across the valley from the road. The road then passes through the villages of Newton
, West Lexham
, Weasenham All Saints
, Weasenham Saint Peter, South Raynham
, East Raynham
, Toftrees
and Hempton
.
The A1065 finishes at a roundabout on the A148 King's Lynn to Cromer road
, about 1 miles (1.6 km) west of the centre of the town of Fakenham
and 9 miles (14.5 km) south of the North Norfolk coast. From here minor roads provide direct connections to the coast in the vicinity of Brancaster
, Burnham Market
, Wells-next-the-Sea
and Blakeney
, whilst the A148 provides a connection to the larger resorts of Sheringham
and Cromer
further to the east.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
region of East Anglia
East Anglia
East Anglia is a traditional name for a region of eastern England, named after an ancient Anglo-Saxon kingdom, the Kingdom of the East Angles. The Angles took their name from their homeland Angeln, in northern Germany. East Anglia initially consisted of Norfolk and Suffolk, but upon the marriage of...
. It provides the principal road connection to parts of the west and north of the county of Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
from Newmarket and points south of there, including London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. It runs from a junction near Mildenhall
Mildenhall, Suffolk
Mildenhall is a small market town and civil parish in Suffolk, England. It is run by Forest Heath District Council and has a population of 9,906 people. The town is near the A11 and is located north-west of county town, Ipswich. The large Royal Air Force base, RAF Mildenhall as well as RAF...
, to a junction on the western outskirt of Fakenham
Fakenham
Fakenham is a town and civil parish in Norfolk, England. It is situated on the River Wensum, some north east of King's Lynn, south west of Cromer, and north west of Norwich....
.
The first 9.4 miles (15.1 km) of the road are in the county of Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
, with the remainder of the road in the county of Norfolk..
Route
The A1065 starts at a roundabout on the A11 London to Norwich road, situated about 1 miles (1.6 km) east of the town of MildenhallMildenhall, Suffolk
Mildenhall is a small market town and civil parish in Suffolk, England. It is run by Forest Heath District Council and has a population of 9,906 people. The town is near the A11 and is located north-west of county town, Ipswich. The large Royal Air Force base, RAF Mildenhall as well as RAF...
and the same distance north east of the village of Barton Mills
Barton Mills
Barton Mills is a village and civil parish in the Forest Heath district of Suffolk, England. The village is on the south bank of the River Lark...
. At the same roundabout the A1101 Bury St. Edmunds to Littleport road
A1101 road
The A1101 is the lowest road in Great Britain; along its approx. stretch it rarely rises above sea level. The road runs from Bury St. Edmunds north west to Littleport where it disappears for approximately , it then re-appears on the other side of the A10 heading north through Wisbech and to its...
crosses the A11. To the south of this junction the A11 and M11
M11 motorway
The M11 motorway in England is a major road running approximately north from the North Circular Road in South Woodford in north-east London to the A14, north-west of Cambridge.-Route:...
provide a fast, dual carriageway
Dual carriageway
A dual carriageway is a class of highway with two carriageways for traffic travelling in opposite directions separated by a central reservation...
and largely grade separated route as far as the outskirts of London.
From this roundabout, the road passes through Mildenhall Woods, an outlying section of Thetford Forest
Thetford Forest
Thetford Forest is the largest lowland pine forest in Britain, Thetford Forest Park is located in a region straddling the north of Suffolk and the south of Norfolk in England...
. Along this stretch, the Cut-off Channel, a large fenland
The Fens
The Fens, also known as the , are a naturally marshy region in eastern England. Most of the fens were drained several centuries ago, resulting in a flat, damp, low-lying agricultural region....
drainage channel, is crossed. After 3.5 miles (5.6 km), the large United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
base at RAF Lakenheath
RAF Lakenheath
RAF Lakenheath, is a Royal Air Force military airbase near Lakenheath in Suffolk, England. Although an RAF station, it hosts United States Air Force units and personnel...
is reached. The road originally crossed what is now part of the airfield, and was diverted during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
to run along the eastern perimeter fence of the base as far as Wangford, where it passes close to the end of the runway
Runway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
.
The road then passes through more of Thetford Forest, before reaching the town of Brandon
Brandon, Suffolk
Brandon is a small town and civil parish in the English county of Suffolk. It is in the Forest Heath local government district.Brandon is located in the Breckland area on the border of Suffolk with the adjoining county of Norfolk...
. The road passes through the town centre, turning sharply left there, bridging the River Little Ouse
River Little Ouse
The Little Ouse is a river in the east of England, a tributary of the River Great Ouse. For much of its length it defines the boundary between Norfolk and Suffolk....
, and crossing the Cambridge to Norwich railway line
Breckland Line
The Breckland Line runs from Cambridge in Cambridgeshire to Norwich in Norfolk, in East Anglia, England. It is so called because it runs through the Breckland region of Norfolk. The line also passes through Thetford Forest. The line is part of the Network Rail Strategic Route 5, SRS 05.09 and part...
on a level crossing
Level crossing
A level crossing occurs where a railway line is intersected by a road or path onone level, without recourse to a bridge or tunnel. It is a type of at-grade intersection. The term also applies when a light rail line with separate right-of-way or reserved track crosses a road in the same fashion...
adjacent to Brandon station
Brandon railway station
Brandon railway station serves the town of Brandon in Suffolk, England, although the station is actually situated across the county boundary in Norfolk. The station is managed by National Express East Anglia, which provides services east to Thetford, Attleborough, Wymondham and Norwich, and west...
.
A larger section of Thetford Forest follows as far as the village of Mundford
Mundford
Mundford is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It is situated at the intersection of two major routes, the A134 Colchester to King's Lynn road and the A1065 Mildenhall to Fakenham road, about north west of Thetford...
. On this stretch the road passes close to Grimes Graves
Grimes Graves
Grime's Graves is a large Neolithic flint mining complex near Brandon in England close to the border between Norfolk and Suffolk. It was worked between around circa 3000 BC and circa 1900 BC, although production may have continued well into the Bronze and Iron Ages owing to the low cost of flint...
, a large Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
flint
Flint
Flint is a hard, sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as a variety of chert. It occurs chiefly as nodules and masses in sedimentary rocks, such as chalks and limestones. Inside the nodule, flint is usually dark grey, black, green, white, or brown in colour, and...
mining complex. At Mundford the A1065 crosses the A134 Colchester to King's Lynn road
A134 road
The A134 road runs from Colchester to Kings Lynn. Other towns on the A134 road include Sudbury, Bury St. Edmunds and Thetford....
.
Beyond Mundford the road passes through the villages of Ickburgh
Ickburgh
Ickburgh is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It is situated on the A1065 Mildenhall to Fakenham road, some north of Brandon and south of Swaffham. The village is from the city of Norwich and from London....
and Hilborough
Hilborough
Hilborough is a village and a civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The village is south of Swaffham, west south west of Norwich and north north east of London. The village straddles the A1065 between Swaffham and Brandon...
before reaching the town of Swaffham
Swaffham
Swaffham is a market town and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The town is situated east of King's Lynn and west of Norwich.The civil parish has an area of and in the 2001 census had a population of 6,935 in 3,130 households...
. Along this stretch the surrounding countryside becomes less wooded, although the road still passes through outliers of Thetford Forest. The passes through the centre of Swaffham and traverses the town's large market place. On the northern edge of the town, the Ecotricity
Ecotricity
Ecotricity is a green energy company based in Stroud, Gloucestershire, England specialising in selling and generating wind power. It is built on the principle of heavily reinvesting its profit in building more of its own windfarms.-History:...
wind turbine
Wind turbine
A wind turbine is a device that converts kinetic energy from the wind into mechanical energy. If the mechanical energy is used to produce electricity, the device may be called a wind generator or wind charger. If the mechanical energy is used to drive machinery, such as for grinding grain or...
s are a major landmark alongside the road, and a grade separated junction gives access to the A47 Birmingham to Great Yarmouth road
A47 road
The A47 is a trunk road in England originally linking Birmingham to Great Yarmouth. Most of the section between Birmingham and Nuneaton is now classified as the B4114.-Route:...
.
Some 3.5 miles (5.6 km) beyond Swaffham the A1065 by-passes the ancient settlement of Castle Acre
Castle Acre
Castle Acre is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The village is situated on the River Nar some north of the town of Swaffham...
, although the ruins of Castle Acre Castle
Castle Acre Castle
Castle Acre Castle is the remains of a motte-and-bailey castle, with extensive earthworks, at Castle Acre, in the English county of Norfolk . It is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, and a Grade I listed building....
and Castle Acre Priory
Castle Acre Priory
Castle Acre Priory, in the village of Castle Acre, Norfolk, England, is thought to have been founded in 1089 by William de Warenne the son the 1st Earl of Surrey who had founded England's first Cluniac priory at Lewes in 1077. The order originated from Burgundy...
are clearly visible across the valley from the road. The road then passes through the villages of Newton
Newton by Castle Acre
Newton by Castle Acre is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It is situated on the A1065 Mildenhall to Fakenham road, about north of the town of Swaffham. The village is from the city of Norwich and from London.-Geography:...
, West Lexham
West Lexham
West Lexham is a village in the English county of Norfolk. It is north of the town of Swaffham, west north west of Norwich and north east of London.The village forms part of the civil parish of Lexham, which in turn is part of the district of Breckland...
, Weasenham All Saints
Weasenham All Saints
Weasenham All Saints is a civil parish in the English county of Norfolk.It covers an area of and had a population of 178 in 76 households as of the 2001 census. For the purposes of local government, it falls within the district of Breckland....
, Weasenham Saint Peter, South Raynham
South Raynham, Norfolk
South Raynham is a village in the county of Norfolk. It is situated on the A1065 road some SW of Fakenham. The River Wensum flows nearby. The village can trace its origins back and before the Domesday survey of 1086 when the village was known as Reinham....
, East Raynham
East Raynham
East Raynham is a village in the county of Norfolk. It is located on the A1065 some south-west of from Fakenham. The River Wensum flows close to the village...
, Toftrees
Toftrees
Toftrees is a hamlet within the civil parish of Dunton in the English county of Norfolk. The hamlet is 2.3 miles south west of Fakenham, 27.3 miles north west of Norwich and 113 miles north north east of London. The nearest railway station is at Sheringham for the Bittern Line which runs between...
and Hempton
Hempton
Hempton is a village and a civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The village is south west of Fakenham, north west of Norwich and north east of London. The village straddles the A1065 between Fakenham and Swaffham. The nearest railway station is at Sheringham for the Bittern Line which...
.
The A1065 finishes at a roundabout on the A148 King's Lynn to Cromer road
A148 road
The A148 is an English A road entirely in the county of Norfolk. It runs from King's Lynn to Cromer via Fakenham which it bypasses to the north.-King’s Lynn starting point:...
, about 1 miles (1.6 km) west of the centre of the town of Fakenham
Fakenham
Fakenham is a town and civil parish in Norfolk, England. It is situated on the River Wensum, some north east of King's Lynn, south west of Cromer, and north west of Norwich....
and 9 miles (14.5 km) south of the North Norfolk coast. From here minor roads provide direct connections to the coast in the vicinity of Brancaster
Brancaster
Brancaster is a village and civil parish on the north coast of the English county of Norfolk. The civil parish of Brancaster comprises Brancaster itself, together with Brancaster Staithe and Burnham Deepdale...
, Burnham Market
Burnham Market
Burnham Market is a village with and civil parish near the north coast of Norfolk, England. Burnham Market is one of the Burnhams, a group of adjacent villages in North Norfolk...
, Wells-next-the-Sea
Wells-next-the-Sea
Wells-next-the-Sea, known locally simply as Wells, is a town, civil parish and seaport situated on the North Norfolk coast in England.The civil parish has an area of and in the 2001 census had a population of 2,451 in 1,205 households...
and Blakeney
Blakeney, Norfolk
Blakeney is a coastal village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. Blakeney lies within the Norfolk Coast AONB and the North Norfolk Heritage Coast. The North Norfolk Coastal Path passes through the village...
, whilst the A148 provides a connection to the larger resorts of Sheringham
Sheringham
Sheringham is a seaside town in Norfolk, England, west of Cromer.The motto of the town, granted in 1953 to the Sheringham Urban District Council, is Mare Ditat Pinusque Decorat, Latin for "The sea enriches and the pine adorns"....
and Cromer
Cromer
Cromer is a coastal town and civil parish in north Norfolk, England. The local government authority is North Norfolk District Council, whose headquarters is in Holt Road in the town. The town is situated 23 miles north of the county town, Norwich, and is 4 miles east of Sheringham...
further to the east.