This village once had a railway station. It still has a family-run blacksmith business that first opened in 1909.
With Christmas and New Year around the corner, nostalgia for years gone by is kicking in for many of us. If you are looking to feel as though you have stepped back in time, a trip to Stoke Ferry in Norfolk could be in order.
In this charming little village, which a section of the River Wissey runs through, you will find a family-run blacksmith’s shop that has been trading for more than 100 years. Thomas B. Bonnett on Lynn Road first opened in the village in 1909.
The wife of Thomas Bonnett’s grandson continues to serve customers to this day, with the help of her two sons. One of the most popular services offered at Thomas B. Bonnett is bespoke ironwork, including commercial signs, gates, railings, or house signs. If you’re stuck for Christmas presents, a personalised piece of ironwork is likely to impress.
Of course, a feature that has been lost from many small villages like Stoke Ferry up and down the country is the pub. As counted by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) and reported by The Express, 901 pub businesses closed between January 1 and October 22 this year, while another 185 were lost as a result of conversion or demolition.
Through the commitment of its community, Stoke Ferry managed to avoid a pub-less future. The Blue Bell, the village’s only pub, closed in 2018 after having serving Stoke Ferry since 1795. However, a campaign by residents led the pub to reopen in 2022.
Most of the renovation work was carried out by locals, and the pub is now under community ownership. The campaign gained the attention of CAMRA, which awarded it the National Pub Saving Award.
This cosy pub now doubles up as a café in the daytime. Pizzas are served on Wednesdays, while classic pub dishes are served on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.
The Blue Bell is open from 10am until 3pm, and again from 5.30pm until 10pm, on Wednesdays and Thursdays. It is open from 10am until 11pm on Fridays and Saturdays, and from 12pm to 8pm on Sundays.
If locals fancy a pizza on days other than Wednesdays, when they’re served at The Blue Bell, Mr Pizza Kebab on Lynn Road has an impressive 4.9/5 average Google review rating. One person described “the highest standard of food and service” at this takeaway, which is open from 4pm Tuesday to Sunday, closing at 9.30pm on Fridays and Saturdays and 9pm the rest of the week.
While its historic pub has been saved, an important feature of Stoke Ferry that has been lost is its railway station. This stop along the Cambridge to King’s Lynn line opened in 1882 and closed to passengers in 1930, before closing to all traffic 35 years later.
Today, those travelling to Stoke Ferry by train are likely to travel to Thetford, King’s Lynn, Downham Market, or Brandon, before catching a bus to the village. This typically takes between an hour and 35 minutes and two hours.
The drive from Cambridge takes just over an hour, while the drive from Ely takes around 40 minutes.
