Wayland House, Watton - 01953 880 212 waylandtourism@aol.com

Watton is a market town in the district of Breckland within the English county of Norfolk. The A1075 Dereham-Thetford road and the B1108 Brandon-Norwich Road meet at a crossroads here, where the town developed, about 25 miles (40 km) west of Norwich.

The civil parish covers an area of 2.8 sq mi with about 6,800 inhabitants in 3,000 households, increasing to a population of 7,202 in 3,226 at the 2011 Census. The Domesday Book records that Watton (or Wadetuna) featured a church, manor house and Anglo-Saxon settlement.

In 1984 Watton was twinned with the Lower Rhine (Niederrhein) town of Weeze, Germany, with the subsequent twinning charter being formally signed in 1987.

The nearby Wayland Wood is the setting of the old English ballad "Babes in the Wood". First published in 1595, it tells the tale of two Norfolk children abandoned and left to die in the woods by their uncle. The legend is also depicted on the town sign, which occupies a prominent position in High Street in front of the clock tower.

Wayland wood is a popular dog walking and relaxation spot (although dogs are banned, this rule is unenforced). The wood is now a nature reserve owned by the Norfolk Wildlife Trust.

The clock tower of Watton was built in 1679 by Christopher Hey, a wealthy mercer. The tower was built to hold a fire warning bell following the 'Great Fire of Watton' that destroyed more than sixty properties in 1674. This early warning bell, known as 'Ting-Tang,' is hung in an ornate cupola on top of the tower. The brick tower was rendered with cement and a new clock, donated by a local citizen, was installed in 1827. To commemorate the silver jubilee of King George V and Queen Mary in 1935, a new clock face was installed. The clock is still working in the 21st century. The building is now home to a tourist and local information centre.

As part of the Sustrans Connect2 project proposals are in place to create a cycling and walking route between Watton and the village of Griston. The new route would follow the eastern boundary of Watton airfield and provide a shorter, traffic free alternative to the A1075. Norfolk County Council have allocated a £40,000 contribution towards funding of the scheme. A schematic map of the scheme has been published online.