Thorpe St Andrew is two miles to the east of Norwich and boasts excellent facilities for both residents and tourists. There is a full range of shops and businesses that vary in size from superstores such as Sainsbury’s to many small businesses that offer personal services such as butchers, barbers, hairdressers etc. There is a Farmers Market held in the Good Shepherd Church Hall on Thunder Lane on the last Friday morning of each month.

For visitors a wide choice of accommodation is available from bed and breakfast establishments to plush hotels. The Oaklands Hotel (www.oaklands-hotel.co.uk), The Old Rectory Hotel (www.oldrectorynorwich.com) and The Town House are all located in Yarmouth Road; each has large, attractive gardens and all offer a wide range of food and accommodation.
Visitors by boat are well catered for, there are two free 24 hour moorings located in the town on the River Yare. One is known as Commissioners Cut, Whitlingham Lane – the other is the picturesque River Green by the side of Yarmouth Road, which is regarded by many as the heart of Thorpe St Andrew.

The nearest camping/caravan sites are nearby at Lakenham (Camping and Caravan Club) and Norfolk Showground (Caravan Club). Norwich Camping and Leisure of South Hill Road have

moved from their two acre site in South Hill Road to the Norwich Camping Leisure Village in Blofield, just off the A47 where a vast range of outdoor clothing, tents, camping equipment, caravan awnings and accessories, barbecues and garden furniture are available and much more. Their website can be visited at www.norwich-camping.co.uk.
There are plenty of restaurants and takeaways in Thorpe St Andrew. The Rushcutters and The Rivergarden have riverside gardens and offer good food and real ales. The Buck opposite River Green is one of the oldest buildings in Thorpe St Andrew; it’s always busy and popular with both locals and visitors.

Other pubs with busy restaurants include The Millhouse on the Ring Road, The Cottage off Thunder Lane and Spinney Road and The Griffin (Closed for refurbishment at present) on Yarmouth Road. The Gordon in Gordon Avenue was a popular community pub but it too is closed at present (November 2011).

There are two Chinese takeaways (Thunder Lane and Beechwood Drive). Alternatively there is an Indian takeaway on St Williams Way and the Raj of India fine dining Indian restaurant on Yarmouth Road. The two fish and chips (Plumstead Road and Yarmouth Road) offer more traditional fare. Thailand on the Ring Road is a long established restaurant specialising in Thai cuisine.

City Boats of Griffin Lane (www.cityboats.co.uk) run daily river trips to Norwich and the broads; day boats and cruisers can be hired by the hour or longer here too.

Two health clubs are to be found in Thorpe St Andrew – the long established Oasis Health and Leisure Club in Pound Lane (www.oasislc.co.uk)and Bannatynes on the St Andrews Business Park. There are post offices at 158 Yarmouth Road and in Thunder Lane at the junction with Spinney Road.

Dussindale Community Centre, Pound Lane, telephone 701048 offers a range of leisure activities for all ages from parent and toddler groups through to sequence dancing, yoga, badminton, short mat bowls and aerobics.

The public library on Williams Loke, St Williams Way provides a wide range of books, newspapers and magazines and free Internet access is available.

The Town Council have two recreation grounds. At Laundry Lane you can play bowls, tennis or football. It is also home to Thorpe Fliers – a group of enthusiastic kite fliers who meet most Sunday mornings to fly their amazing creations. There is a range of play equipment suitable for children of all ages.

The Dussindale Amenity area in Pound Lane is the place to enjoy a game of cricket. St Andrews Cricket Club and the Bystanders Cricket Club play there most weekends in the summer. Again there is an excellent range of play equipment for older children as well as an under fives play area.
For a picnic or to watch the world go by River Green on Yarmouth Road can’t be beaten. If you feel energetic a circular walk can be enjoyed beside the river starting nearby from the marshes at Whitlingham Lane.

The Eastern Daily Press featured an article on Thorpe St Andrew in January 2008. Please click HERE to view the article as a PDF document. (The file is approx 4Mb in size).