The Parish of Loddon
Loddon is a pleasant small town which has grown rapidly over the past few years.
The town was an administrative centre in its own right - Loddon Rural District Council, but this disappeared in the major local authority reorganisation of the early 1970s, becoming part of South Norfolk, when it appears to have reverted to village status?
Consequently there is an ongoing local debate as to whether Loddon is actually a village or a town?
South Norfolk District class it as a market town which, in truth it has been for centuries.
The area to the north of Church Plain, still called Market Place, was used as a market before moving to what is now Church Plain in the 13th century.
Subsequently the market, together with an auction rooms, was situated on land to the rear of The Swan where it operated for nearly 100 years but some twenty years ago the land was sold for residential development (Old Market Green and Sale Court).
A small market continues to this day in the car park at The Swan and a country market also runs weekly in the Hollies.
So, town or village? The choice is yours!
The centre is dominated by the church of the Holy Trinity, built at the end of the 15th century, with Church Plain at its front which provides a focal point for the town.
It is the only town of any size in South Norfolk with direct access to the Norfolk Broads.
The Parish is administered within Norfolk by South Norfolk Council with local representation carried out by Loddon Parish Council.
Loddon now functions as a tourist, commuter and light industrial town with principally arable farming in the surrounding countryside.
It is however still very much the local centre for the area.
The town is perhaps most importantly a major centre for tourism in the southern Broads area with a number of boatyards based on the River Chet providing hire craft for holiday makers.
The town centre, designated a conservation area, has a great deal to offer both residents and visitors - it has its own doctors' surgery, dentists, opticians, library, bank, fire station and Post Office
There are three Schools (First Middle and High), as well as nursery education.
The Industrial Estate on the edge of the town provides employment opportunities and continues to thrive and expand.
Although out-of-town supermarkets have certainly had their effect on the smaller shops in Loddon, these shops continue to compete successfully by providing good quality and value with a friendly and personal service.
Good local parking, off road as well as on, encourages people to stay and look around.
There are also a number of community buildings; the Jubilee Hall, a self financing social club, and centre for much of the sport in Loddon, The Hollies, and Hollies Annex, and the Old Town Hall - buildings now administered by Loddon Buildings and Preservation Trust.
These facilities not only serve Loddon but also many of the communities that surround it.