Botesdale, United Kingdom
Botesdale is a town of 1,742 people in England, United Kingdom.
Why visit Botesdale
Townapedia lists 2 museums and landmarks, 3 parks and trails, 7 places to eat and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Blo' Norton and Thelnetham Fen and Redgrave and Lopham Fen.
Weather in Botesdale
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Full forecast
About Botesdale
Botesdale is a village and civil parish in the Mid Suffolk district of the English county of Suffolk. The village is about 6 miles (10 km) south west of Diss, 25 miles (40 km) south of Norwich and 16 miles (26 km) north east of Bury St Edmunds. The village of Rickinghall merges with Botesdale along the B1113 road, locally known as simply: ‘The Street’. Their connection creates the appearance of a single built-up residential area and the boundary between the two is difficult to identify.
From the Wikipedia article Botesdale (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks2
War Memorial
Monument and historic site · 1.4 mi
Polished brass plaque fixed to church wall inside.
Parks, trails and playgrounds3
Redgrave and Lopham Fen
Park · 2.7 mi
Suffolk Wildlife Trust nature reserve
Restaurants and cafes7
The Cross Keys
Bar and pub · 1.4 mi
The Street, Diss
We 18:00-22:00; Th-Sa 12:00-22:00; Su 12:00-18:00
More about Botesdale
Arts and culture
The village retains some local services, including shops and public houses. The Bell Inn (in Rickinghall) began life as a coaching stop for people en route through the village in the 17th and 18th centuries – it was a popular stop due to its extensive stabling for large draught horses.
Botesdale Health Centre was established in 1972, and St Botolph's Primary School was opened in 1994 after the closure of two Victorian schools – Rickinghall CofE Primary School and Redgrave and Botesdale CofE Primary School – which served the villages of Botesdale, Hinderclay, Redgrave and Rickinghall for over a century. The school now teaches over 200 pupils, from part-time Nursery pupils to Year 6 classes. Most students transfer to Hartismere High School in Eye at age 11.
St Botolph's church was built in the late 15th century as a chantry chapel. When chantry chapels were abolished in the 1540s it became a school and a house was added on for the schoolmaster. In 1884, it was restored to use as a chapel of ease to Redgrave. It is a grade II* listed building
From the Wikipedia article Botesdale, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship11
Shopping2
Schools, colleges and libraries1
St Botolph's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
School · Anglican
Back Hills, Diss
Map of Botesdale
27 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Getting there and nearby towns
RAF Honington (BEQ) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 10 miles away.
- Diss 5 mi northeast, about 8 min by car
- Scole 7 mi east, about 11 min by car
- Dickleburgh 9 mi northeast, about 14 min by car
- Haughley 9 mi south, about 14 min by car
- Woolpit 9 mi southwest, about 15 min by car
- Stowmarket 11 mi south, about 17 min by car
- Great Barton 11 mi southwest, about 18 min by car
- Thetford 12 mi northwest, about 19 min by car
- Attleborough 12 mi north, about 20 min by car
- Bury St Edmunds 14 mi southwest, about 23 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Towns near Botesdale
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Local news
Headlines from INDB.
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Sources and licences
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, coordinates, regions and time zone
- Mapillary (see each image): photos
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Thelnetham Fen 4, Dudley Miles, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Redgrave and South Lopham Fen, John Went, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Wortham - Church of St Mary, Keith Evans, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Rickinghall Superior - Church of St Mary, Bob Jones, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Street-level photo, AR_Mapper, CC BY-SA 4.0
Page built November 10, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.