View source for Acle

==History==
In [[Roman Britain|Roman]] times, Acle was a port at the head of a large [[estuary]] named ''Gariensis''. Acle is mentioned in the [[Domesday Book]], and in 1253 it was granted a [[market charter]]. The livestock and local [[farmers' market]] existed until into the 1970s, as did a nearby auction site; the latter is now a new housing estate and the former is part-occupied by a branch of [[Co-op Food|CO-OP]], with the other part remaining a market, although essentially for tourist purposes: no livestock is now bought or sold there.

In 1382, Acle received the right for a "[[turbary]]", that is, the right to dig [[peat]]. Acle still has a boatyard and Boat Dyke and walks along the Bure to [[Upton, Norfolk|Upton]] and beyond are possible.

The [[Acle Straight]] is a [[Toll road|turnpike road]] connecting Acle to [[Great Yarmouth]]. It opened in 1831.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.greatyarmouthmercury.co.uk/your-great-yarmouth/nostalgia/no-getting-a-straight-answer-to-a-straight-problem-1-4398143|title=No getting a Straight answer to a Straight problem|work=Great Yarmouth Mercury|date=28 January 2016}}</ref> [[Acle railway station]], which was built in 1883, lies on the [[Wherry Line]] from Norwich to Great Yarmouth. In 1892 a foundry was constructed that specialised in building [[windpump]]s for land drainage, including the last windpump built for the Broads, at Ash Tree Farm. The three-mile (5&nbsp;km) £7.1m dual-carriageway [[A47 road|A47]] bypass opened in March 1989; local campaigners are still pressing for the dualling of the Acle Straight, the portion of the A47 running from Acle to [[Great Yarmouth]], which has a relatively high accident rate.

Since the turn of the century, a walkway running from the station to the Boat Dyke has been constructed by local volunteers; this walk (known as Damgate) offers an opportunity to view indigenous flora, some of which are rare. Also on the Damgate walk, there have been repeated sightings of a [[common kingfisher|kingfisher]], locally known as Henry,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Wheelchair Access Vehicles Acle|url=http://www.disabledwheelchairaccessiblevehicles.co.uk/norfolk/wheelchair-access-vehicles-acle/|access-date=16 September 2020|website=Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles}}</ref> which is said to fly under the abandoned railway bridge around mid afternoon.

Between 2009 - 2014 a series of archaeological test pits were dug in the village. The report was published in 2017<ref>{{cite web|title= Acle|url= https://www.access.arch.cam.ac.uk/reports/norfolk/acle/ACA_Acle_Report_2017.pdf|website= www.access.arch.cam.ac.uk|access-date= 15 March 2021}}</ref>

There is a high school ([[Acle Academy]]) in the town.