Introduction
Three years ago I had walked in
Norfolk for the first time and been surprised and delighted by the quality of
the countryside and its paths. I had finished the Peddars Way and Norfolk Coast
Path at Cromer, where I was met and entertained by Jill’s cousin and his wife.
Ever since then, we have been longing to renew the experience. An art
exhibition at Norwich Castle was the catalyst. Jill and I travelled down by train
and spent three happy days with Robert and Mary. Besides the castle and its Boudicca
exhibition, we visited the Saxon burial site at Sutton Hoo. I was steeped in
the history of East Anglia. All I now needed to do was walk the walk. So early
one morning, Robert and Mary kindly dropped us outside Norwich Station. Jill
caught a train home whilst I took a local diesel to Great Yarmouth.
Thursday 16th April 2015
Great Yarmouth – Oulton
Saxon Churches
The 9.30am train from Norwich arrived
in Yarmouth at just after 10.00am. I collected some money from an ATM before I
turned over Haven Bridge and out onto the sea defences to the south of Breydon
Water. The weather had been lovely all week and it looked set to continue as I
covered myself in sun block and donned my new Tilley hat. It was a good four
miles along the sea wall before the coast line turned left and into Burgh. The
signage indicated that the route ran below the hill so I almost missed the
Roman Fort and had to cut back up some steps to view the ruins.
There was a dreary suburban section
through Belton but eventually I reached Sandy Lane which I followed until it
became sandy. The skies were clearing and it was warm now as I passed a golf
club and turned onto an overgrown path to reach the A143 at Fritton. A wide
avenue led to an old church with a round tower, supposedly one of the best
preserved of Saxon churches in East Anglia. I stopped for a look inside and
then sat on the bench outside to eat a quick snack.
It was now very warm as I strode out
along a long section of road to Herringfleet Hall and beyond. I passed another Saxon
church at Ashby, this time with an octagonal tower. This was locked so I
hurried on into Somerleyton. I was tempted to cut out the loop through the
village and in retrospect I should have done so. As it was, I entered the
village and got hopelessly lost in the marina. As I was about to climb onto the
railway line, a couple sent me back to try again to find the correct exit out
of the boatyard. This was an unmarked gap between some trees behind an old
vessel. I was now back on-route to the station and thence to where I could have
taken a short cut. Then came a stretch of very pleasant woodland, spoilt by a
half mile section where the path had been ploughed. I soon reached Camps Heath and
turned up Holly Hill to find my digs for the night. Laurel Farm was only 0.75
miles off route and was very easy to find.
Great Yarmouth dep. 10.10, 10 minute
break at Fritton Church, Oulton arr.
16.10
GPS 17.85 miles in 5hr 54m 22s
walking time with 17.1 miles on-route.
I stayed at Laurel Farm, Hall Lane,
Oulton, (Kevin and Janet) in a beautiful barn conversion in a courtyard behind
the magnificent farm house. I ate at the Blue Boar just over half a mile away.
Haddock, chips and mushy peas followed by orange cake and ice cream. The beer
was Adnam’s bitter and it was well kept.
A Harrier over the Marshes
After a leisurely breakfast, I packed
and set off back down Hall Lane and Holly Hill. There was a bitterly cold wind
and I had my jacket on for the entire morning. From Camps Heath it was no
distance into suburban Oulton Broad and a complex section of street walking.
But I found my way through to the quayside. In trying to stay close to the lake
I got off the signed route. However I spotted a Chinese Water Deer foraging in
the marshland shrub. All routes seemed to converge on the wildlife centre so I
was soon back on signed paths.
The next two miles were through major
construction sites with much movement of heavy equipment. Footpath diversions
were in place and the official Angles Way signage disappeared into the ether.
This led to a very confusing moment when the diverted path re-joined the river bank.
At the top of the steps up to the levee, the onward route was fenced off as
part of the diversion system. It took me several minutes to convince myself
that the way to Beccles lay beyond the temporary fencing.
Thus began the five mile slog along
the river, not attractive at first so to while away the time I rang my
daughter. As we prattled, the miles flew by and I almost forgot where I was. Suddenly,
out of the reeds ahead of me, rose a Marsh Harrier, the first one I had ever
seen. This was a great moment of excitement in a rather dull part of the walk.
Eventually, after what seemed like an age, the river curved under a road bridge
and into Beccles. This was a lovely grassy haven after a long spell on the bare
river bank. The sun came out to celebrate and even more amazingly, I found
myself passing a café on my way into the Old Market Square. It would have been
rude to have walked any further.
Reinforced by panini and cappuccino,
I set out again. The afternoon session was short and simple, following paths
and lanes on either side of the main road. The last mile into Ditchingham was
along a narrow busy lane with no pavements. The traffic roared passed at an
alarming speed as I searched for the path over the fields. This I failed to
spot and had to continue all the way up this scary lane to the Ditchingham
outskirts. Here I abandoned the route and walked back through Bungay town
centre seeking my accommodation for the night. I knew roughly where Treetops
was situated and was much relieved to find a steep wooded path right up to the
house. This saved a half mile detour. I was soon showered and changed and
descending the steep path back into town in search of a meal.
Oulton dep. 09.18, Lunch in Beccles
13.16-13.50 and Bungay arr. 16.45, GPS 21.36 miles in 6hrs 49m 42s walking time
plus a 35 minute coffee stop In Beccles, 19.13 ml on-route.
I stayed with Nigel and Valerie at Treetops in Woodland Drive, Bungay. I first tried a real ale pub but this was not serving food so I went to the Castle Inn and had a splendid leg of duck finishing with chocolate torte and coffee. The Earl Soham beer was a revelation. I stayed on Victoria Bitter, at 3.6% an idea session beer.
Saturday 18th April 2015
Bungay - Brockdish
Electrifying Pace
I had an even more leisurely
breakfast today. It was 9.25am before I was out in the morning sun, outside
Treetops and ready for the day. I slipped down the steep path to the main road
into town and walked back through the town centre and out once again to Ditchingham.
It was a cool clear morning with blue skies and no wind. The circumnavigation
of Bungay was a delight, on woodland paths around the common on the other side
of the river. Jill rang me and we caught up with affairs in the real world like
kids and grandkids.
The loop finishes at Earsham where
the official route traverses a cattle farm criss-crossed by electric fences.
The way through was not clear in the morning sunshine. I ended up on hands and
knees crawling across the field and under all the electric wires. Oh for a bit
of route signage! There was a sharp climb up to a plateau of farm land and then
over to Homersfield where the path went past the old church and into a wood and
a bench suitable for a lunch-stop. Then it was down onto a road and along the
river into Mendham with its magnificent church.
Here I crossed the river bridge back
into Norfolk and up over higher ground into the outskirts of Harleston. I did
not see much of the town as the route skirts around to the south and off on the
road to Weybread and its magnificent houses. The last few miles along the river
were splendid. Grassy paths ran through riverine meadows and woods. Time
evaporated as I tramped onwards into field after wood after field. Suddenly it
was all over. A bridge was reached then a farm yard and drive and there at the
exit from the drive was the b&b and a very welcome cup of tea. I had been
warned when I booked the room of the lack of gas at the pub for cooking. Would
the pub have now got gas and a full menu or would I be on the forewarned
pizzas?
Bungay dep. 09.25, Lunch at
Homersfield (13.04-13.120, Brockdish arr. 15.48
GPS 19.23 mls in 6hrs 13m 45s walking
time.
I stayed at the Greyhound House
b&b, Brockdish. I found that the old Kings Head was still without a gas
cooker in the kitchen so I settled for dough balls & garlic butter followed
by mushroom and garlic pizza. Coffee and carrot cake made the perfect dessert. I
fell in love with Moon Gazer Gold IPA (5%) from Norfolk Brewery at Fakenham.
A Place of Diss-repute
Breakfast was at 8.30pm on this cold
Sunday morning so I packed and was ready to depart as soon as possible after my
full English. Today I was to cross the watershed of the route from the Waveney
to the Little Ouse river systems at the dizzy altitude of 100 ft above sea
level. First however I had to negotiate some farmland on my way to Diss. The
agricultural sections were the only parts of the route requiring careful
navigation. The Way was well marked generally but all signage often disappeared
on the long farm sections. Today was a prime example as I followed a fingerpost
along a clear track but then found myself off route and hopelessly of course
climbing metal gates and crossing riverside meadows. However I had the river as
my marker so I was able to get back onto route without much loss of time. Again
I missed the correct line across fields near Scole and ended up too far south.
My line back onto the route involved a right-of way severed by a dual
carriageway the crossing of which involved sprawling over the central barriers.
My only concern now was whether the coffee shops would be open in Diss on a
Sunday morning.
I turned into the main street and, lo
and behold, there was a café with tables outside. So I enjoyed a coffee and
scones before have a quick look round the town centre. I moved on via the
lovely mere and over well-kept parkland. A lovely setting made more-so by the
late appearance of the sun and a warming of the day. As I walked towards
Roydon, I could hear the whistle of an engine at a nearby steam museum. I
encountered a herd of frisky young heifers and was quick to get through their
field as I could see some dog walkers coming towards us. Cattle and dogs do not
mix and I was not going to hang round to watch.
I then entered what I considered to
be the highlight of the entire five days. The next three miles traversed wooded
fenland around the watershed, on winding paths through the willow and reeds of
Redgrave Fen. A short interlude on roads and around pig farms took me over to
the wonderful Hinderclay Fen: walking at its very best. However nothing lasts
forever and I was at last out into the afternoon sunshine and the last miles
into Hopton. I could see the pub as I entered the village and popped in to warn
them that I would be late for my Sunday roast. As I entered the pub, the
landlord looked at me and my walking gear and just said ‘Roast Pork’. My
landlady had called in to pre-arrange the keeping of some food for me after the
lunchtime cooking had ended. I agreed to have a quick shower and get back as
soon as possible. I stopped to ask some locals where the b&b was as there
were no signs. I decided to try ringing on the door of the only unmarked house
and was spot on with my guess. So I was soon showered and changed and back in
the Vine.
Brockdish dep. 09.25, Lunch in Diss 13.10-13.40,
Hopton arr. 14.15
GPS 20.08 ml in 6hrs 25m 15s walking
I stayed at Mill House B&B, High
Street, Hopton and ate at the Vine: Roast Pork (late Sunday lunch). The pub was
CAMRA listed so I sampled Growler Lemon Head from Nethergate (4.0%) and Sirius
Dog Star from Wolf (4.2%)
The Euston Express
I needed an earlier start this
morning as I was not sure of the distance now the Angles Way has been extended
to Thetford and I had a train to catch. So for the first time on the trip I was
away for 9.00am. It was a cool misty morning with an obviously clear sky above.
The mist soon burnt off and I was in for a stunning April day, so hot that I
was glad of some of the shadier sections. The left-rights out of Hopton
eventually led me back onto line and a direct march towards Riddlesworth Hall
which is now a school. Then it was out onto open heath towards the start of the
Peddars Way. I took a diagonal route across Knettishall Heath, coming out onto
the Icknield Way south of its junction with the Peddars Way.
I had expected the long straight
sections of the Icknield Way to be bare, stony and boring, but they were
anything but. Much of it was tree-lined and sandy, making for pleasant walking
underfoot. The highlight was a traverse of the Euston Estate. Here, as I
trudged along a wide avenue with vegetation to either side, I was thrilled to
see a barn owl flying slowly towards me, only banking away when quite near. It
was a wonderful moment of stillness and beauty. The owl turned away and I
carried on into Euston where a short length of busy main road awaited me. I was
soon up and away, climbing this time onto higher heathland and a very straight
section of the route. Again a main road was crossed before I turned onto a
track much like my fears had led me to expect: massively wide and straight, no
shade and a baking hot midday sun. I sat briefly in the shade of a tall hedge
before stirring myself for one last effort. There was more farm activity here
than anywhere else on the whole route so I was glad to make the turn off the
Icknield Way and on to the finally run-in northwards towards Thetford.
After so much flat walking, the
steepness of the last hill up to St Edmund Way took me by surprise. But it was
not far now across Barnham Cross Common and into the outskirts of town. I
followed the recommended route down Nuns Bridges Road and found the delightful
riverside path that starts between the two bridges and leads by a series of
footbridges along the river and into the town centre. I had time for a coffee
and a snack which was fortuitous as no refreshments would appear on my four
hour train journey home. There was one moment of panic when I could not find
anyone who spoke English and that knew where the station was. But eventually a
lady recollected a road called Station Road and we decided that would make a
good target. I gained the platform at 4.00pm looking for a toilet or waiting
room where I could change from my walking gear into something more suited for
train travel. But nothing was open and I had to leave my change for a miniscule
toilet on the two-coach diesel unit that arrived to carry me to Stockport. The
country-side looked stunning in the evening sun and passing through towns like
Ely reminded me that there was much more to see in this magnificent country of
ours.
Hopton dep. 09.04, lunch near New
Zealand Cottages (12.50- 12.58), Thetford Coffee Shop (15.20-15.45), Thetford
Station arr. 16.00. GPS: 20.48 ml in 6hrs 24m 30s walking.
I caught the 16.23 train to Stockport
and was met at Macclesfield Station by Jill who gave me a welcome lift home. I
had had a marvellous five days of walking in near perfect walking weather.
