I've walked into Monday feeling particularly sprightly. Every year Matt & I say we'll prepare for winter better. Somehow every year it creeps up on us though. The clocks 'suddenly' change, it's dark and it's wet, and for a few weeks I lose my mojo. Getting out in nature this weekend though has put that spring right back in my step....and I'm mainly putting it down to this walk.
3 hours of absolute bliss, meandering along the River Bure, heading through farmland and grass fields, enjoying warming hot chocolates at Blickling Hall and then sauntering along country lanes and discovering beautiful villages.
I love a long walk. It's a real opportunity to switch off and this walk may well be one of our favourites yet (especially with the view of Blickling Hall as you meander along the banks of the lake).
Starting point: Weavers’ Way Drabblegate Car Park on Banningham Road, Aylsham. what3words ///potential.start.toasted
Distance: 12.1km
Total Duration: 2h 39m
Directions:
The walk starts straight from the car park and you're picking up The Weavers Way which starts on the right hand side of the car park itself. You're following this track for 20 minutes until you meet the main road.
As soon as you get started on this walk you won't be disappointed. With the leaves falling from the trees either side, it's the most stunning autumnal scene. I didn't know until we stopped at a view point to read the information on a sign about The River Bure and the former Midland & Great Northern Railway that much of this track is former railroad. It really does come into its own when it meanders you onto former railways bridges and over The River Bure. We stopped many times just to take in the incredible view and nature that surrounded us.
Once you're at the end of this part of the path and reach the main road, you're crossing over (don't worry, is pretty much the only main road you'll need to cross on this walk). Once you're across the road, the path starts again straight away and you're going up the short hill and then bearing left (with the main road then running behind the trees on your left).
After about 4 minutes, you'll come out onto a lay by and if you look right, you'll see a way finder to Blickling Hall and you're following that. Once you've walked down here for a few minutes, you'll come out at a farm. Once you're there, you're heading slightly right (it's clearly marked) and onto the field of the farm. Once you're past the farm equipment you'll see a track to your right, that runs all the way across the middle of the field - you're heading onto that....and it's absolutely stunning just roaming in the middle of the open fields. It's here I really started to get that sense of joy coarsing right back through my veins.
You'll cross 3 fields in total and then come out by some beautiful thatched houses and onto a country lane. As soon as you're on that country lane, you're turning right.
Follow this lane and you'll come out directly opposite the stunning church that sits next to Blickling Hall. Cross the road and into the church yard and then head left and through the church yard and out (much safer than walking on the road and give you the opportunity to see the beautiful architecture of the building up close).
As soon as you're out of the church yard, you'll start to see the grand and impressive entrance to Blickling Hall on your right. Obviously at this point you might want to explore Blickling Hall itself. We chose not to as dogs aren't allowed within the walled grounds. Instead we headed to the Muddy Boots Cafe and had a yummy hot chocolate and a leg rest - you're about a third of the way round the walk at this point so it's a perfect opportunity. There's also a superb country pub right next to the entrance to Blickling Hall too (The Bucks Arms) so if you time your walk well (you'll need to leave yourself at last an hour to get here from the car) it's well worth booking a table for lunch and it'd be the perfect way to break up the walk.
If you've chosen not to stop, or are now picking the route back up, you want to walk to the walls of Blickling Hall itself (facing the way you would have been when you got here from the church - so the wall is to your right side) and you're going to literally follow the walls of the Hall round and down a path that says "Private Parking". About a minute down here and you'll see a gate which you're heading through (very slightly to your left).
You're now on the path that meanders you around Blickling Hall's stunning lake and you're walking all the way round to the tip where The Fishermans Car Park is. When we went on Sunday the Fishermans Car Park was actually closed off and they were doing work so we had to find a slight diversion but hopefully the work is done and complete by the time you go on your own adventure!
When you're walking around the lake, make sure you stop and turn around. The view of Blickling Hall across the water is just spectacular and well worth sitting on a bench for a while to take in the view.
Once you're at The Fisherman's Car Park you're walking out of it and onto the country lane (Carr Lane) and turning right. Once you're on Carr Lane, you're going to pass two houses and then turn left and onto a field - there's a sign that says "beware of the bull" (don't worry, we didn't see a bull) and you're going through that gate, into the field and up and over the cute little bridge. Once you're over the bridge you're turning right and just following this path. It's so pretty and feels like you're in heathland more than farmland. You'll reach a house (just keep walking past it with it on your right) and then you're walking all the way along the path to the country lane.
Once on the country lane you're turning left. Walk past the farm buildings and then you're turning right and following the way finder onto Beech Lane. This part of the walk again is so beautiful. You feel so remote and cut off from everything. It really is just soul filling magic.
Once you're at the top of the field, you're doing a sharp right and walking the top of the field you just walked alongside.
At the end of that field (when you reach a house on your right), you're turning left and walking towards the white bungalow. Once you're past the bungalow and dusty pink house, you'll come out on another country lane. Turn right and then you're very quickly heading left and up the drive that's signposted "Becks Farm Cottages".
Walk all the way up here to the cottages and then once the cottages are on your right, you'll see a woodland path right in front of you. You're taking that. This will take you down and out onto another country lane - these lanes are beautiful by the way and we never saw any cars so don't let it put you off.
Once you meet the country lane you're turning right, past all the houses and as soon as you see the church on the right, you're turning left and out onto the 'main road' called The Street. This is Ingworth Village and it's beautiful.
The church building is stunning, as is the old mill building opposite is one of the most beautiful houses I've ever seen. The River Bure runs along it's garden wall and you can hear it flowing rapidly as you walk down the main road and along the line of beautiful riverside houses and cottages.
After a few minutes of walking down this road, you'll see a wooden wayfinder on your left and you want to follow that up Ringer's Lane. This path take you up and past a house and you're going to take the path straight up with fields on either side of you.
Keep on this path and follow it right at the top, so you'll then be walking the top edge of the field that's just been on your right on the way up. Once you get to to a fork in the path, you're bearing slight left and following the yellow way finders and through the gate. Follow this to the lane at the end and then you're heading right and you just follow this lane for about 15 minutes (past the most stunning country manors) and you're back at the car.
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This is a long walk but if you have the pit stop at Blickling, take it slow and stop to enjoy the views and really allow yourself to "just be", you honestly don't feel the time passing. Matt and I both commented about 40 minutes in that we only felt like we'd been walking for 10 minutes. The views are so spectacular, the landscape so varied and the wildlife so frequent that you really do get lost in your own little world.
Definitely one for a rain free Sunday over autumn and winter. Perfect for giving the dog a long walk (our dog Luna absolutely LOVED it) and blowing off those winter blues cobwebs and finding your mojo again.