Walks

Sunday Morning Stomp at Sheringham Park

Walks

With the summer holidays starting in earnest this week Muddy Boot’s Matilda was a little apprehensive about facing the crowds this weekend, but had an early parking slot booked at Sheringham Park, North Norfolk.

The National Trust is still operating on a ticketed entry to their car parks to allow for limited guests, we had booked these tickets a while ago and forgotten about them but were keen to get out of the city for an hour or two.

We were greeted at the entrance to the car park by some lovely volunteers who explained that the car park now had a one way system, only half the loos were open and the cafe was offering a takeaway service. They also told us when the gates were to be locked so we didn’t get trapped in the parkland overnight.

Whilst Sheringham Hall is privately owned, you are free to explore the staggering 1000 acres of land that surround it. Our favourite area of this is populated with giant rhododendrons and azaleas; they have been planted there for so long that they create dark corridors and twisted passageways under the canopy.

We managed to catch one of the remaining rhododendrons still in bloom.

The best time to see them in their glory is mid-May to early June.

We followed the “blue” walk which took us through the rhododendrons, out via the hall and back up the hill via the Temple. It was a quick hour’s stomp but did take us through the path of some very dozy cows!

A blurry shot of the view from the Temple hill, you can just make out the sea through the trees and a glimpse of the Hall in the center.

It was a lovely Sunday morning stomp (not too muddy) and reinforced how well the National Trust are handling the situation! We will be back again soon no doubt! A few dogs joined us on our walk, although they had to be kept on leads for the sake of the herd, there is also a section of the walk that is wheelchair accessible, as well as disabled toilets at the car park.

Fir Trail at High Lodge

Walks

High Lodge, run by Forestry England, is located in Thetford Forest, the largest lowland pine forest in Britain. We braved one of their 5 walking trails, as they re-opened with covid limitations in place from the 23rd of May.

The car park was already quite full at around 10am, everyone and their aunt had decided that today was a brilliant day for a cycle! We quickly (and safety) wound our way through to the service desk to purchase a map and then headed away from the hoards off into the woodland.

Thetford’s High Lodge is not only home to lovely trails for walking, they also offer a wide range of cycle paths with a dedicated cycle hire. The site also boasts a large cafe and snack shop, Go-Ape treetop adventure and smaller activities such as archery and trampolining. This main hub attracts a lot of guests, even during Covid, but we were pleased to see there were floor markings for high-traffic areas, and sanitiser stations spread out.

We decided to follow the Fir Trail, a 5km moderate route, as this offered us a chance to also see the Future Forest installations as we walked. The future forest is a series of statues throughout the forest that are based on classical themes and appear almost as staged characters lingering in the trees. They each have a structure surrounding them and are brightly painted to contrast with the dark shade of the undergrowth.

As we followed the path further away from the lodge we encountered many of the cyclists as their routes were often intertwined with the trail or crossed over it. Everyone seemed in a brilliant mood, enjoying the unexpected good weather and time outdoors.

Early on in the Fir Trail, there is a pair of huts that belong to the Heritage Trail, an alternative route that looks closely at the history of the landscape and how it is still “farmed” today. This route, although shorter is High Lodge’s answer for a wheelchair accessible route, and also offers more regular seating along the trail.

Marathon Boy, based on the statue of the same name discovered in 1952

We passed by a few of the statues on the future trail as they had a collection of adoring fans, however we found Marathon Boy all alone in his clearing so stopped to take a closer look. He is found in an area of the trees that are suffering from blight, and the Forestry Commission highlighted this in a great way that even young kids could understand.

After finishing our loop on the fir trail we had a speedy picnic by our cars as the crowds had gathered in earnest while we were gone. We followed this by completing the smallest loop High Lodge has to offer, the Nature Trail . This short (1.5km) loop is hidden towards the exit of the car park and contains some beautiful information boards about the local wildlife.

Boots in a muddy puddle
We even found a muddy puddle to make sure it was a proper walk!

After a lovely day in the sun we decided to head home!

Parking was a little steep and ended up costing £12.50 for the day, the toilets were clean and at limited capacity, and there was extra portable facilities to cope with the numbers.

Have you been to High Lodge before? Which walk did you explore?

Muddy Boots at Blickling Estate

Walks

Built in 1616 for Sir Henry Hobart, Blickling hall commands an impressive view over the vast estate. The beautiful rooms may not be open currently, but Muddy Boots’s Matilda recalls a recent trip to the site and the wealth of their beautiful grounds.

Blickling Estate is one of my favourite National Trust sites to visit in Norfolk. I first came here on holiday with my family as a little girl and the site’s grandeur and seemingly endless acres stuck with me even when I moved to Norfolk in 2018. I would estimate we make the pilgrimage to Blickling once a month, at least.

The grounds offer a range of walks, including a 6.4km multi-use track which is suitable for adapted wheelchair users, those with buggies, and even cyclists. (They also offer various disabled toilets across the site and specific parking spaces making sure that it is accessible to all)

Backpack ready, we decided to take to the Mausoleum route. This is a favourite to show to people who have never visited the site before, as it offers some brilliant views including the Hall reflecting in the lake. Straight out of the carpark and left, there is a short walk to some impressive white gates, these open up to a glorious site; rolling farmland littered with trees that fades into forests in the distance.

Taking the left-hand path there is a slight incline which continues up the hill, the previously mentioned multi-use trail bares off to the left and you will need to aim for the woods up ahead. At the top of the hill, left of the path and in the distance, you should be able to see the The Tower, a race stand which has been converted into a charming holiday cottage.

Turning right, away from the tower and into the woodland, you will begin the covered woodland part of the walk. This section lazily meanders through the coppiced woodland which is graced by beautiful bluebells in late April. As we exit the trees, I like to make any new visitors keep their view to the right so they can turn and see the grandeur of the mausoleum.

Built in 1793 to hold the remains of John Hobart, the 2nd Earl of Buckinghamshire, the building is based on the tomb of Cestius in Rome. You can read more about the impressive building here.

From the Mausoleum follow the path straight ahead, back into the trees, this will join you back up with the multi-use track for the remainder of your journey. Head out from between the trees and get a brilliant view of the Norfolk countryside. At this point you can either continue the walk around the lake and the boundary of the Hall, or head back towards the car park.

A map created using OpenStreetMap to describe the route.
The route we took – the alternative longer route is shown with red-dashes.

We chose to walk back towards the car park as the view of the hall reflecting on the water is hard to pass on. Once back at your car there is a pub near the car park which serves lovely food but is often full.There is also the option of the two tearooms that the Hall has to offer, as well as a small outdoor area serviced by a limited menu.

The house itself is beautifully displayed, as are the ornate gardens which surround it. There is often children’s activities both around the grounds and within the property.

Parking is free for members or currently £10 per adult. The site is dog friendly, but as there is livestock managed in the parkland, they are to be kept on leads.

Have you been to Blickling Estate? What was your favourite part?

A Muddy Morning at Mousehold Heath

Walks

A drizzly morning walk for Matilda, founder of Muddy Boots Norfolk.

Now I have been to Mousehold Heath before… admittedly every time was to stuff my face with a burger from Zak’s… This morning was a little different, coffee in hand and with a hat to hide from the drizzle, I parked up in front of the Pavilion with the hopes of a walk and no clue of where to start.

The local nature reserve is completely surrounded by the bustle of Nowrich city, here at the Pavillion car park this is evident, but only a few short steps away the blanket of the forest surrounds you and you feel you could be miles away from the nearest human.

A map in the car park with information about the local wildlife

I started my walk at this sign I saw peaking out from the rain. I took a quick snap so I could find myself if I took a wrong turn and then set off with the intention of completing the blue trail which was 2km long.

As I said, as soon as you step into the cover of the trees the noise of the city dies away and you are alone in a Jurassic woodland, waiting for a Huehuecanauhtlus to run into your path. (You would be waiting a long time, the Huehuecanauhtlus was discovered in Mexico!) I followed the red mushroom trails signs as much as possible, although they were hard to make out between the drizzle and the lattice of paths that cross the heath.

I came across few other Muddy Booters whilst out, a few dog walkers and a runner or two but not many people out enjoying the world at a slow pace.

The trail curves to the left from the car park, down and up the sides of a small valley and out into a flat heath land at the top. This is the site of Vinegar pond, a byproduct of the areas quarrying and wartime activity. Over the fern-covered heathland the trail moves back into the trees and back down towards Gurney Road, the main road that bisects the heath.

Next I came across the ruins of St William’s Chapel, however, after a brilliant summer and heavy rain, there wasn’t much to see as it was overgrown. There is, however, a sign and some information about the ruins.

Attempting to stay on track and find the posts that guide the trail, I walked along the road for a short while before disappearing back into the trees. After a week of laying on the sofa, the steep inclines were a welcome shock to my body.

After what seemed like no time at all, I was back at my car so decided to continue the route to explore the other side of the heath, past HMP and out towards Ketts Hill. The site where Robert Kett camped his rebellion forces in 1549 prior to taking the city. Unfortunately, the rebellion was unsuccessful and Kett, quite grimly, found himself hanging from the exterior of Norwich Castle, which can be seen in the beautiful view from the top of the hill.

The view from Ketts Hill – Including both cathedrals and the castle

All in all it was a successful stomp. I would thoroughly recommend getting lost in the heath for a few hours, it’s great for dogs, there is lots of free parking and there are bins located throughout. I would only caution to take a good GPS enabled phone with you in case you take a wrong turn and end up out of the trees.

My Boots certainly got good and Muddy today!