Coltishall 5 Miles-291211-2Hours 10 Mins

 Coltishall. Map Reference OL40 268205
  Today a walk along the Bure Valley Railway path and return beside the river Bure. Parked at Coltishall "station" car park. Only 4 spaces here that you can park in. The "NO Parking" signs everywhere refer to the part as you drive in. But to your left when looking at the track you will see a "Bure Valley Walk Car Park" official notice. Alternatively there are several other places to park in Coltishall.
  Walked West following the track. Navigation is very straight forward on this walk! The track follows beside the Bure Valley Railway which runs Nine miles from Aylsham to Wroxham and can be used by both walkers and cyclists.
  The walk takes you deep into the countryside  with  views across fields and past a rather austere Little Hautbois Hall which appears to be only accessible by a tiny track which has its own railway crossing.
  Approaching Buxton at a bridge there are steps taking you down to the river where you can walk under the bridge and walk back to Coltishall beside the river Bure. When you cross a small lane with a bridge the footpath continues on the other side of the river (Northern Side). Follow this Eastwards to return to Coltishall near to "Coltishall Island" petrol station and shop.
An enjoyable walk and the River Bure is lovely.

Felixstowe-The Golf Club 311011

My walk today took me from Felixstowe Golf Club along the Cliff top to the ice cream stall, (very friendly people) and back along the sea wall past the Golf club to the Ferry. Return by the path adjoining ten golf club.

As you walk along the Cliff top you can enjoy some fab views out to sea with alli its shipping activity. There are some lovely Cliff top houses,many with picture windows and balconies to enjoy this great vista to the full. Down the steps by the Ice cream stall and back along the sea wall. The beach huts are all locked up securely against the winter storms, a long way away form their summer glory and judging by the shingle strewn along the wall there have been some rough seas already.
As you reach the golf club the 2 Martello towers loom into view. Huge monuments to our history. I understand they were built to guard estuaries and harbours to prevent invasion. To me they are quite amazing constructions. Round walls cannot have ben the easiest to construct and the depth of the walls msut have been very good news for the brickmakers.
Continued along the seawall down to the Ferry which at weekends connects you to Bawdsey across the water. Bawdsey Manor which can be easily seen was the base for secret radar experiments in the war. Makes me imagine this all being a very restricted area in those dark times. How many people worked there. A few mad professors perhaps. The pressure to make things work, the disappointments, the kicking of dead equipment hoping it would come back to life and the thrill of something starting to work that man had never seen before.
At the Ferry is the most fabuous fresh fish shop. It looks more like a shed but inside, oh insidie!1 The freshest fish dsiplay I have ever seen. had two fresh gherring whaich i cooked for braekfast the next day. Oh heavely food.
At the Ferry there is also a tea room and a boatyard full of , to me , most interesting craft.
A path to the right leads you along the bottom of the golf course by the harbour and then a path branches off at a kissing gate which takes you along the edge of the golf course back to the club house.
A fairly easy and very enjoyable walk. Stuart

Blakeney 290911

Today I met up with my friend Pauline and we walked just over 3 miles around Blakeney past Cley Windmill and over the marshes. An absolutely glorious day, with blue sky and sea. P gave me some education on birds and we enjoyed a walk with good conversation and fabulous views. We are so lucky to be living in Norfolk. Earlier the extra high tide had come up to the road but it quickly subsided, just giving us a good reminder of the forces of nature and that sometimes they are bigger than the car.

Hopton to Corton 201011

Ooops forgot the camera today.
Great walk form Hopton to Corton. Parked at the end of Beach Road, you would never get near here in the summer as only a few spaces. Walked south past all the holiday camps, along the cliff tops.
PATH IS MARKED DANGEROUS BECAUSE OF EROSION. No Route through
There is not a lot of path left and at places where there is a fence you are close,very close to the edge and a big drop, only  a metre of path, to the edge. But the views are fab. Look back and you can see Gorleston and the outer harbour with all the wind energy craft. Eventually you come to Corton where a turn to the left, a "score" leads to steps that take you down to sea wall and you can walk to Corton beach. Had to retrace my steps to walk back but I think there may be a bus.
But this path is dangerous and lots of warning signs and you are not really meant  to walk it  so beware!!

Corton Church 16 10 11

Today from Corton Church. From the church walk towards the sea and along a track which will take you to the cliff egde. Beware sheer drop! This gives you a good insight into coastal erosion as eventually Corton Church will dissapear beneath the waves. Wooden deflectors have been installed to reduce the power of the waves that pummel the cliffs and further south towards Corton beach much work has been done with large blocks of stone and concrete barriers. But note the sign warning of danger as you walk along the sea edge path.
keep walking to the end of the path and you reach Corton beach, noted for it's nude bathers.
Thsi is, I think, a fabulous stretch of coast with views of Gorleston to your left, The Pier Hotel and the Outer Harbour with its giant wind energy lego like parts clearly visible and  then to your right is Lowestoft with its own huge wind generator "Gulliver" which was the biggets wind turbine in UK when installed.
Sorry no pics, forgot the camera!

Gorleston Docks 250711

A walk along the river today from the harbour mouth to view all the extraordinary craft in this industrial landsacpe. Wind energy is building demand for some very different boats to construct these huge windmills out to see. Big industrial plant allways facinates me and I fine these constructions and work paltforms quite amazing. Oh how I would love to sail on them and see them in action.
A walk along the cliff top, tea and cake at JJ's beach cafe, walk up to end of the pier then along the river. Fab!

Runham, Norfolk 384108 260611

Further exploration today north of the A4y Acle straight.

Drove North from Gt Yarmouth towards Caister and Filby on A1064. Left turn to Maultby takes you into bewildering side roads where my poor sense of direction became quite lost. But eventually onto Runham.

Parked on a grassy bank by Manor Farm at the start of the footpath, very convenient. Path takes you towards the river clearly marked by Runham Drainage Mill which has been restored. Look left to view the wind turbines at Scratby, a difference in time and technology of nearly 200 years. At the bank you may find some squashed grass (that's not a track) which will take you to the banks of the River Bure.

The high bank has a part track and turning west you can follow this and enjoy views of a distant Gt Yarmouth, the busy but silent A 47, boats through the reeds on the Bure. Surrounded by birdsong in the middle of this remote piece of land this is pure joy!
   

  

Continue along the bank until just past a derelict Mill and Six Mile Cottage, what a great name, and turn down the bank towards the church of St Peter St Paul , Runham. Today the church was unlocked, a place of cool air on a hot day but more a place of quite simple serenity. Thank you for leaving it open!

Then a walk through Runham back to my sturdy steed, the old Ford.


A shortish walk but fabulous.



 

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Love this tree.


 

Stokesby 431105 220611

Oh joy! my first walk for some time! Selected Stokesby, just past Acle.
 Car park by river near to Adnams pub. Walk across the green and to the right of the phone box is a little lane (Croft Hill) going uphill. Keep going and ahead of you is the path through a field of wheat, clearly marked by a broad cut. Top marks to farmers who practice this style of path making, it benefits both walkers and farmers.
Follow path as it winds around the edge of fields. I was surrounded by bird song with fields all around me, lorries just visible in the silent distance. A disturbance in the crops saw a pair of rear legs bounding away from me, a hare I think but he was very quick.
Then a signpost directs you to the right, through a field and across a track to a farmers track by "Alder Carr." I followed this to the stream, no more signposting! I decided to follow the stream by turning left, on the southern side of the stream, using the track at the edge of the field. There appeared to be no path alongside the river bank . The O/S map does not make it too clear which side of the stream the footpath follows. On the map it runs through the middle of the stream.
Google map apperas to show the path on the northern side of the stream, must explore more. There is also a guide for this walk produced by the Broads Authority, must get a copy.
Eventually this took me to the road going into Stokesby but I had to cross a ditch to get out of the field. Others had clearly done the same before me! There was a clear path across the ditch and only a few brambles.
At the bridge it seemed there was a path the other side of the stream but all much overgrown.
Crossing the road I took the signed footpath alongside the stream at the southern side of the bridge.
The path soon became very very overgrown, but I do like a challenge. No brambles but if you are less than 5' tall you may struggle to see where you are going!! Eventually came out onto a concrete area with path ahead marked as closed due to river bank repairs. Turned left as directed along concrete path. At end this meets with a road and a turn right brings you back to Stokesby.
Enjoyed my lunch sitting on the wall by car park watching boats navigating the river Bure. Coffee in the pub, The Ferry Inn, an Adnams Pub, was good and served with a smile. The village shop is worth a  visit as it is crammed with lots of bits and pieces and also has a tea room.
A most enjoyable walk, something I have not done for too long.
Stuart

Google map link

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=stokesby&hl=en&ll=52.644287,1.593704&spn=0.019634,0.065875&sll=52.625561,1.321106&sspn=0.314274,1.054001&t=h&z=15

Breydon Water-Gt Yarmouth 230411

Time this morning to pop into Asda, Gt Yarmouth, buy a picnic sandwich and then walk over Haven bridge and turn right to follow roads and then a path. This takes you past industrial buildings, some ghosts of their former past and then under the road bridge to walk along the southern side of Breydon water.
What a wonderful piece of Norfolk this is! I have always found this large stretch of water to be mysterious, special and enchanting. Guarded over by the black sentries of windmills who somehow allways seem to be watching.
As you walk out from Gt Yarmouth the sound of the town and traffic quickly recedes and you just hear birdsong and the wind. Magic. Looking across the water you can just see the Berney Arms windmill and pub in the distance.
I sat on the flood protection wall and enjoyed my picnic lunch.Fab!
If you get the opportunity take time to explore this special place.
Stuart