Driving the Peddars Way

which is full of history being a Roman Road so a perfect way to include a bit of learning whilst having a fun time in Elsie Mo. Peddars Way eventually joins another pathway, the Norfolk Coast Path, and in total runs in a straightish (typically Roman) line for just over 90 miles. The road begins in Knettishall Heath Country Park, Suffolk and finishes at Holme-next-the-Sea, North Norfolk where it then joins the Norfolk Coast Path from Hunstanton to Cromer. Lovely site here with the history etc. which we've been reading about today.

We're hoping to drive the whole road in time, but for this particular trip we started at Castle Acre. Only briefly touched on this tiny little village steeped in historical interest. With narrow, busy roads and a large amount of tourists, we decided to drive straight through in order to find a suitable quiet spot to stop for a bbq lunch. We shall definitely go back, not at a weekend, to have a better look around not just the castle and priory but all those gorgeous truely British tea shops that lined the streets.

Entrance to the Priory

Lunch, cooked at the edge of a beautiful meadow, was peaceful (with the occasional rambler wandering past). The number of unusual (and some plain weird) bugs that joined us made for an interesting break!

We headed off along the trail enjoying the track, sitting at the back of the Landie being (quite often) thrown about the place by pot holes and large pieces of flint that stuck out of the ground! Very green scenery with poppy fields, plenty of piggeries (if that's what they're known as), a stone carved poetry sculpture, distant windmill at Great Bircham, a Bronze Age tumulus at Anmer plus lots of nature all around. We finished our journey at Fring and were exhausted! Ben guided us with his new found map reading skills for the last leg of the journey, pointing out various places of interest he discovered on his OS map. He even had an extremely brief go at driving, managing the rather old and stiff clutch and accelerator pretty well for a first go. Typically, as he got the Landie moving, three motorbikes came zooming past! Apart from the odd rambler at the start, we hadn't seen a single soul all day, so this unnerved him (and me) abit but I could tell he was itching to continue through all the questions he kept asking!





"From Blackwater Carr to Sea Gate
since the plough first broke the bread of land.
Pightles and pieces, plots and pastures
to everyman is Strong Acre".

Pightles - see here.

Pic of the tumulus here.