Thursday, July 12, 2012
The Peddars Way And Norfolk Coast Path
The time is drawing ever nearer so I thought I'd just explain a little about the Peddar's Way and Norfolk Coast Path- which I attempt to complete next week.
They are essentially two routes in one. The Peddars Way starts at Knettishall Heath in Suffolk and ends at Holme-Next-The-Sea on the Norfolk Coast, where it joins the Norfolk Coast Path. The Peddars Way follows the route of a Roman Road, although the route is thought to have been in use long before the Romans arrived. The Romans built the road as one of the routes they established across East Anglia following the defeat of Boudicca and her tribe, the Iceni.
The Norfolk Coast Path is a newly created path, there is a detour to Hunstanton before following the coast to finish at Cromer. The Peddars Way is 46 miles long and the Norfolk Coast Path 47; including Hunstanton makes the total length 96 miles. Although most folks tend to take around 7-8 days to walk it, I am going to attempt to walk that path in 5...
Accommodation is scarce on the Peddars Way, unless you go off route, which has had an impact on where I stop for the night and which has meant that the distances I walk in a day vary quite considerably.
The first day I will walk 14.5 miles from Knettishall Heath to Little Cressingham. The second day is a short one- 12.5 miles to just beyond Castle Acre. I'm not too worried about this though as there's a lot to see in Castle Acre- castle ruins and an old Priory, so I'm sure I can have a mooch around for a few hours.
The third day will be a test- 22 miles to Hunstanton- the route is quite isolated and doesn't pass through any villages until Ringstead at 17 miles, unless I go off route. There are a few picturesque villages off route but it all adds distance to an already long day so realistically I probably won't visit them. I will reach the end of the Peddars Way and will overnight in Hunstanton- chips on the sea front will be in order I think!
The fourth day sees me walking 23 miles along the coast, through bustling fishing villages and along golden sands to mum's caravan at Wells-Next-The-Sea, and finally I have a final 24 miles on day five along coast and shingle bank to Cromer. I will be carrying all my stuff apart from the last day when I can leave it at the van and take a day pack...
Quite a schedule- I just hope I have done enough training and that my foot is not going to play up. Then there's the issue of the lovely weather we are having... I am hoping that Norfolk lives up to its reputation of being drier than the rest of the UK!
I'm getting quite excited now... in normal Steph style I have gone and booked myself a hilly 26 mile walk on Saturday (the White Peak) so- so much for the taper!
They are essentially two routes in one. The Peddars Way starts at Knettishall Heath in Suffolk and ends at Holme-Next-The-Sea on the Norfolk Coast, where it joins the Norfolk Coast Path. The Peddars Way follows the route of a Roman Road, although the route is thought to have been in use long before the Romans arrived. The Romans built the road as one of the routes they established across East Anglia following the defeat of Boudicca and her tribe, the Iceni.
The Norfolk Coast Path is a newly created path, there is a detour to Hunstanton before following the coast to finish at Cromer. The Peddars Way is 46 miles long and the Norfolk Coast Path 47; including Hunstanton makes the total length 96 miles. Although most folks tend to take around 7-8 days to walk it, I am going to attempt to walk that path in 5...
Accommodation is scarce on the Peddars Way, unless you go off route, which has had an impact on where I stop for the night and which has meant that the distances I walk in a day vary quite considerably.
The first day I will walk 14.5 miles from Knettishall Heath to Little Cressingham. The second day is a short one- 12.5 miles to just beyond Castle Acre. I'm not too worried about this though as there's a lot to see in Castle Acre- castle ruins and an old Priory, so I'm sure I can have a mooch around for a few hours.
The third day will be a test- 22 miles to Hunstanton- the route is quite isolated and doesn't pass through any villages until Ringstead at 17 miles, unless I go off route. There are a few picturesque villages off route but it all adds distance to an already long day so realistically I probably won't visit them. I will reach the end of the Peddars Way and will overnight in Hunstanton- chips on the sea front will be in order I think!
The fourth day sees me walking 23 miles along the coast, through bustling fishing villages and along golden sands to mum's caravan at Wells-Next-The-Sea, and finally I have a final 24 miles on day five along coast and shingle bank to Cromer. I will be carrying all my stuff apart from the last day when I can leave it at the van and take a day pack...
Quite a schedule- I just hope I have done enough training and that my foot is not going to play up. Then there's the issue of the lovely weather we are having... I am hoping that Norfolk lives up to its reputation of being drier than the rest of the UK!
I'm getting quite excited now... in normal Steph style I have gone and booked myself a hilly 26 mile walk on Saturday (the White Peak) so- so much for the taper!
Labels: Norfolk Coast Path, Peddars Way, White Peak
