Wetheringsett Walks

Today I thought I'd try the walks from this leaflet from the Discover Suffolk site that I had found when writing up my walk from Old Newton last week. 

I parked at the side of the road by the village sign just outside All Saints Church and did both the Red and Green walks - the red one  (2 3/4 miles) first before a drink and snack at the seat outside the church and then the green one (4 miles).

This was my combined route....

...exactly as the leaflet shows. The village name means "People of Wetherden by the Ford over the Brook" - read more about the history here. The village sign has the waymarkers for both walks and depicts the Revd Richard Hakluyt  (1553 - 1616), known for promoting the English colonisation of North America through his works, who was incumbent from  1590 until his death on the left and George Ellis on the right. As the leaflet says, "Mr Ellis, a former tailor from Brighton, served as a well-liked rector from 1883 to 1888; however, he was found to be a bogus priest and was jailed. A special Act of Parliament was required to validate the marriages he had conducted in the church." 

Here are a few of my photos.

The Red route started past the side of the church.

The path ran alongside the stream, a tributary of the River Dove at the bottom of the grounds of Wetheringsett Manor, which is now a school. The current house dates from 1843, but there is known to have been a manor here since 1066.

The  route follows the stream on the left at first...

...and then on the right, to the 19th Century Wetheringsett Hall. Can you see the llamas in the grounds?

Following Hall Lane, the route then comes to the Mid-Suffolk Light Railway Museum and runs parallel to the little bit of track it has between Brockford to Dovebrook stations. The museum isn't open at this time of year, but will be open again at Easter. You can read more about the railway, which operated between Haughley and Laxfield, here.

At the south-west corner of the walk "...despite the proximity of the A l40, is a picturesque corner of rural Suffolk, enhanced in summer with the charm of old cottages seen across flower-strewn meadowland. Shrublands was the home for 300 years of the Revett family,  first mention in parish records in l524. "

This is Modal Cottage.

Looking west I could make out the tower of Mendlesham church.

This large farmhouse is just across the road from...

...the aforementioned Shrublands Hall.

As the leaflet says... "Brockford Siding has been restored to reflect its earlier railroad character, it also indicates the route of the Middy railtrack, now vanished, as it headed across to a cutting under the A140 to Mendlesham. The site now provides holiday accommodation. " The accommodation includes some converted old railway carriages.

Heading back into the village I passed the telephone box... which has a stained glass window!

At the church I couldn't go through the little door to visit as it was locked.

This is Mill Cottage, which looks like it has been sawn in half to me.

Onto the Green walk now.

The walk follows a green lane, and this is Green Lane Cottage.

The paved surface runs out here, but the path remains broad.

At  Five Cross ways, the northenmost extent of the walk.

Coming back along High Lane. "The roadside verges along High Lane are a 

haven for wild flowers; primrose, early purple orchid, cowslip, betony, crosswort, yellow 

bedstraw, black knapweed, St John's wort, agrimony and meadowsweet. Buzzards have 

nested in the vicinity and are regularly seen here. " Hmm. I think I'm walking this at the wrong time of year.

Brames Hall "... is a double-moated farmhouse of the 1590s, its name derived from Braham's, the 

family who were once owners. "

Impressive, but it was not easy to get good views of it.

Heading back to join the first part of Red walk in the reverse direction...

...I returned past Wetherningsett Manor again.

Well I enjoyed the first half of the walk, the Red walk, but found the Green walk a little underwhelming. Never mind, I had a good 6 3/4 miles to build up my appetite for lunch.

You can see more details of my route here on MayMyWalk and more of my photos here on Flickr.