Reinterred: Hawstead Walk

Wednesday, 26 July 2023

Hawstead Walk

After visiting the Great War Huts today, some of us went for a walk.

This was the invite from Joyce.

"There are 18-20 from our walking group (and maybe other participants) on this tour next Weds (26th July). The 90 minute tour is free but of course they welcome donations and I know from experience that they are very generous with drinks and biscuits.

Please be parked and ready to start at 11am sharp. There is free parking on site : Brook Farm Camp, Bell's Lane, Hawstead, Bury St Edmunds, IP29 5NW

If you wish to walk afterwards, then I have designed a circular 8.2 mile route that leaves The Great War Huts project. We are allowed to keep our cars there but we have to be back by 5pm. I expect that after eating our packed lunches, we will be ready to walk about 1.30pm and we may even have time for a quick drink at The Rushbrooke Arms which is en route."

This was our route.

Twelve of us went on the walk on, I think, almost entirely familiar paths in the afternoon sunshine.

Here are a few of my photos.

Golden fields blue skies and fluffy clouds.

We got to Great Whelnetham passing St. Thomas' Church which is in the style of Essex churches.

We stopped at the primary school and Nick amused us with some stories of when he was a pupil there.

This smoke tree was impressive.

We walked along the old railway line....

...until we got to the Rushbrooke Arms where we stopped for a drink.

We carried on to St. Peter's, Nowton Church.

We passed this thatched house with two hares on the roof. They are called Harriet and Horatio.

We passed the two very similar Y-plan houses, Parklane Cottage formerly the estate cottage for Revd. Sir Thomas Cullum in the 1840s. It is GradeII listed - see here. Each wing has a chimney at the meeting point in the middle. It was restored in c1980.

We passed the centre of Hawstead village. Here's the sign.

A and here's the impressive Metcalfe Almshouses. There is a rather nice article about East Anglian almshouses, featuring photos of several I have seen, here.