Reinterred: St Edmund Way Part 2

Following on from the fun we had last year doing the Angles Way (see here), today we continued this year's expedition - to walk the 79 mile St Edmund Way.

Today's second stage took us from Thetford to West Stow. This was the invite from Joyce.

"Wednesday March 6th Thetford to West Stow Church 12.5 miles. Please park in the small riverside car park at Nuns Bridges (What3 words - bumpy.magnets.pounces) opposite Mill Lane, Thetford or nearby at 10.30am. Today's walk will be a route that’s familiar with those that walked The Angles Way last year and The Brecks Trail as the walk is a combination of both. Please bring lunch and drinks . Alfresco toilets for most of the day but facilities and refreshments available at West Stow Country Park. I have a car shuffle at the end arranged but please be prepared for a 4pm finish."

This was our route today.

Here are a few of my photos.

We assembled where we finished last Friday, at Nuns' Bridges. The River Little Ouse still looked quite high.

We started to cross Barnham Common on the same path as we did at the start of the Angles Way last year.

We passed Barnham Camp and stopped for a drink's break where the path turned left. Some up front had missed the turning so had to be called back. Fortunately both Gavin and Dawn had whistles to call them back.

We continued along the path shared by the Angles Way, Icknield Way and St Edmund Way called the New Barnham Slip and crossed the Elvedon Road. This is the view looking back to Thetford Heath.

We had seen a sign saying the Byway we were on was closed. We wondered if it was just to stop people driving 4x4s along it. It all seemed fine here.

But then we came to this.

Fortunately we were able to bypass it by taking a parallel footpath through the woods alongside.

We had some lovely views along this stretch, including some characteristic Breckland skylines.

At Barrow's Corner we turned west, leaving the Angles Way we had walked last year and passed a farm with some impressive stacks of hay. Here, briefly, and for the first time since we left Brandon, I was on a path I hadn't walked before.

We joined the B1106 Bury St Edmunds to Brandon road for a short stretch. I had driven along it many times but had never stopped to look at the monument here, commemorating the Silver Jubilee of King George V in 1935.

Here we joined St Mary's avenue of beech trees that were planted at the time.

We found a log for our lunch.

Then it was onward and southward. And onward and onward... It was a long straight stretch through the forest.

We saw some threatening clouds briefly but it didn't come to anything and we got away without any rain for the entirety of our walk.

The path was pretty straight but there was a bit of up and down.

There were also some deeply rutted bits.

Eventually we came towards West Stow Country Park. I've taken this photo looking West from this point before.

And this one.

The Breckland trees are very photogenic.

It had (nearly) all been very sandy and dry underfoot, but then we crossed the road and came to this.

Some took the dry route...

While others stuck to the official path.

It was almost fine. I ended up with one slightly wet foot trying to skirt a wet bit. We were re-joined by the rest of the group here at the end of the lake.

We walked along the south side of the lake passing some lovely blossom...

...and this little deer. How did it get in through the otter-proof fence?

We stopped for refreshments at the visitor centre.

Just a couple of miles more to go now.

We passed the old sewage pumping station. This chap has become rather colourful.

After a stretch along the River Lark, we came to an impasse where the path was closed here...

...and were forced to take a detour via the new sewage works and the village, where we admired the 15th century West Stow Hall.

We joined the St Edmund Way passing this grand house to the west of the church.

We came across a marker here saying "TRDC". What did it signify? I suggested Thetford Rural District Council. Looking it up later, I found there used to be such a thing (see here), but what was it doing here in Suffolk? Any better ideas?