Reinterred: Ixworth Walk

Joyce hadn't scheduled a walk for the group for this week, so on Alicia's Lynford Stag walk last Friday (see here), I said I would lead a walk today if people were interested... and they were!

This was the invite.

"Dear Joyce’s-Weekly-Walkers, We now have an extra walk on the programme for Friday 28th February. John is leading a circular country ramble of about 9 miles in the rolling landscape around Ixworth. The route is mostly along bridleways and quiet country lanes, but we could get a couple of muddy bits. On the way we will take in Pakenham Windmill, Stowlangtoft Church and Pakenham Watermill. Meet at Ixworth Village Hall free car park High Street, Ixworth IP31 2HH to start walking at 10am. Bring a drink and packed lunch with you for a brief stop at Pakenham Windmill for drinks and Stowlangtoft Church for lunch. Refreshments afterwards, for those who wish, at The Pykkerell."

In all there were 15 of us on the walk. As it was such a lovely day, when we got to the Bull Road where we could just walk along the road into Stowlangtoft, I asked if people would like to spend a bit more time walking in the sun, rather than finish our walk before 2pm. Everyone agreed, so I added in an extra 2 mile or so loop. This was our route.

Here are a few of my photos.

Assembling in the car park. It was very busy - it looked like there was a mother and toddlers group meeting on.

Of we go just after 10am.

We passed the Grade I listed Ixworth Abbey house, which incorporates ruins of the 12th century Augustinian Ixworth Priory and has its own cricket pitch.

We crossed the Black Bourne via the 16th century Hempyard Bridge which was on an old drovers route. Stock (cattle, sheep, pigs, geese and even, later, turkeys) was transported via this route from Diss to London. The journey took a week. The bridge, was closed for about 6 months last year after our walk in March until the end of November for repairs. Nicely done, by the look of it.

Out into the countryside.

We saw lots of hares...

...and deer today.

We finshed our loop out to the west of Ixworth and turned towards Pakenham Windmill.

Another hare.

We saw plenty of snowdrops today too.

We had a drinks stop by the windmill. The windmill is an impressive 5 story structure originally built in 1817. Pakenham had the distinction of being the only village in England to have both a working windmill and a working watermill, but the windmill is now not operational any more.

Just after crossing Fulmer bridge we spotted a muntjac that ran across the road behind us.

We saw some more deer here.

This was the bit running close to the Black Bourne I expected to be a bit soggy, but it wasn't too bad.

It is a bit marshy here.

Off we go on our extra loop.

We got some lovely views...

...and pleasant paths. This one was new to me.

We crossed the Black Bourne at a new bridge parallel to this old one.

But then we found we had to cross a field. It wasn't muddy, though, so the rest of us didn't follow Dawn and Roland going round the edge of the field.

More snowdrops.

Our lunch stop was at St. George, Stowlangtoft church which, once again, wasn't open.

It was lovely sitting in the sun, though.

Less than 4 miles to go now.

Stowlangtoft Hall is now a care home.

We saw some goats opposite the house with the Dead Slow Children.

Emerging at the top of the hill we got good views to Pakenham Windmill...

...and Ixworth.

We took the road down to the Baileypool bridge to complete our loop that started just before it.

We passed Pakenham Watermill, not open to visit today, and its mill pond, complete with topiary from the business next door.

We stopped briefly at the hide overlooking Mickle Mere spotting an egret and a heron. A chap in the hide told us that about a year ago he had seen a white-tailed eagle (aka sea eagle) here.... but not today.

Some daffodils are out.

There was a huge swathe of snowdrops in this garden, which I deemed "an avalanche of snowdrops".

Back to Ixworth now with the windmill sillhouetted above us.

We passed Artefact Brewery. I'd been to one of their Beer Festival days last July (see here) .

One last time across the Black Bourne into Ixworth.

Last time we were here, Tessa, who has lived in Ixworth for about 30 years and was on our walk, told us about the history of the village. She talked, in particular about the Home Guard and the defences of the village in World War Two. The Ixworth history group has published various articles on the village website - including this article about the Home Guard in Ixworth and this article about the World War Two defences.