To Lakenheath Fen from Stallode Wash and return

After a busy Christmas, the last of the family departed this morning. I was left feeling a little bereft, and the rain, so much of a feature of 2012, had stopped. We decided to make the best of the sunshine and headed back to the Hereward Way. We last walked this section of path on 14th January 2012, as part of the Angles Way to Fen Rivers Way link. Then it was a cold, frosty day. Today was much milder and as we got closer to RSPB Lakenheath Fen there were a fair number of other people about. The combination of wet weather and other people led to rather muddy conditions, so much so that we turned round half a mile or so before reaching the B1112 (we have, after all, walked this leg before). The section nearer to the Stallode Wash end of the walk was much quieter (and so less muddy) and we saw deer and lots of birds. It was a delightful walk.

We drove down the A10 to the roundabout to the north of Litteport then took the A1101 past Shippea Hill Station and turned left along Farthing Drove towards Sedge Fen and Lakenheath. It's real 'back of beyond' territory, with long straight roads across the fen, frequently bumpy because of subsidence. We parked at corner where Stallode Bank (a broad track) joins Newmans Drove (694837). The track seems to attract fly tippers so it sounds horrible, but it is a good parking place and you soon leave the fly tipping behind. The broad track turns right to Shepherd's Farm, whilst the route of the Hereward Way continues straight ahead, now on a narrower track. As last year, there were lots of deer about and one group 'froze' as we walked past. Some of the deer appeared very short and we realised later that this was because they were in the deep furrows in the field, where carrots had clearly been grown.

We crossed the railway (surprisingly, for New Year's Day, there were lots of trains running) and reached the mysterious flooded landscape near Botany Bay. We met a birdwatcher who told us of all the bird species he had seen - we didn't like to admit that we wouldn't have known if one of these had flown right up to us.

Just before the river there is an old pumping station and a rather run-down bungalow. We skirted around these and continued across Norfolk Fen, getting closer to the river - though it was a little difficult to tell where the flooded washes ended and the river began. There were swans feeding on the flooded washes and good views to the radomes at RAF Feltwell.

We reached the edge of the RSPB reserve, with a notice on a gate surrounded by mud warning us of more mud ahead! I was very pleased I'd thought to bring my walking poles - I didn't need them for hills (because there aren't any) but they were useful to keep me upright. As we got further along the path it also got busier and we eventually decided to turn around. We stopped for Christmas cake and apples.

On the return leg, the sun was sometimes behind clouds, so it felt colder, but we soon left the other visitors behind and had the place to ourselves. We photographed the low sun over Joist Fen (and, later, of Botany Bay) and we also eventually managed to get photographs of swans flying and landing, and of the birds that were beginning to flock.

We got back to the car at around 2.45pm and drove home by way of Feltwell and Southery - more long, straight and bumpy fenland roads!

Following leg