A11 to Thompson Water and return
Walked by Sally, Richard and Helen, Sunday 21st May 2006
Approx 11 miles - 5.5 miles along the Peddars Way and back
Click here for all our photos from this walk.
We decided a few days ago that we would aim to walk another section of the Peddars Way today, but the weather forecast wasn't good (rain forecast from 10am to 4pm) so we had difficulty deciding what to do. In the end we made a relatively early start (we were walking by 9.30am) and we had sunshine and showers until lunchtime, though unfortunately it rained for just about the whole of the return journey to the car.
We parked in the same place as last week, by the quiet road from the A11 to Bridgham, but this time we went north, crossing the A11 and then the Ely to Norwich railway line. We crossed attractive heathland then (after passing barking dogs and smelly chicken farms) we reached the pretty village of Stonebridge (also known as East Wretham).
We followed a straight military road out of the village, past some lovely houses, with horses and attractive countriside. After Galley Hill the road became a pretty track, passing through army firing ranges. The guidebook describes these firing ranges as an enigma. The land was requisitioned by the military in the 1940s so no-one lives here (around 1000 people were rehoused) but the area has become a haven for wildlife. There was some shooting going on, despite the rain and the fact that it was a Sunday, but it was very attractive countriside.
We reached Thompson Water (formed in the 19th Century by the flooding of a tributory of the River Wissey) and found a way down to the lake. It was very peaceful and pretty, and we ate our lunch sitting on a bench here.
We retraced our steps to the car in the car. Just after crossing the A11, we were amused by a field of black and white sheep (eating the Hawthorn) - and just one pig!
