Gressenhall
Rural Life Museum - the starting point for this seven-mile
walk. |
START:
The starting point and car park for
this walk is the Norfolk Rural Life Museum at Gressenhall, which
was re-opened by the Prince of Wales on July 26. It is three
miles north west of Dereham (grid ref 132/974169). The museum
was originally a workhouse built in 1775. In 1777 the workhouse
had 450 inmates reaching 670 in 1801. It now houses a collection
fo rural exhibits. The adjacent Union Farm was integrated into
the museum in 1989.
DISTANCE:
Seven miles
DIRECTIONS:
1 Leave the car park, cross
the road and turn left towards Dereham. At the junction turn
right onto the B1146. Cross a stream by a pretty wrought iron
bridge. Turn right down Mill Lane. The ruins of the old mill
are on the right The lane becomes a pleasant tree lined green
track leading through an arable and fruit area. Keep straight
on the signed path for almost a mile until it meets a cross
path against a hedge. The walk will eventually arrive back here
from the opposite direction.
MORE
ABOUT THE MUSEUM
Gressenhall Rural Life Museum has displays on village and
rural life plus a farm worked with horses and stocked with
rare breeds - all in an idyllic rural setting with farm,
woodland and riverside trails, gardens, a children’s play
area and the Mardlers’ Rest Tea Room. |
2
Turn right and follow the hedge for half a mile.
The path leads into a hedge-lined track and carries on downhill
to meet the road leading to Drift Farm. Turn left along this
grass and stone track. In a quarter of a mile turn left along
a road and follow it for about a mile. At Dillington Hall look
to the right to see the herd of deer. About 200 yards past the
junction of Sandy Lane, at a triangle of wood, turn left off
the road into the field by the thicket and walk along the track
with the woods to your right.
3
Three quarters of the way along this wood turn left
onto a larger track coming through the wood. Follow the track,
through open fields with good views, to arrive back to the path
junction mentioned earlier. (2) Turn right and follow the path
to meet the road 500 yards ahead. Cross the B1110 and take the
path opposite. The path crosses a short stretch of field, a
minor road into another field and over a second minor road into
a third field. Here the path meets a small blackthorn thicket
which protrudes into the field. This leads to a bridge over
the railway. Follow the path to the road.
4
Turn left along the road and follow it to two flint houses on
a junction. Turn left and almost immediately right and follow
the road until it has passed under a bridge. Turn right and
follow the road for 200 yards and at a bend take a track to
the left into a wooded area. Follow the path for about 300 yards
across a field until it enters a wood by a large oak tree.
5
Take the left fork where the path divides and bear right almost
immediately to join a path across bracken and heather. As the
path goes downhill it enters a narrow strip of wood and bears
right. Stay in this wood until it reaches a cross track. Turn
left onto this track down to the B1110. Cross the road and enter
a wood by a stile. The path is now part of Hoe Conservation
Area. Follow the signs through the wood and across open country
to meet up with the B1146. Turn right onto the road to return
to the starting point.
From
Norfolk Heritage Walks, published by the Ramblers Association,
price £2.10p
Click
here for map>>>
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