Lifetime of Walks by Derek Harwood

I parked outside the Forestry Commission East England reception. We walked in drizzle from the car park, out of the village (Santon Downham) to the bridge over Little Ouse river. Pauline was first onto the bridge as a kingfisher flew from the bridge to the foliage on the nearby river bank. All the passing walkers then used their cameras on maximum zoom to take shots of the bird on a small branch, near the bridge. We continued on the lane, minding the occasional car, to the level crossing, There were no trains at that time so we turned off the lane along a track for a short distance, before a train came. Phil and Tom ran back to the level crossing as the train passed. Shortly after another train passed us as we reached a bridge under the railway. We sheltered from a downpour under the bridge and decided to have our lunch. We sat on a small ledge which was part of the bridge repairs. We continued onwards alongside the railway track, passing delicate cobwebs in the bushes and grass. We diverted to a nearby good track by the turn at '4' which we all missed. We therefore continued by mistake along the track for approximately half a mile before we realised our error. We returned to turn at '4', a hidden path. I was expecting an obvious big track. Care was required between '6' and'7'. The trees had been felled causing an open space before the edge of the forest at '7', Grimes Grave Mines. We skirted the open ground inside a new fence to point '8' where we turned into the forest again. Here the noise from the nearby A134 was very noticeable. There was another turn at '9', deep into the forest where we saw a deer hurriedly running away. There was another left and right turn to Harling Drive before the metalled road to Santon Downham, via the level crossing and the white bridge over the Little Ouse river. A challenging and enjoyable walk.

	LIFETIME of WALKS by DEREK HARWOOD Derek Harwood's Walking Records If you have any queries about the pictures or descriptions e-mail me at: derek@harwoodonline.com

	'AA' - NO THROUGH ROAD - WALKS
	THETFORD CHASE, NORFOLK Tuesday 26th July 2011 .......................................Walk No. 877
	AA Walks No.131 Total 1104.5 miles Time Taken: 3.50 hrs Distance: Enjoyment: Weather: Cloudy 14:00 pm - 17:00 pm 4.00 miles 85% and Wet Temp: Cloud: Rain: Visibility: Ground Conditions: Nature: 15^oC 100% 20% Good Good Deer & Kingfisher Total AA: Total MH: Total LD: Total AW: Other: Total Distance: 1104.5 mls 943.0 mls 2732.0 mls 162.0 mls 1383.5 mls 6325.0 miles Companions: (Derek) and Philip, Tracey, Geoff, Pauline and Thomas Points of Interest and LINKS: AA Walks Thetford Chase Santon Downham St Mary's Church Little Ouse River Grimes Graves Description: I parked outside the Forestry Commission East England reception. We walked in drizzle from the car park, out of the village (Santon Downham) to the bridge over Little Ouse river. Pauline was first onto the bridge as a kingfisher flew from the bridge to the foliage on the nearby river bank. All the passing walkers then used their cameras on maximum zoom to take shots of the bird on a small branch, near the bridge. We continued on the lane, minding the occasional car, to the level crossing, There were no trains at that time so we turned off the lane along a track for a short distance, before a train came. Phil and Tom ran back to the level crossing as the train passed. Shortly after another train passed us as we reached a bridge under the railway. We sheltered from a downpour under the bridge and decided to have our lunch. We sat on a small ledge which was part of the bridge repairs. We continued onwards alongside the railway track, passing delicate cobwebs in the bushes and grass. We diverted to a nearby good track by the turn at '4' which we all missed. We therefore continued by mistake along the track for approximately half a mile before we realised our error. We returned to turn at '4', a hidden path. I was expecting an obvious big track. Care was required between '6' and'7'. The trees had been felled causing an open space before the edge of the forest at '7', Grimes Grave Mines. We skirted the open ground inside a new fence to point '8' where we turned into the forest again. Here the noise from the nearby A134 was very noticeable. There was another turn at '9', deep into the forest where we saw a deer hurriedly running away. There was another left and right turn to Harling Drive before the metalled road to Santon Downham, via the level crossing and the white bridge over the Little Ouse river. A challenging and enjoyable walk. Location Map: - www.streetmap.co.uk Start & Finish: Santon Downham Hazards: There were no benches or logs for a sitting on around the walk, so we were all weary. Walked Previous: Number 65 - Monday 12th September 1983 Click Here to Return to 'Lifetime of Walks' Homepage



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Derek Harwood: Copyright 2009 Revised: December 2021