A walk encompassing the Westwood Marshes footpath into a circular route from Leiston
The Westwood Marshes footpath is little gem of a path that links the Newdelight Walks with the Suffolk Coast Path through the Westwood marshes. The route for this walk uses this path as the ultimate destination from Leiston but shorter alternatives to include this path are also detailed.
A 16 mile walk along the Icknield Way between Fowlmere and Hinton
The path keeps to the ridge along the hills, though the land now flattens out as it heads eastwards. There are picturesque villages and hamlets as the route winds its way through some traditional old English countryside.
As with the previous days walk I had once again booked accommodation ahead, this day it was to be at the Crown pub in Linton - this was only 14 miles which also meant I could have a more relaxed days walk. After 3 days and 60 miles with a full pack on my back, my feet and legs were becoming sore. The day started with decamping at Fowlmere - I still had a bottle of ale left from those bought to me the previous night by an old friend. I had intended to take this with me for the journey but a bottle of ale does add a small but significant weight to ones rucksack. After a moments hesitation and self-debate I decided that to reduce the weight I would drink the ale for breakfast and a mighty fine sample of Marstons Old Empire, a well hopped 5.7% IPA, it was too. I dont usually su beer for breakfast but this did give a spring to ones step!
The old Roman Road that led up to the crossing over the M11 was a real struggle to walk. This was basically two hedges next to each other with the path between them. At many stages I considered coming out and walking the field edge due to the overgrown state. At one stage I tripped in a rabbit hole and twisted my ankle, although any serious damage was prevented by my sturdy boots.
I dont ususally adjust my boots whilst walking but it was a pleasant relief airing my feet as I sat on a bench and supped a pint in front of the Crown and Thistle in Great Chesterford. I reseted there for about an hour watching the world go by on this leisurely Monday lunchtime
From Fowlmere take the Chrishall Road down to the A505. Turn right and follow the A505 for a few hundred yards where a minor road on the left takes you back down to the Icknield Way. the ancient Icknield Way crosses this road at Three corner Plantation but the modern route is found by taking the track on the right for 300yds where the route takes the Heydon Ditch on the left. From here follow the waymarkers through Heydon, Chrishall, Elmdon and Strethall. The path now heads northwards where it joins a former roman road from Braughing and Great Chesterford which is now just a path between two hedgerows which are pretty overgrown and can be a challange to get along. Eventually this path crosses the M11 and enters Great Chesterford. Paths across fields lead the remaining distance through to Linton.
Pub Details
A traditional pub dating from the 16th century when it was a coaching inn. The pub is renowned for its food. Guest ales.
There are two wooden benches on the side of the road in front of the pub which are good for walkers to rest their feet and watch the world go by. They had two ales on offer, Adnams Bitter and Fullers London Pride. The Pride was very satisfying.
Pub Details
Large building offering B&B, in a self contained block at the rear of the building. A brasserie-style restaurant offers a variety of food including daily specials which features fresh fish and meat dishes sourced from local suppliers. Guest ales on offer.
There was a distinct lack of staff when I turned up at 4pm. As I waited on the benches at the side of the pub one resident declared that he was fed up with the lack of service and was collecting his belongings to transfer to another pub further up the road. No complaints about the beer and food though. I stuck with Woodfordes Wherry throughout the evening, a personal favourtie. It was young, fresh and full of hops as it should be.
52.051570.07767 The Heydon Ditch is a large earthwork that runs in a straight line from Heydon to Fowlmere. It would have consisted of an earth bank and ditch but most of this has now been lost to agriculture. The present day Icknield Way follows its course from close to the A505 down into Heydon. The ditch is said to date from Saxon times and was built as either defences or enclosures. Local legend dating back hundreds of years states that it is haunted by the ghosts of giant warriors, and headless Saxon skeletons were unconvered during excavations in the 1950s.
52.034180.10610 The village of Chrishall was listed in the Domesday Book as Cristeshalla, or "nook of land dedicated to Christ" which is one of only two English settlements whose name contains the word "Christ". At 482ft above sea level, the village is the highest point in Essex. Following the Norman Conquest the area around Chrishall was given to Eustace of Boulogne who built and occupied a house on a hill to the south of the current church. He named the house "Flanders" and it was there that his daughter Matilda of Boulogne, later wife of King Stephen was raised. The house survived until the 15th century, and is believed to have stood on the site of Chiswick Hall, itself built in the 17th century by Sir John James. The church of The Holy Trinity dates from the 12th Century and is Grade I Listed Building.
52.0358630.12921 Along with Strethall and Chrishall, Elmdon is one of the Essex ridge villages which remained isolated since the main roads passed them by. Until the 19th century its chief industry was woolcombing and weaving worsteds and fustians. Today Elmdon is a commuter village at the meeting of three roads. This central point consists of a small triangular green, where the war memorial is sited and surrounded by many picturesque cottages.
52.037000.16462 The name of Stretshall means 'nook' or 'sheltered corner' on the 'street' – a reference to the Roman road which ran through here from Braughing to Great Chesterford, following the line of an even more ancient trackway. Whilst the present day village can only be approached up two dead-end roads, it was once a major communication route in this part of the world. Local legend tells of a story during the civil war where three Royalist brothers named Richards were besieged in the manor house by Parliamentary troops from the camp on Thriplow Heath. The brothers escaped, having held off the Roundheads for a day and a night. Another legend tells of the shooting of a gypsy by a farmer named Nehemiah Perry in 1849. Perry lived in the manor house into which the gypsy accompanied by two others had broken into. Perry caught them on the staircase and shot Abraham Green dead. At the inquest a verdict of Justifiable Homicide was recorded and Perry was congratulated on his courage. The corpse was initially displayed in the Church tower for a few days for identification which enabled an enterprising sexton to charge 3d to would-be viewers. After no-one claimed the body, Perry despatched it in a game hamper to his medical adviser, Dr George Paget, at the Cambridge University Anatomy School. To this day, the skull of Abraham Green can still be seen in the Duckworth Collection of the Department of Biological Anthropology while about half of his bones are kept in the Museum of Zoology.
52.063130.19637 The ancient village of Great Chesterford sits on the banks of the River Cam. It has been inhabited by Bronze Age followed by the Romans who erected many buildings including a tax office and a temple and alos built a wall around the town. The church of All Saints dates from the 13th century, and has had many additions over the years. Local legend tells of the silver bells which hung in the church tower and were hidden in an underground passageway which ran between the Church, the Old Vicarage and the Crown House Hotel to keep them safe from government soldiers. They have never been found, although some traces of the passageway have been uncovered.
Below are a selection of images taken from from the photo album for this walk. Feel free to browse through these or click on any image to view a larger version in the Gallery.
Below is the route depicted on the OpenStreetMap, Ordnance Survey Map and Google Map. Links to full page versions are found in the Essential Information
Last Updated: ... 2014-12-14
Below are a selection of images taken from from the photo album for this walk. There are links to the entire photo album plus a slideshow of all the images. Feel free to browse through these.
A 27 mile walk along the Icknield Way between Linton and Herringswell
This section has some idyllic scenes that would fit a picture postcard of typical England. Fields of gently waving barley sweeping gently across rolling hills under deep blue skies, old pubs by the side of village greens, babblng brooks and streams and villages full of thatched cottages.
From the research done in the weeks prior to setting out on the Icknield Way I had come to the conclusion that I would need to wild camp on this section. Therefore, I started out the day in leisurely mood without any clear destination and with the idea of just getting as far as I got! After a good mornings walk I stopped off at the Bull at Burrough Green and it was such a pleasant experience sitting there in the sun that I spent a full hour lazing there. This set the trend for the day, stopping off at The Marquis of Granby in Stetchworth to sit and watch the world go by, then lazing on the green at Cheveley before continuing with pub stops at Ashley, Dulham and Gazeley. The most dissappointing part of the pub crawl was the fact that all the inns apart from the Affleck Arms at Dulham were Greene King houses. This brewery appears to have a virtual monopoly in the area. The Affleck Arms was a real treat though, this is just off route but well worth searching out and I thoroughly recommend it. Excellent ale, excellent company and excellent old pub.
This was the day of the kissing gate - the previous day had been all styles and now it was all kissing gates. There was some excellent scenes to view, scenes which portrayed typical English countryside, fields of gently waving barley sweeping gently across rolling hills under deep blue skies, old pubs by the side of village greens, babblng brooks and streams and villages full of thatched cottages. This truely was the heart of England. A lot of these villages, I would assume, are full of folk connected to the racing industry in Newmarket. In parts, there were field upon field sectioned into neat paddocks. There was a lot of money in these parts.
Maybe it was the fact that I was having constant stops and refreshment but by the end of the day I had covered well over 25 miles and was still feeling as fresh as a daisey. The only reason I stopped was due to the failing evening light. I had started looking for suitable places to pitch from Dulham onwards. As I walked through the woods near Herringswell it seemed a quite appropriate place, out of the way and with enough cover to disguise my stopover. I waited for a dog walker to get out of sight before nipping into the woodland and springing up the tent. Once cleared of the fallen twigs and bracnhes I found the ground to be very soft and comfortable, in fact I would say you could not have got a better bedding to sleep upon. No sooner had I pitched than the light was gone and it was pitch black. I couldnt see a thing in the tent, I have never known such complete darkness. I attempted to get to sleep but there is always the nagging feeling that I may get disturbed from some angry land owner. An animal came and sniffed at the tent then went away. Then I heard distant barking and then another bark that was closer called back. This continued every few seconds. At first I thought it was dogs from the nearby village but it was soon quite apparant that the noises were emanating from the forest. I convinced myself that this country does not have wolves or any other nasty creatures that eat humans and tried to ignore the noise. It carried on until I eventually drifted into sleep. Later, on my expeditions, I was informed that the barking was muntjac deer - they sound the same as a dogs bark and it is quite common to hear them calling to each other in woodland.
From Linton High Street turn down Meadow Lane on the left as the High Street bears to the right. After 150 yards there will be a waymarker on the right, follow this through the built up area and finally the path will lead up the hill to the water tower from where a good view of Linton is to be had. The trail now leads via a roman road through to Balsham where there is an Icknield Way milestone declaring 'Peddars Way 43 miles' and 'Ridgeway 63 miles'. A broad farm track now leads to Willingham Green and down into Brinkley from where a path across the fields takes you to Burrough Green. The path continues down by the side of the Bull public house, this leads across a series of paddocked fields through to Stetchworth. Walk along the road into the village and the path is located opposite the Marquis of Granby public house and leads across a housing estate road and down the back of a series of houses before going downhill to Devils Dyke. Continue following the paths through some very typical english contryside and paddocks, past Woodditton, through Cheveley and onto Ashley. Follow the Gazeley road out of Ashley downhill to where it meets the river Kennet, turn right and walk through the meadows to Dalham. At Dalham village turn left and head for the church. A path turns right and leads through woodland and across fields to Gazeley where it follows road out of the village towards the A14. There is a path through the fields just prior to reaching the A14 but this rejoins the road to go under the dual carriageway. There is an industrial area on the left, walk through this and a track then leads up through woodland towards Herringswell.
Pub Details
Lovely little village pub set back from the road just off from the village green serving Greene King ales. There is a garden in front of the pub. Food served.
Sitting on the benches in front of the pub watching the world go by was most excellent waste of an hour. Had a pint of Greene Kings Delgardos Heros, a one-off brew to mark the occasion of the rugby world cup.
Pub Details
Greene King pub on the junction of the main roads through Stetchworth. Home cooked food.
I arrived as the pub was about to close. The A-board outside advertised Belly Pork with Potatoes and Veg plus a beer for £6 - had I been earlier I would have certainly gone for this excellent deal.
Pub Details
This pub dates from at least the 1700's when records show that it was owned by a James Langley. In 1866 it was put to auction with the details recorded as a newly erected brick, stone and tile built carriage house, a loose box, stabling for six horses, a small barn, a cart lodge and a range of piggeries plus a small yard. The property finally passed to Greene King ownership in 1890 to which it has remained ever since.
When I entered the pub I appeared to be the only person over 5ft tall. It then dawned upon me that the this was close to Newmarket and was probably a popular haunt for jockeys. Standard Greene King ales.
Pub Details
Charming thatched village pub dating from the 16th century. The pub's name is derived from the Affleck family whom owned the estate that it was built upon. Formerly a Greene King house, the pub is now free of tie and regularly has four guest ales on offer. Accommodation and food available. Reputedly haunted by a Grey Lady.
Very friendly and popular and both the choice of ale and the ale itself was most excellent. IT wasnt long before conversatio sparked up and it soon became apparant that I had missed out on an available room by a mere hour. Well worth searching out and highly recommended.
Pub Details
Village pub said to date from the 16th century with an interesting pub sign. Green King ales. Food available.
On entering the pub I felt distinctly out of place. That moment when all eyes focus on the stranger walking through the door. I was served with minimal conversation. All eyes kept a cautious focus on me, the stranger. I supped up quickly and made my way.
Between Hinton and Balsham the Icknield Way joins a short section of Via Devana, an old Roman Road linking Colchester with Chester. The name Via Devana was coined in 1750 by Charles Mason, a Cambridge geology professor. The name reflects the Roman name for Chester, Deva. An information board details the natural flora and fauna along this section.
Originally settled during Saxon times, the village of Balsham was totally destroyed by Viking raiders in 1010. A sign on the village green commemorates the sole survivor of the attack who escaped by hiding in the parish church. The church of The Holy Trinity is an impressive building, the bell tower dates from the 13th century, whilst the chancel dates from the early 14th century.
Devil's Dyke is generally assumed to be an Anglo-Saxon earthwork which starts on flat farmland and then passes to the west of Newmarket and runs along the edge of the July Course at Newmarket Racecourse before rising gently to an altitude of 100m as it reaches the wooded hills around Woodditton. It crosses the Icknield Way just to the northeast of Stetchworth. In places it is 20 feet wide and 30 feet deep and is thought to have been used to demarcate the boundary of a tribe's influence as well as a barrier to the British tribes to the west.
Dalham is a pretty liitle village full of thatched cottages that sits on the River Kennet. Dalham Malting Kiln is a curious feature sitting on the roadside in Dalham. The former malting kiln is listed in the Register of Historic Buildings and was built in the early Victorian era. There is an inscription on one of the hand-made bricks which reads 'J.D 1846', though it may have been constructed significantly earlier than this as the Enclosure Map of 1820 indicates it was then owned by William Ruffell, who also built and owned the windmill on Stores Hill. Dalham Hall is a Grade 2 listed country house and 33000-acre estate. There is no recorded date as to when the Hall was first constructed though there are records dating back to 1313. Thomas Stuteville bought the estate in 1417, when it is presumed that he rebuilt the house and his family occupied the residence until it was bought by Gilbert Dolben in 1697. There have been numerous other owneres including Cecil Rhodes, although he passed away before taking residence. The hall and its associated stud are currently owned by the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
Below are a selection of images taken from from the photo album for this walk. Feel free to browse through these or click on any image to view a larger version in the Gallery.
Below is the route depicted on the OpenStreetMap, Ordnance Survey Map and Google Map. Links to full page versions are found in the Essential Information
Last Updated: ... 2014-12-14
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