Sunny North Norfolk and a Teddy Bears Picnic (LGD -300
Days)
Monday 17 July 2017, 115 Miles
Click here for Route Flyby
Unlike
yesterday which was defined by a leaden-grey overcast sky, sunshine was on the
menu today. And what better way to enjoy it than a ride up towards the North Norfolk
coast. I was on the road by 7:45 am bound initially for Castle Acre. It is one
of those simply delightful villages that is absolutely overflowing with
history. The village takes its name from the walled 11 and 12th century
Norman castle. The castle was founded shortly after the Battle of Hastings by
William de Warenne (the first Earl of Surrey) and an associate of William the
Conqueror. The Bailey Gate, which I rode under reinforces the power of the
castle’s defences. If that wasn’t enough, the now ruined Priory, which was
established in 1090, is one of England’s best-preserved monastic sites.
The
water meadows to the west of the village date from the 17th century
and a complex system of ridges and channels was used early in the year to run
water across the slopes and valley bottom. This ensured the availability of
good pasture early in the year for livestock with a good hay crop later in the
year. About 25 years ago I took part in a visit around the meadows, led by a
local archaeologist who provided a captivating account of the agricultural
practices of the time and their impact on the economy of the village. The
ridges and channels are still visible today – if you look closely. Oh, there is
one other piece of information that I must share with you. Castle Acre
sausages, made to a secret recipe, are legendary. Although they are no longer
available in the village, a visit to Impson’s Butchers in nearby Swaffham will
reward you.
From
Castle Acre I continued northwards and gently upwards along an old Roman Road
and part of the Peddars Way National Trail arriving eventually at the entrance
to Houghton Hall. This was built in the 1720’s for Britain’s first Prime Minister,
Sir Robert Walpole. It sits in an impressive deer park. Sadly, the Hall has had
a chequered history but shortly after World War 1 the house was restored to its
former glory by the then owner, the Marquess of Cholmondeley. Today it is open
to the public and houses an impressive collection of art and artefacts. This
summer, Richard Long the Turner Prize-winning landscape artist has an exhibition
(Earth Sky) in the grounds. Reading about the exhibition on the Hall’s website
is enticing me to make a return visit and see the exhibition for myself.
Leaving Houghton I headed for Burnham Market where, being the halfway point of the
ride, I had planned to stop for some refreshments. Unfortunately the place was
awash with what felt like half the population of East Anglia attending what
looked like an upmarket outdoor bric‑à‑brac sale. Faced with this I decided to
put my fall-back plan into action and I carried on to a rather nice café on
the site of the former Creake Abbey. An excellent and very generous slice of
coffee and walnut cake washed down with a cappuccino set me up for the homeward
55 miles. Looking at the map when I got back home I discovered that I had been just a couple of miles from the site of Nelson’s birthplace so I’ve made a mental
note to look that up when I’m next here. All the threshold signs for Norfolk
refer to Nelson’s County, presumably as a tourist marketing gimmick, sorry
‘thing’.
The
return leg took me through Fakenham and a busy Dereham towards the edge of
Attleborough. Just before Attleborough I passed through Great Ellingham which I
have written about before – specifically the astronomical telescope (see blog
for 29 October 2016). I may have underestimated the place though since today I
came across another great surprise – a Teddy Bear Trail. This is part of a
bigger Teddy Bear Festival which was started in 2004. The Festival raises money
for good causes but its main aim is to celebrate village life an encourage
community spirit – the motto of the Festival is “Teddy bears are a sign of comfort
and friendship.” Well, in an era where everyone seems to be in a hurry and
wrapped up in their own worlds anything that encourages people to acknowledge
each other and be sociable has to be a good thing. Of course, the friendly wave that (most)
cyclists give each other as they pass by shows that we are ahead of the curve.
So on that cheery note readers, I’ll sign off here.
No comments:
Post a Comment