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King's Lynn to Walsingham

King's Lynn to Walsingham (101 km / 63 miles)

5 day Walking Itinerary

This 5 day walking itinerary uses sections of three well established long distance paths in Norfolk to produce a modern day pilgrimage route from the Hanseatic town of King's Lynn to the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham. A variety of other significant religious sites are encountered on the way including the gatehouse of Pentney Abbey, Castle Acre Priory and the ruins of St. Mary's Carmelite Priory at Burnham Norton.

The route starts on the Nar Valley Way by following the River Nar upstream to Castle Acre. At Castle Acre the route diverts to the Peddar's Way, an ancient trackway which may even pre-date its use by the Roman military. At the northern limit of the Peddar's Way the route heads east along the Norfolk Coast Path. After reaching Wells-next-the-Sea the Wells and Walsingham Light Railway is used to transport you to Walsingham (or an alternative walking route can be negotiated to complete your journey to the Shrine).

Route and map links

Five stage itinerary:

The Three Paths Pilgrimage uses sections of three routes, each of which is detailed on the Norfolk Trails interactive map (opens new window).

Norfolk Trails interactive maps:

Detailed maps associated with particular sections:

Additional information

Norfolk is noted for its level terrain, which means that the daily distances from 7 to 16 miles may be comfortable for those more familiar with walking in hillier areas. This itinerary may be shortened or extended as required to meet the needs of all levels of experience.

You may wish to extend your stay in King's Lynn, either before or after embarking on The Three Paths Pilgrimage. The town made its fortune as a medieval port and has long been associated with pilgrims.

The King's Lynn Pilgrimage Trail highlights many features in the town, including King's Lynn Minster and the 15th century Red Mount which was used as a wayside chapel by pilgrims on the way to Walsingham. Lynn Museum hosts an important collection of medieval pilgrim badges, many of which were discovered locally. You might find the links below useful if planning to stay:

Day 1 walking itinerary

Start: King's Lynn. Finish: Pentney or Narborough.

Distance: 13.5 miles

"Let me explain what I mean by calling this district a Holy Land. I mean that following the course of the Nar downwards, through all its windings for some twenty-five or thirty miles from Castleacre, there were at least nine religious houses, no one of which was five miles distant from the stream..."  Augustus Jessopp (Rector of Scarning), 1892, in 'Studies by a Recluse, in Cloister, Town, and Country'.

On the route immediately out of King's Lynn, the northern gate of Whitefriars is all that remains of a Carmelite friary. Founded about 1260 it was dissolved in 1538. Nearby streets - Carmelite Terrace, Whitefriars Road, Friars Street - all bear names associated with the site.

After crossing the River Nar, the route follows the waterway upstream. A glance at a modern map reveals a landscape peppered with ecclesiastical references: Priory Farm, Abbey Farm, Church Farm. Abbey Farm at Seeche Abbey may appear to be a good example; however, there is no evidence that there ever was an abbey in that area.

The site of Wormegay Priory, 500 metres south of the river, is now a Scheduled Monument. A moated enclosure once contained the major buildings of the site. The priory was a house founded in the late 12th century for Augustinian canons. Evidence suggests it was a small and relatively poorly endowed house, with probably no more than seven canons in residence. In 1468 it was united with the Pentney Abbey. It was finally dissolved in 1537.

Pentney Abbey was also founded as an Augustinian house, in 1135 by Robert De Vaux. His family had been granted land in Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex for their involvement in the Norman Conquest. The abbey was dissolved following the Reformation in 1537. Stone from its buildings was reused in later structures, including the house and barns associated with the adjacent Abbey Farm. The grand 14th century gatehouse survives and is a popular venue for wedding ceremonies.

Continuing along the Nar Valley Way a short distance from Pentney Abbey, another footpath heads south toward Marham, the site of a former Cistercian nunnery. Founded in 1249 by Isabel, the widow of Hugh D'Albini, Marham Abbey was one of only two Cistercian abbeys founded for nuns in England. It would have housed between ten to fifteen nuns. The site, which is now on private land, is predominantly made up of grass-covered earthworks although a section of wall containing two circular windows has survived.

The first day ends in either Pentney or Narborough. Accommodation is available in either village. If you are staying overnight, it is worth exploring their respective churches: St. Mary Magdalene at Pentney (note the Victorian east window) and All Saints at Narborough (which contains some ostentatious monuments to members of the Spelman family).

Day 2 walking itinerary

Start: Pentney / Narborough. Finish: Great Massingham.

Distance: 11.5 miles

"The site of it [Castle Acre Priory] took in several acres; the grand entrance was north of the priory church, where is now standing a large and stately gate-house of free-stone; over the arch as you enter, are the arms of the Earl Warren... The whole site was enclosed with a lofty stone wall, good part of which is still standing." Francis Blomefield, 1808, in 'A History of the County of Norfolk: Volume 8'.

It is worth setting off early on the second day. One of the highlights of the pilgrimage, Castle Acre Priory, is on the route and it will be necessary to set time aside to visit. The site is maintained by English Heritage and is an ideal resting-point mid-way between Narborough and Great Massingham, the destination of this second leg.

A mile or so on from Narborough, the Nar Valley Way deviates from the course of the river and proceeds through the village of West Acre. It passes All Saints Church; the clock on its tower beckons you to 'Watch and pray' and it is worth stepping inside.

A gateway next to the church belonged to West Acre Priory, another religious house for the Augustinian order. The remnants beyond the gates are an echo of the structures that would have given shelter to the twenty or so canons that lived there from its foundation around 1135 to its dissolution in 1538.

Castle Acre Priory is reached before the village itself. You may wish to retrace your steps after taking advantage of the facilities available here.

The land occupied by Castle Acre Priory was granted to the Cluniac order by William de Warenne, 2nd Earl of Surrey, in 1089. His father had introduced the Cluniac order into England at Lewes following the Norman Conquest. The remains of the priory that developed at Castle Acre are extensive and reward exploration. An excellent audio guide and other interpretation is available from the visitor centre.

Leaving Castle Acre behind, the Three Paths Pilgrimage joins the Peddar's Way north to Great Massingham. It has been conjectured that this would have been the preferred route for medieval pilgrims heading to Walsingham from the south of England after having enjoyed the hospitality of the Cluniac monks at the Castle Acre Priory the previous evening.

Great Massingham was the site of another Augustinian priory, but no remains survive today. The room above the porch at St. Mary's Church in the village was used as a schoolroom. It is claimed that a young Sir Robert Walpole - Britain's first Prime Minister - received an education here. His family seat was at Houghton Hall, about three miles north of Great Massingham.

Day 3 walking itinerary

Start: Great Massingham. Finish: Holme-next-the Sea / Old Hunstanton.

Distance: 15 miles

"The ancient British or Roman road called Peddar's Way ... crossed the county from the neighbourhood of Thetford to the sea at Hunstanton ... considerable portions are even yet in use..." William White's History, Gazetteer, and Directory of Norfolk, 1883.

Walsingham would have been a day's walk from Great Massingham using the medieval pilgrimage route. Unfortunately, developments since have made passage along this path impossible to the modern pilgrim. The old airfield of RAF Sculthorpe, for example, lies squarely in the way. The Three Paths Pilgrimage route therefore continues, ruler-straight, along the Peddar's Way toward the coast.

The area in the region of Harpley Common is regarded as one of the most significant Bronze Age landscape sites in Norfolk and is peppered with prehistoric earthworks. Some appear simply as islands of scrubby woodland, isolated in the middle of fields. Others, however, stand proud of the surrounding ground, presenting themselves obviously as man-made monuments. Many are not immediately obvious, only becoming clear when identified on maps. These earthworks are Bronze Age burial mounds, dating back 3300 to 3500 years, perhaps indicating religious activity here many centuries before the dawn of Christianity.

The route skirts past the villages of Anmer, Fring and Sedgeford before leading you through the heart of Great Ringstead. Each has its own church; indeed, Great Ringstead once had two. Although part of the round tower of St. Peter's Church still stands, it does so on private land; the rest was demolished in the late 1700s. Some materials from St. Peter's were used to restore Great Ringstead's other church, St. Andrew's. St. Andrew himself is depicted above the entrance accompanied by the biblical quote 'I am the door' (John 10:9). Unfortunately for the modern pilgrim, the door of this church is usually locked outside of scheduled services.

This day's walking can end at either Holme-next-the-Sea or Old Hunstanton. Old Hunstanton is so-called since it pre-dates the famous seaside resort further down the west coast.

Hunstanton Hall at Old Hunstanton was the seat of the Le Strange family. It was Sir Henry Styleman Le Strange who, during the Victorian period, conceived the idea of the new coastal resort and ensured its development by encouraging the construction of the railway line from King's Lynn. Unfortunately, this pioneer was not able to fully appreciate his success. He died in July 1862; the station at Hunstanton opened in October the same year.

It is worth noting that there is a regular bus service along the coast road. This makes it possible to secure accommodation for more than one night and use the bus to embark and return each day if necessary.

Day 4 walking itinerary

Start: Old Hunstanton. Finish: Burnham Overy Staithe.

Distance: 16 miles

"The presence of the structure was first brought to the attention of Norfolk Landscape Archaeology by local amateur archaeologist John Lorimer... A local Norfolk newspaper christened the site Seahenge and, although this is a misnomer on numerous counts, the structure has now become widely known by this name." Brennand and Taylor, 2003, in 'The Survey and Excavation of a Bronze Age Timber Circle at Holme-next-the-Sea'. Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society.

Heading east along the Norfolk Coast Path, the route soon reaches NWT Holme Dunes. A remarkable discovery on the beach here in 1998 cast a spotlight on this otherwise quiet area. An Early Bronze Age timber circle - subsequently dated to 2049 BC - had been found.

'Seahenge', as it was dubbed by the local press, consisted of more than fifty oak timbers surrounding an inverted oak stump. Threatened with destruction from the action of the sea it was excavated and removed for preservation, amidst howls of protests from some quarters.

There are no remains of the monument on the beach, but an interpretation panel next to the Coast Path overlooking the area gives more details about the find. Timbers from the original structure, including the inverted oak stump, can be seen at Lynn Museum in King's Lynn.

The Coastal Path along this section dives inland after passing All Saint's Church at Thornham. It brings you tantalisingly close to the beach again when it heads back out toward Brancaster and past St. Mary's Church, but it then maintains its distance, from the sea, separated by saltmarshes. After Burnham Deepdale the path loops round and from here you could carry on direct to Burnham Overy Staithe. However, a more rewarding route would have you diverting from this path and taking up part of a circular waymarked route through Burnham Norton toward Burnham Market.

This circular walk never reaches Burnham Market. Instead it passes by three sites of religious significance: St. Margaret's Church (famous for its painted wineglass pulpit); the remains of St. Mary's Carmelite Friary (established by the first Carmelite friars in Norfolk in 1253, after moving from their original site); and, St. Clement's Church (with its unusual central tower and peculiar internal arrangement).

The two churches and the village at the end of this leg, Burnham Overy Staithe, are connected in a rather unexpected way.

Captain Richard Woodget, the last and most successful skipper of the famous wool clipper Cutty Sark was baptised at St. Margaret's Church in 1846 and buried there in 1928; his grave is easily distinguished in the churchyard by the large white stone anchor placed upon it. He was married at St. Clement's Church in Burnham Overy Town in 1871. During his retirement he lived at Flagstaff House in Burnham Overy Staithe and stayed there until 1926.

Day 5 walking itinerary

Start: Burnham Overy Staithe. Finish: Walsingham (end-point reached using the Wells & Walsingham Light Railway).

Distance: 7 miles walked plus a 30 minute train journey.

"The Church encouraged pilgrimages across medieval Europe whereby people could achieve salvation through visits to holy shrines. ... In England, Norfolk's Great Walsingham was such a destination, where in 1061 the Lady Richeldis received visions of the Virgin Mary. Walsingham subsequently became a shrine to the Blessed Virgin and an Augustinian Priory was constructed around it, completed in 1153" John A. Davis, 2020, in 'The Little History of Norfolk'.

A morning's walk along this last section of the route finally rewards you with a sandy beach at Holkham Bay. Eventually you turn to face the port town of Wells-next-the-Sea, which grows larger as you progress for almost a mile alongside the linear entrance to the harbour and the quayside. The town is a favourite for holidaymakers and has all the facilities necessary to cater for them.

While it is possible to negotiate a walking route from here to Walsingham, a quicker and more direct way is to take advantage of the Wells & Walsingham Light Railway which shuttles passengers between the two seven days a week. The station is located on the south- east periphery of the town. The trip to Walsingham takes around half an hour. After several days of hiking through the countryside, this is an opportunity to watch the scenery go past, as you prepare to tour the sights of what has been described as 'England's Nazareth'.

Walsingham appears to have been a site of some importance even during the Roman period. There is evidence of a Roman town north of Great Walsingham. At a site identified as a Roman temple, a hoard of 6000 coins was discovered. The temple may have been related to Mercury, the Roman messenger god, as three figurines of Mercury were also found.

Over a quarter of a million modern pilgrims now visit Walsingham each year. There are numerous religious sites to visit in Walsingham itself and nearby, including the ruined Walsingham Priory and the Anglican Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham.

It is best to plan your visit in advance. There is a host of information, including suggested sites, walking routes and guides, available from the following sources among others:

It is possible to return from Wells-next-the-Sea to King's Lynn using public transport. Buses run from Wells-next-the-Sea to Fakenham. Change at Fakenham. Other services run from Fakenham to King's Lynn. For more information about local bus services visit Lynx Bus website (opens new window).

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