Norfolk's Holy Land

This itinerary showcases a unique aspect of the Norfolk heritage. Augustus Jessopp called Norfolk's 'Holy Land' due to the high concentration of priories and friaries, especially between Castle Acre and Wormegay.However, equally the route destination of King's Lynn had at one time held four great orders of friars present in the town. Equally, the area is sprinkled with a few Mott and Bailey castles, a rabbit warren and a deer park/ chase. There is a medieval landscape story that can form a link between Castle Acre and Kings Lynn. The Nar was navigable during this period and there are several mills recorded, such a Bone Mill at Narborough, (whale bones from Kings Lynn). Equally the River Nar is an internationally rare example of a chalk river. Therefore, the natural side of the river has merit and content. Opportunities for fishing, water skiing, and archery could be added to this itinerary if desired. There are real ale pubs from Castle Acre, to Shouldham and Kings Lynn providing plenty of opportunity for refreshment along the way.

Norfolk Trail interactive maps

• Castle Acre to Narborough (opens new window)
• Narborough to King's Lynn (opens new window)

Morning (part 1)

Start: Castle Acre

Finish: West Acre

Distance: 2.4 miles

Elevation: 56 ft

The small village of Castle Acre sitting high above the River Nar is one of the larger parishes in Norfolk. At one time, the village was a prosperous market town. Acre comes from the old English meaning 'newly cultivated land', although the ruinous castle and priory tell a very different story of a more turbulent and religious past. The Saxons where here before the Normans, but it was the latter who moulded the current layout. Now an apparent idiom of an English village with a green, pub and tearoom. Ironically French designers built a very English village of ale on the green and flint houses. Further along the valley just beyond the rivers source at Mileham another example of Mott and Bailey earthworks can be explored.

Castle Acre is largely hidden from the crowds a hidden Norfolk treasure sitting in a rare and unspoilt river valley.

Leave the village and journey downstream following the river, walking along the Nar Valley Path. The river winds gracefully through grazing marshes passing occasional mature crack willows standing in water meadows. They stand with gnarled fissured bark, silver blue pointed leaves glinting silver in a light breeze. Spectral owls' quarter the pastures in the dimming light, white and silent. The Romans considered these beautiful hunters' harbingers of doom if they settled on your dwelling. Keep moving downstream through tree lined paths and woodland, until you once more you enter the dappled light and shadows of overhanging trees. On reaching the footbridge West Acre Mill once stood slightly upstream. Now sadly demolished, only the Mill House remains. Once four stories high, it was built or weatherboard over a brick ground floor. No longer does fine flour powder float on the air or settle on the turbulent water, long gone only pictures and stories remain. Onwards through wooded glades and grassland. Take a detour north on a circular route though mixed rough grassland and mature woods, before re-joining the path as you enter the small village of West Acre. Another unspoilt Norfolk village tucked away in the valley. A haunt of artists, brewers even a theatre and a place to stop refresh at the local mircro-brewery of Norfolk beers. Stop and sample life by the river. The religious folk were here once, the remains of their priory stands near the brewery.

Morning (part 2)

Start: West Acre

Finish: Narborough

Distance: 2.8 miles

Elevation: 81ft

Start by walking out of the village travelling west along a tree lined farm track. Hedges the colour of burnt umber, hawthorn, sloe and blackthorn line the path. Through plantations trees standing like soldiers on parade, gradually oak, birch, and alder replace the regimented pine. Narborough Hall lays on the far bank, hidden from view, that's for later. The river twists and turns here gurgling around stubborn oaks that have pushed green fissured boughs and roots into the river. Gravel and mud banks create pools where trout peek from beneath. This is a river that raises the hope of catching a glimpse of otter and kingfisher if you're lucky. Onwards through woods of white barked birch, bramble past Bradmore fishing lakes until the A47 lies before you. Cross with care and head into Narborough, past fishing lakes where you can float fly or dangle a worm. Here you can either head west past the turbulent torrent of the water mill, onwards until the romantic gardens of Narborough Hall, which are sometimes open to the public, or you can turn down River Close, follow the path at the end and re-engage the river.

Afternoon

Start: Narborough

Finish: Pentney Mill 

Distance: 3.7 miles

Elevation: 84 ft Start: Narborough

The river is maturing, still vibrant, wider but lacking some of its youthful playfulness. The relics of Bone Mill appear, a metal water wheel still standing as testament, metal blades touch the turbulent white water forced through the leet. The grinding of whale bones for crop fertiliser was its purpose. Barges of butchered bones, the gory remains of whales caught off Greenland and processed in Lynn were transported to Bone Mill for crushing. Powdered bone dust once settled on people and plants alike. The landscape opens into an open river valley of fertile soil, once reed and marsh the home of 'fowle' and geese, fish and eel.

English writer Augustus Jessopp called the Nar valley Norfolk's 'Holy Land' due to the high concentration of priories and friaries, at least six still show physical remains. King's Lynn was patronised by four major monasteries, including the Carmelites who slept in their own coffins. Another four mott and bailey castles still sit guarding the river, strategic sentinels. A footpath detour to Marham presents itself, through Marham Fen, a taste of the past, a much wetter landscape. Walk the path up the steep incline to a very 20th century RAF heritage centre at Upper Marham.

The journey along the river continues, now deep and banked it stands proud above the shrinking peat fen beside it. Onwards until you reach the remains of Pentney Mill, north the gatehouse to Pentney Abbey remains on what was once island in a sea of reed. This was once known as the 'island of Penta', a story now lost, but immortalized in the village name.

Start: Pentney Mill

Finish: King's Lynn

Distance:14.4 miles

Elevation: 300 ft 

Pentney Mill stood here, straddling the river, its history as so often lost, apart from the curious inquest into a potential murder at the mill. Horses fed and watered, boats moored, Ale flows like the river, an argument, a blow across the head, a parting and a dead body in the river, accident or murder? The inquest at the Windmill Inn decided the fate of one and

the epitaph of another. The medieval village cross and the abbey gatehouse offer a temptation of a short detour into the village, follow the path north. An alternative detour heads south for those who want to explore more of the valley, a path that leads to the remains of Wormegay mott and bailey castle, former rabbit warrens, a forest and community run pub nestled on a village green. Itin_2
The river winds west, now deep, but clear, aquatic weeds rooted in the mud reach to the surface and wave in a synchronised just below the surface. At Setchey in 1258 a famous 'Beast Market' famous for its Scottish bred cattle put this small unassuming village on the map. Centuries later Oliver Cromwell's army set up camp next to the bridge, jealously guarding the crossing to King's Lynn. Besieging the royalist town of Lynn, the Earl of Manchester told women and children to leave with haste before the final assault of his forces.

Jump forward to1918 and oil men descend upon the village, in a tale of a boom and bust, the ground oozed a black gold rush. Shale oil was discovered, eighteen months later and distillation works, refineries and railways were sprawled across the village, wooden huts, a canteen and very busy pubs, even a football team graced the local amateur league. There was however a bad smell about this venture, sulphur to be precise. Contaminants in the oil that made it an unviable venture. The people left, leaving only the shanty town. Cross carefully the A10 and follow the water to the sea at Lynn. Under the black rivets of the railway bridge and onwards as Shakespeare wrote 'To Lynn, my lord, and ship from thence to Flanders.' Act IV, Scene 5, Henry IV, part III, well not anymore, but a hint of new treasures to explore in this historic town.

Getting there

Access to public transport is available in both Castle Acre and Kings Lynn. Walking routes could take a visitor to Norwich via the next section of the Nar Valley Path. 

Bus

Buses are available from Kings Lynn to Castle Acre. Alternatively, one can catch a bus from Kings Lynn Transport Interchange to Swaffham and either walk the 4.5 miles to Castle Acre as an extra leg of the journey or take a local taxi.

Train

Kings Lynn has a train station that links to the national train network at Ely and Cambridge. 

Accessibility

The itinerary uses Norfolk County Council (NCC) Nar Valley path (NVP) and some public rights of way, footways and quiet lanes (C roads or less). Surfaces of paths can change, but main NCC trails are normally maintained well in normal circumstances, but inclusive access could well be affected by weather and as the route is near a river, potential flooding could occur especially during the winter months. The route does involve crossing the normally busy A47 and A10 at Setchey. Some uphill sections but can be avoided via the NVP if an issue. Access to all activities is possible by other transport means.

Local visitor information

• Visit West Norfolk website (opens new window) for more information about accommodation, food and local activities.
• Visit Norfolk website (opens new window) to find out about guided tours of the King's Lynn Pilgrimage trail.