Norfolk's Holy Land

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.