Circular Walks
(page still under construction)
A circular walk from the Vicarage car park in North Walsham to Pigneys Wood (and back!) has been established. Simply follow the clearly marked signs:
(1) Start from outside the Area Partnership office on Vicarage Street, opposite the pay and display car park adjacent to Sainsbury’s car park. The first part of the route shares the route if the Paston Way. Cross over the pedestrian crossing to the car park, turn left and walk down the hill. At the T junction you will see a sign for Pigneys Wood, turn right onto Mundesley Road. Walk along this road, passing Sainsbury’s on your right. Continue all the way to the end of the road and turn right at the Paston Way sign. photo in here
(2) Almost immediately turn left and descend the steps on to the old track bed of the Norfolk and Suffolk Joint Railway Company line. photo in here
The line began as a branch to Mundesley in June 1898 built by the Midland and Great Northern Railway. Later the same year the M&GN and the Great Eastern Railway, anxious to avoid wasteful competition in opening up the Norfolk coast, formed the Norfolk and Suffolk Joint Committee to continue the line to Cromer, which finally opened in August 1906. A number of the very wealthy were encouraged to buy estates near the line and reputedly made use of it, but all this came to nothing. By winter 1923 services had been reduced to six each way and in 1953 the section north of Mundesley was closed. The rest shut on December 28th 1964. Norfolk County Council now owns the old line from North Walsham to Knapton, which has evolved as a haven for wildlife and walkers.
Follow the path to the left; descend the steps, cross Little London Road and up the other side.
(3) When you reach the large fence turn right, descend the steps cross the footbridge across the North Walsham and Dilham Canal. photo in here
In 1825 work began on a canal between Antingham and Dilham that would connect the area with the port of Great Yarmouth. By June 14th 1826 the first laden wherry reached Antingham Bone Mills. Without railway competition until 1874, the canal was moderately successful but poor water flow allowed the use of no more than six small, 12-ton wherries. By 1890 a decline had set in as customers moved to the railways and by 1935 the last wherry reached Ebridge Mills. The canal soon silted up and the locks are all now derelict. In recent years a group have actively begun restoration work, clearing out locks and basically keeping the canal on the map.
(4) After about 20 minutes watch out for Pigneys Wood Circular Walk sign on your right. Leave the old railway and the Paston Way here and descend the steps. You will see a Pigneys Wood information board. Go straight ahead through a plantation.
(5) When you reach the meadow go straight ahead unless you wish to make the following detour: Turn left and the path will take you uphill to one of the two old woods on the site. At the top of the hill there is the best view of the site, and North Walsham beyond. Turn left along easy access path to the striking 400 year old oak.
In spring the wood is full of bluebells and piles of brushwood have been left to rot to encourage insects. Look out for roe, red and Chinese Water deer.
Make your way back down the hill to rejoin the circular walk.
The meadow is planted with a specimen of each tree in the wood. The tree-planting programme is now nearly complete and the plan is to have as many habitats as possible on the site including water meadows and reed beds.
At the picnic barn follow the path going to the right of the barn. photo in here
On your right is a scrape, which is a shallow depression, designed to be dry in summer and wet in winter to encourage wading birds, behind this is a bird hide.
Cross over the footbridge and immediately turn left and follow the canal bank. photo in here
Look out for kingfishers, water voles, mink, dragonflies and, hopefully, Swallowtail butterflies as 500 milk parsley plants have been planted, which is the only plant the caterpillars eat. The water meadows here are cut once a year.
Follow the canal bank until you cross the canal footbridge. Turn right and follow the path back along the other bank until the next footbridge. Cross over and continue until you reach the laurel hedge. Join the track and turn right when you see the signpost on Little London Road. photo in here
(6) Walk along the road until you reach the signpost on your left, go up a few steps and along the edge of the field. As you enter a housing estate you will see a sign high up on a lamppost. Turn right and go straight ahead until you reach a green and then along a path behind some houses until you come to a cross roads. photo in here
(7) Go straight across up Bacton Road back in to North Walsham. The road will take you past the other side of Sainsbury’s and then curves round back to the start.