British Walking Federation

BURY ST EDMUNDS WALK  ORGANISED BY HAVAC WALKERS

CONTACT : Mr P Addison, 38 Peterborough Avenue, Upminster, Essex  RM14 3LL
Tel: 01708 250841   Email: peter.addison@tesco.net

DISTANCE:  16km
ENTRY FEE: £1.50 per person (Cheques payable to Havac Walkers)
AWARD: No Award
ENTRY SYSTEM:  Postal
START VENUE:  Ram Meadow Car Park, Bury St Edmunds (Map 155 GR TL858645)
CAR PARKING: Within 500m of start.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT: Bus service within 1km of start.
TERRAIN: Urban areas, roads, parkland, farmland, woods and riverside paths.
REFRESHMENTS:  Can be purchased on the route.

ROUTE DESCRIPTION

Exit car park on footpath opposite car entrance, to left of buildings.  Pass through stone bollards and turn right, river Lark on left, to road.  Cross road near the Fox Inn and turn right.  Continue along Mustow Street beside stone wall.  Turn left through a wrought iron gate (opposite garage) into the Abbey gardens.  Bear right on paths to pass aviaries and onto the Abbey Gate.  Cross the main entrance and thoroughfare and turn left at the next intersection, by a fountain (not in use), with bowling green on right.

Q1.    What is the date on the fountain?

Continue ahead on path, flower beds on left, then between ruins of Abbey, toward river bridge to left of children's play area.  Cross bridge to exit gardens and turn right.  Continue along path, river on right.  Pass through barriers and straight on along field path, river still on right, to exit at main road.  Cross with extreme care, and turn left to roundabout.  At roundabout turn right (Rougham Hill), and then immediately right into Rushbrooke Lane.  Continue along lane for some considerable distance passing kennels and cattery on right.  At T junction cross road with care onto track opposite and continue ahead through gate, up hill (white bungalow on left).  Continue along this track between open fields towards the farm.  As you approach the farm house look for a waymarker on the right beside a large tree.  Turn right and follow around two sides of a meadow on a grassy path (wooden railed fence on left).  On meeting a track (there are several thatched buildings ahead) turn right, hedge on left.  At corner of next field turn diagonally right across grassy area to another track (waymarked) and follow this track between an avenue of young trees.  Where the track bears right continue straight ahead (waymarked) on a wide grass path.  This path eventually becomes enclosed between tall hedgerows (Hawkers Lane) and exits into an open field.  Cross field on a obvious path to the rear of the Rushbrooke Arms Public House.  Go through pub gardens and car park to main road, cross with care, and turn right and then almost immediately left into lane (Hawstead Lane) passing Brambles Cottage on right.  Continue along this lane until meeting a footpath finger post on right, turn right on track up hill.  At the top turn right along field edge with hedge on left and at next waymarker turn left with ditch on right.  At the end of ditch/edge on right way ahead may not be obvious, but continue across field towards tall trees with building beyond, and then onto a track to the buildings.  Pass between buildings to road.  Turn right on road, and just before speed de-restriction sign turn left through a wooden gate into Nowton Park.  Nowton Park - 200 acres of parkland - worth visiting in the spring time when some 130,000 daffodils flower along and avenue of mature lime trees. 

Note - In park follow the yellow banded marker posts.

On reaching a large open space (Panda statue ahead) turn right and follow the yellow banded marker posts anticlockwise around the perimeter of the park to a car park and then the Ranger Centre and toilets.  Refreshments, gifts and information available here.

Q2.    Above the door on the Ranger Centre is an alarm.  What is the number on it?

At the Ranger Centre turn left over a hump back bridge (still following the yellow banded marker posts) and turn right along an avenue of lime trees towards a large house.  At the end of avenue go through a small gate and continue ahead, house now on right.  Pass a large pond on left, then a font and ruined arch way.  When a Totem Pole comes into view look for a gate on the right.  Leave the park via this gate to road (if you pass the Totem Pole you have gone too far).  Turn right on road, then left at Nowton village sign.  Continue up Cooper Lane to its junction and turn right.  At bridleway finger post on left turn left up track.  Track becomes a sunken path and towards its end can be very wet and muddy, a small copse and pond on right at the end.  Continue with copse and pond still on right and after a few metres at waymark turn right down hill through field aiming for a waymarker post in the trees ahead.  Go through trees and then along field edge towards left side of house ahead.  Follow path through a grassy area and enter trees.  Turn right along an avenue of trees into Hardwick Heath.  Path becomes concrete and passes sports fields on left.   At gate (beside car park) turn left, up the right hand side of the park, fence on right and sports field on left.  At end of fence turn right down hill.

Q3.    On the left just before turning right is a concrete pad.  What is this pad used for?

Pass through a barrier and cross road with care.  Go through barrier opposite and continue down footpath between houses to pass through another barrier.  Cross an estate road and through yet another barrier to the right of a telephone box.  Continue down this path passing through more barriers and an area liable to flooding to eventually meet a major road.  Turn left, cross road with care at bollards in middle of road, and continue up to a double mini roundabout.  Turn left into Westgate Street, cross at a convenient safe point, and continue passing the Catholic Church on right.  At junction with Crown Street on left, turn left.  On the right is the Theatre Royal, a graceful Regency play house that was designed by William Wilkins, architect of the National Gallery, and opened in 1819.  It closed in 1925 and became a brewery warehouse but in the 1960s was restored to its former glory by the National Trust and reopened as a theatre.  Opposite is the Greene King Brewery Museum and shop.  Beer has been brewed in Bury St Edmunds since 1799.  The Museum is open daily and includes a tasting.

Q4.    In Crown Street there is a plaque on the wall (left hand side) just before the pub.  In what year did John Reve, last abbot of Bury, die?

Continue along Crown Street passing St Marys Church to the Cathedral.  St Marys Church was built between 1290 and 1490 as a parish church for the people of Bury St Edmunds.  It has a beautiful hammer-beam "angel" roof spanning the longest parish church aisle in England.  It also houses the tomb of Mary Tudor sister of Henry VIII.  The Norman tower was built in the 12th century as the main gateway to the abbey; it is now the bell tower for the cathedral.  The cathedral was built by Abbot Anselm in the 12th century with later building work carried out in the 16th century and 1960s.  It had been the last incomplete cathedral in Britain until recently when the 140 foot high gothic stile tower was completed.

At the Norman Tower turn left into Churchgate Street to its end.  Turn right into Guildhall Street and then right into Abbeygate Street.  On the left is the Corn Exchange built in 1861. 

Q5.    How many round pillars are there on the front of the Corn Exchange?

Continue along Abbeygate Street to its end.  Passing on the left, the Nutshell, the smallest public house in Britain according to the Guinness Book of Records.  Ahead are the Abbey gardens containing the ruins of the Abbey of St Edmunds and glorious floral gardens.  On the right is the Angel Hotel, a former coaching inn made famous by Charles Dickens in Pickwick Papers.  The room he used is still available for patrons with the very bed the author slept in! 

At the end of Abbeygate Street, turn left, Tourist Information Centre on left, and bear round to the right into Mustow Street to traffic lights.  Cross Northgate Street with care and continue ahead, turn left into Cotton Lane back to Car Park.

When you have completed this trail please use the  Permanent Trail Entry Form

The organisers are not liable for accidents, thefts and/or damage to property.  Every effort will be made by the organisers to make this a safe, enjoyable and memorable event.

This trail is registered until 31 December 2009.