BUNGAY TO HOMERSFIELD
Summary - Really lucky today. It was raining all the way in the car to Bungay for the start of the walk but it stopped as soon as we set out and within a minute of getting to the end at Homersfield it started to rain again. North West of Bungay the River Waveney does a large loop and we spent all morning going around it to Earsham. Arrived at the Queens Head for midday and had a sausage baguette and a pint. Being cooler today - only 16-20 C it was much easier walking. The pub was soon full of locals all nattering and one old man new our part of the world very well as he was a dealer in animals. Not much to photograph in the afternoon as the walking was through vast corn fields along bridle roads and field edges. Typical Suffolk countryside. The going was so good we finished at 15:30 despite having done 12.1 miles.
We started from Annis Hill in Bungay and it was just a short way back to the Angles Way along the B1062 and turned down the Wainford Road towards some malt houses. There was a number of water channels some serving the mill buildings but the channel in the photo above appeared to be the now much smaller River Waveney. It was overcast and damp so the photos today were not brilliant. The Wainford Road was left for a path across fields to Broome, a recreation ground full of young football teams. Some Maltings now converted to residential and then a crossing of the A143 at a roundabout.
The Angles Way then follows the outside of a large bend in the River Waveney. climbing to follow a path around a cliff above the river and Ditchingham Lodge. There were only small glimpses across the river and the lands beyond, this picture was one of the better ones.
The path then descends down an access road to Bath Hills (where there were waymarks for the Bigod Way) and this lovely riverside property. http://www.bungay-suffolk.co.uk/activities/bigods-way.asp
The path passes above Bath Hill Farm and Valley Cottage and then there are some large former gravel workings now in the possession of an angling club.
We arrived in the village of Earsham at midday and within minutes of arrival the doors of the Queen's Head opened. Looking for lunch the initial remarks of the landlord did not look promising but a snack menu was produced and we ordered a sausage and onion baguette each. Three wholesome bangers in each and Jim was still waxing lyrical about it days later. The pub filled with locals and one knew our part of the world well as a former animal dealer. The pub has won the Mid -Anglia Campaign for Real Ale Pub of the Year 2015 award - it was definitely as pubs used to be http://www.bungay-suffolk.co.uk/activities/bigods-way.asp
As we left Earsham we passed the All Saint's Church http://www.earshambenefice.org.uk/churches-earsham.htm crossed the River Waveney and then across Stow Fen (now reclaimed fields) and then crossed the B1062 again.
This is the view looking back as we climbed out of the valley, Stow Fen is the fields at the back.
We then did miles of field side paths and walking around the remains of the site of Flixton Airfield although there was mainly miles of corn fields to the horizon. Bungay airfield was originally planned as a satellite for nearby RAF Hardwick and was constructed by Kirk & Kirk Ltd., during 1942 with a main runway of 6,000 feet in length and two intersecting secondary runways, one of 4,220 feet and the other of 4,200 feet. In common with other airfields of the period, the technical, administrative and domestic buildings were dispersed to lessen the impact of any enemy air attack. The buildings were all of a temporary nature and the various sites were chiefly to the west of the airfield. Extract from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Bungay
We passed close to Uplandhall Farm, Shadowbarn Farm and Sternacre Farm which had a nice pond. Then crossed a couple of roads and went along the side of the premises of Waveney Mushrooms Ltd. More fields to Park Road where a BBQ was in full flow in a farm house. On through Home Farm where the occupants were struggling with the task of restoring a pond. The Angles Way then passes along tracks through an active gravel extraction area. Above is a picture of one of the lakes where there was a huge array of wild fowl. The inclination to admire them was tempered by an approaching storm so we hurried on along roads into Homersfield where we had left a car for the return journey. We made it with one minute to spare and then the heavens opened.
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