Somerleyton, near Lowestoft, Suffolk

Distance: A gentle stroll or a 6-mile stride

The beauty of the Somerleyton walk is that you can do as little or as much as you like. Stroll in the gardens of Somerleyton Hall, which during May are ablaze with rhododendrons and azaleas, explore the village, saunter down to the River Waveney, or stride around the estate.

A map of the area is advisable. Footpaths are clearly marked, but they don’t always go where you expect.

Sensible walking shoes for the gardens and the village. Waterproof boots for footpaths and estate tracks, which can be rough and quite boggy in places.
There are a few field styles, but these can be bypassed.

Directions

1 If going straight to the gardens, there is a 12-point trail to follow, although visitors are welcome to explore as they wish.
2 If parking in the village, from the post office and general store, head north, past the village green and follow the Somerleyton Park wall around to the right.
3 At the end of the wall turn right down the back drive towards the hall, looking out for the footpath sign on the left after about a quarter mile.
4 Turn left here and right at the end of the field on to the track for Kitty’s Farm. The path is well-worn and ends up on Green Lane.
5 Turn right on to the lane, which brings walkers down to the B1074 Blundeston Road.
6 At the junction, turn left and then right after a couple of hundred yards on to the field path. Alternatively, turn right at the junction, pass the main gates to Somerleyton Hall, and left on to the marked footbath, just before the church.
7 Both lead to Waddling Lane. Turn right on to this farm track and head back to the village. This walk should take between two and two-and-a-half hours.

FactFile

How to get there:
From Norwich, take the A146 to Gillingham and then the A143 for St Olaves and follow signs to Somerleyton. From Ipswich, take the A12 to Blythburgh, turning on to the A145 for Beccles, then the A146 for Gillingham and A143, for St Olaves.
Go by train on either the Norwich to Lowestoft, or Ipswich to Lowestoft lines. From Ipswich change trains at Oulton Broad North or Lowestoft.
Check timetables for connections.

Parking:
Cars may be left at The Duke’s Head if patronising the pub.
There is on-street parking in the village, while parking is provided for those visiting the gardens at Somerleyton Hall.

Toilets:
At the Duke’s Head or at Somerleyton Hall

Refreshments:
At the pub (01502 730281), or at the hall’s Loggia Tea Rooms.

SPECIAL NOTE:
From April 1st to July 1st, Somerleyton Hall and Gardens are only open on Thursdays and Sundays, and Bank Holidays, from 10am to 5pm.Not open at all on Saturdays.Tel: 01502 732950, or email enquiries@somerleyton.co.uk.

Weblink: www.somerleyton.co.uk

Points of interest

The gardens at Somerleyton Hall cover about 12 acres and include many magnificent trees, shrubs and plants. In May they are ablaze with rhododendrons and azaleas.
Originally a Jacobean manor, the hall was re-modelled in 1844, in the Anglo-Italian style, by railway magnate Sir Morton Peto, who went spectacularly bust.
In 1863 it was bought by carpet manufacturer Sir Francis Crossley, the great grandfather of the present Lord Somerleyton, who has now handed it over to his son Sir Hugh Crossley.
The village, which is splendidly eccentric in its high-Victorian way, was built by Sir Morton, with steeply sloping roofs, many of them thatched and with mock-Tudor timbering.
Elsewhere there are many enviable period village houses. A new estate of modern homes takes its inspiration from Sir Morton’s original village designs.
From the village, it is a short walk down to the River Waveney, where you can watch the boats pootle by.
For those striding out, the walk circles Somerleyton Park, with tantalising glimpses of the hall and its exotic roofline.
The estate is an on-going farming enterprise. There are also many areas of woodland, with some wonderful mature trees, ponds and plentiful wildlife.
In Green Lane, look out for historic Park Farm, with its ancient stepped gable, while on the opposite side of the road from Green Farm stand a massive pair of extraordinary, goblet-shaped, multi-trunked beech trees. Look and wonder.
Somerleyton Church, on the B1074 Blundeston Road, is worth the detour, if only for its gleaming tiled floors and churchyard alive with plastic flowers.
If you do nothing else, walk at least part of Waddling Lane, approached from the village by following signs to the railway station. At the gateway to Waveney Grange Farm, instead of following the road around to the right, walk straight ahead down Waddling Lane.
An intimate farm track, this lane runs along the bank above Somerleyton Marshes, which border the River Waveney, passing through some beautiful country including wetlands and woodlands, in which rhododendrons grow. Indeed, rhodos grow in many of the woods around Somerleyton
Binoculars are a must, as birdlife abounds.

This walk is taken from the Pathfinder Guide to Suffolk Walks, published by Jarrold of Norwich. The Ordnance Survey maps that include Somerleyton are the Landranger 134 (Norwich & The Broads, Great Yarmouth) or Outdoor Leisure 40 (The Broads).

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