No fewer than 25 of us took a walk closer to town than some we have done, but still enough to leave the houses and streets behind.

From outside St Nicholas’ Church, we walked along St Withburga Lane, up Wakes Lane (no nameplate - do you know it?) to travel south down Baxter Row and Littlefields to reach Footpath 13, which lies along Lineside - which as the same suggests, follows the course of the former railway line from King’s Lynn to Dereham. From there, we were able to score something of a first in recent years - thanks to Norfolk County Council appointing contractors, the course of Footpath 14 along the boundary of the school has been well cleared and enabled its easy use for the first time in many years. The one remaining issue with the path was the considerable amount of litter along it - but we have a day being planned in the next few weeks to have a litter pick there. (If anyone wants to join us, get in touch - we have the equipment and would welcome the help.)

Leaving the path behind, we crossed the water meadows and walked through the Scarning estate, along Draytonhall Lane and down New Inn Lane, to continue towards Rushmeadow. We didn’t follow the meadow, but climbed up to the Humbletoft estate, then down Sandy Lane, to return to our starting point through St Nicholas’ Churchyard.

Almost half the group then continued to the tearooms at the Mid-Norfolk Railway, where the very helpful staff had (by arrangement) reserved a table for us, where we could partake of lunch, cake or coffee according to taste - the end to a satisfying morning.

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