Make My Run Your Walk

by Stewart South

In the last Parish News ( March 2018) I mentioned my running efforts to raise money for kidney research.  Please see the end of this article to find out how you can help.  Meanwhile, I would like to share with you part of one of my runs, in case you would like to walk it.

Circular Walk  Blackborough End, Tower End and East Winch, 6.5 miles and it is all public access.  Ideally, walk it when ground is dry.  Enjoy it.

Start at Blackborough Green (or any part of the route to suit you).  Take East Winch Road to top of hill and at intersection take left turn, north, on to lane (not the right hand road).  Proceed along Juggins’s Lane, past Mill Farm (where the Juggins family used to live).  Cross A47 with care, and along another track,Mill Row, until you join Station Road on a sharp bend.

Proceed north along road to Tower End.  Immediately after Tower Farm (right) take Tower Lane on the right.  Sign says it is a private road, but it is a public footpath.  After passing cottages on your right, look back left for a splendid view of Middleton Tower.  Follow track and signs, east, and you will come across some yellow barriers, which are to stop you being run over by the huge sand trucks rushing back and forth from the quarry.  Press the button to open the barriers.  Follow track east, with high ridge of sand on your right, followed by open fields.  Continue straight until you cannot go any further, then turn sharp right, south.  Follow path as it meanders, until you pass outbuildings of Grandcourt Farm on your right.  The grassy path emerges onto a sandy track.  Turn left, north, towards A47.  After a short distance up the track, there is a bungalow on your right.  Turn left here at the signpost and take an indistinct path across a field, aiming for East Winch Church ahead of you.  Continue into next field where track is a bit more defined until you get to edge of A47.  Go east through metal gate and take footpath alongside the main road.  At the end of this path, cross A47 with care into ^(A) Church Lane, past the church on your right and former school on your left.  As you reach East Winch Manor Farm the tarmac runs out and it becomes a track.  Go over/past two cattle grids and past cottages on your right and through the gate next to Pennygate Cottage, but no payment is required to walk on by!  Continue past lakes to your left and right and through another gate.  Once through the gate proceed past house, woodland and treatment works, all on your left.  As you reach the road, with Blackborough Priory Farm on your left ^(B)go straight ahead, west, and straight again a few yards further on.  You are now coming into Blackborough End.  Keep right at right-hand bend and finish at The Green.

 Download this article (.pdf) here

(Webmaster's note) - A much shorter variation of part of this route;  From the above - start at  (A), East Winch Church, and follow the route as far as (B). Turn right at this point, up the hill to the junction with the road. Turn right down the hill, past the riding school on your left to join the A47 - the old Toll House (Post Office) on the corner to your right. Turn right and follow the footpath alongside the A47 back to the church. Note that the A47 is a busy road and the path back to the church is close to the road and passing, heavy, traffic.This does take the shine off the walk.

My Running and Fundraising.  At 70 I’m running 7 key events in 2018 to raise money for two kidney research charities, because both our sons had kidney failure.  I donated a kidney to Joel, and Oliver received a kidney from an anonymous donor.  My events are the Norwich Half Marathon on 15^th April, King’s Lynn GEAR 10K on 6^th May and the 26.2 miles of the Edinburgh Marathon on 27^th May, then even more events until I run the Amsterdam Marathon in October.  Up to 14^th March I have run 5 parkruns (my target is at least 7) and I have run a total of 148 training miles (238K), with my target for the year being 431 miles, namely 700 kilometres.

My two brilliant kidney research charities are Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust and Kidney Research UK and I’m trying to raise £1000 for each charity.  I should be truly grateful if you feel you can sponsor me - thank you so much to those of you who have already done so.  To sponsor me please call me on 01553 841267 or email stewart.ali@btinternet.com or to make an online donation simply go to http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/StewartSouth  Also, follow me on Facebook.

Thank you, Stewart

Nar Valley Way

This route from King's Lynn to Gressenhall along the Nar Valley is very well covered on the Norfolk County Council website. Also shown are circular walks and both long and short linear walks with appropriate maps. County Council website is here