Beccles is a small Suffolk town beside the River Waveney and the Broads National Park. The Norfolk boundery runs along the northern edge of the river. Beccles offers moorings and chandlery’s and has a sleepy Wind-in-the-Willows atmosphere. It offers pleasant in-town shopping, perhaps because most supermarkets are too far away or perhaps the most prefer boats and locks to cars and motorways. They have free off-road parking in pudingmoor lane (about halfway down).
At the halfway point the walk takes you across the river via a small footbridge near Geldeston and directly into the Locks Inn Beer Garden. It was busy when I arrived mid-morning which is a little surprising as it is hard to find. As I walked the lane toward the main road a couple of cars stopped to ask if they were going in the right direction for the pub.
Most round-tower churches are found in Suffolk and Norfolk, and you can see two at Geldeston and Barsham on this walk. Churches offer us a connection to the past and I find it humbling to visit places where people of historical interest have trod. Barsham Holy Trinity church rectory (see in the above photos) was the birth place of Nelson’s mother, Catherine Suckling in 1725. I likley walked the same ground she did and I wonder if Horatio himslef once walked the same paths?
Bugs
I’m not often interested insects, the most common aquantance the aftermath of a horse-fly or mozzy bite however this time I came across a small group of butterflies that showed no concern as I approached. They had a total wing span of around 1½” and were a colorful orange, brown, white and black. Later I cam across a yellow, brown, white and black dragonfly that may have been 2″ in length, it looked a lot larger in flight and caused me to duck.
Distance: 7 Miles
Elevation Range: 3 to 34 feet
Difficulty: Medium (Paths overgrown; alternative routes required if not cleared by the time you walk)
Weather Check: BBC Weather Beccles, Suffolk.
Map: Click here and once loaded select “Leisure” map
Route Card: Bugged In Beccles, A Circular Walk Around The Suffolk Broads
Download the Bugged In Beccles Route Card Template for Word 2010
I was dubious about walking the marshes after paths didn’t show clearly in Google Earth. If flooded I would have to turn back. I asked a couple of locals on the same path and they said it would be safe and well worth it; and they were right.
