If you are a keen bird watcher and live nearby then you already know the delight of the West Stow Lakes. The cacophony between Dixon’s Covert and Alder Carr drowns out the sound of the Saturday traffic.

How many species I couldn’t tell but certainly more than I have heard in one place as I can remember. Two pairs of Egyptian Geese added colour to the lakes and a Sparrow Hawk in Ickworth Gardens provided a little majesty. Canada Geese fighting and chasing each other around Alder Carr like a Benny Hill show.

The forest isn’t really a forest, it’s a large plantation with all the tree’s it neat rows reminding us the hand of god has a long way to go before he can match that of man. My distaste for artificial woods was momentarily forgotten when surrounded by a large herd of Deer, possibly more than a hundred. They crossed a clearing and were gone as quickly as they arrived.

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The Resplendent Rotunda, Ickworth

The new Basement now open to the Public not only shows what it must have been like to live as the “downstairs” half of Upstairs Downstairs but they put on a show too.

People, or ghosts if you prefer, live the lives of their 1910 to 1930 contemporaries. They ignore you! Or rather they carry on as if you are not there. It is a definite must-see activity when you visit Suffolk.

Following is a map of the walk, for Ickworth house click here.

The second half of the video has some clips of the new Ickworth Basement show. Staff dressed up in contemporary uniform perform duties that would have been undertaken at the time.

http://youtu.be/cvq5_23zAgI

Distance: 14 Miles
Elevation Range: 45 to 180 feet
Weather Check: Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
Map: Click here and once loaded select “Leisure” map
Route Card: Ickworth and a circular walk from Culford Through The Kings Forest
Download: Walkers Route Card Template for Word 2010
Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ickworth_House
Local Website: http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/ickworth/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Ickworth