Peddars Way: Some Comments

The Peddars Way is unusual among long distance paths as it is straight, following the path of an old Roman road. This also means it misses most villages. Castle Acre is the important exception, with its the extensive ruins of a Norman priory and castle. 

The southern part of the route is through the Thetford forest with birch, beech and conifers. North of the forest and for most of the way the path is over farmland, used to grow grain and raise pigs. Stands of trees are common, often with devices to feed the pheasants - game birds for shooting. Accommodation in pubs and bed & breakfasts can be found each night although it may mean a deviation of a few kilometres to a nearby village. Except for the Thetford forest section it is not ideal for wild camping, although if you are confident there are patches of woods to hide in. For food there are pubs where there is accommodation but few shops. I walked the trail in February and met others doing the same. In winter the bare trees and low sun have a certain beauty although I missed the flowers I would find later in the year. It also meant mud and pools of water on the track in places, and some accommodation was closed.

A relatively short walk at 47 miles, there is also a cycle route that differs in parts. Waymarking is good with the National Trail acorn sign used to mark the route and as it mostly proceeds in a straight line navigation is straightforward. Nevertheless, there a few places where it jumps around and a map, guidebook or gpx track is needed. Parts of the walk are on quiet roads, the rest on tracks, also used by motorcycles, or footpaths. For road sections watch out for footpaths that run parallel to the tarmac just behind a hedge. These avoid dodging cars and tractors. 

Not the most wonderful walk in the world but an easy one to complete over a few days.

Start of Peddars Way.