Felbrigg Park

View across meadows to Felbrigg Hall 

Felbrigg Church

After rain in the night we woke to clear skies and warm sunshine.

Van-Man walked Lottie out of the site straight onto Ickborough Hill which was covered in gorse. He turned one corner on the gorse hedged path and Lottie found herself face to face with a large horned goat. Years ago she would have taken on the fearsome fellow but intimidated by his superior size she followed Van-Man who by passed the beast. We had a lazy breakfast then headed off to Felbrigg Park estate which was a National Trust property a few miles from the camp site.

We parked under a shady oak tree and walked to the welcome vehicle where we received information and a map of the estate. As the temperature was supposed to get hotter we decided to walk to the church then around the lake leaving the woods for shade this afternoon.

the lake

Lottie was disappointed to be kept on the lead across the field to the church even though there did not appear to be any livestock in it.

We enjoyed looking around the church and then continued into the next field on our way to the lake. Here the farmer had just fed his sheep and was now feeding the cows in the field beyond.

 Felbrigg Hall 

The large flock of sheep, probably over fifty of them, all started walking towards us.

A couple of walkers passed us as Lottie had found an interesting bush to sniff, but the sheep parted and flowed around the couple without stopping.

Sessile Oak

“This will be interesting,” Van-Man said. 



She stared at them overwhelmed by their numbers then barked as the first few sheep reached us. Van-Man grasped Lottie’s collar but they ambled past unconcerned. As she drew level a large ewe glared at Lottie who stopped barking and gazed back wide eyed. She quietly walked through the flock as if stunned by their size and assurance. We didn't take pictures of this as we were too busy trying to keep Lottie calm and moving quietly on. 

At the gate into the next field cows gathered around the farmer.

“Is there another way through by passing the cows,” I asked.

“There’s a gate over there,” the farmer pointed along the fence. “But you don’t need to worry about my cows; they’re good ‘uns.”

I think our Lurcher is worried,” I replied. “We’ll go around them.”

Sessile Oak roots

We soon reached the lake after our detour and Lottie was let off the lead. She trotted to the water but the bank was sheer sided. However as we approached the woods she found a narrow track which she followed though the bushes. Soon she appeared paddling in the lake shallows.

She struggled out and became coated in mud on the steep sided bank. 

walking back to the Hall

As we followed the lake through the woods she found a better place to cool off shedding the sticky mud. We then followed the track through the woods back past the hall to our van where Lottie sunned herself while we ate.

After lunch we walked the opposite way through the woods to the ice house. All we could see was its entrance and slight mound of earth.

We take ice for granted now with freezers but when the ice house was made it was a luxury to keep ice from winter to cool things down in the summer heat.
We then headed down one side of the victory walk, a v shape amongst the trees planted to celebrate war ending.

just sniffing around

standing tall

 We passed the hall again and wandered towards the lake looking for the Sessile Oak. We found the tree with its hollow trunk then wandered back tall specimen trees.

inside the hollow tree

After another rest with Lottie claiming her place on the grass we headed to Cromer looking for a supermarket where we could buy milk and were fortunate to find one with a large car park without height barriers before returning to camp.

Train on the road

Having packed the van yesterday we only had to load the fridge and pack the last minute items like toothbrushes. We left at 10.10 with plenty of time to get to the camp site near Cromer. However the traffic lights at a section of road works four miles away caused a 2 mile tail back which took over twenty minutes to drive through. That was not a good start.

The radio announced an earlier accident on the anticlockwise M 25 that had closed two lanes but Van-Man reached Clacket lane services as the queues started forming.

As I began driving from the services the radio announced that all lanes were now open which was proven true by the traffic queues evaporating as we rejoined the motorway. Sadly we began queuing for the tunnel back at the junction before the tunnel and drove slowly under the mighty Thames, after which the traffic started flowing. Then rain started falling but I had no trouble on the drive round to Bishop Stortford services on the M

Was this the train we followed?

11. I feel much more confident driving the motor home on the motorways and duel carriageways now but Van-Man still has to tackle all the other stuff.

“Oh you take over now,” a long queue on the slip road made me exclaim. It is easy to change drivers when we stop in queues of traffic as there is room to stand up and change places in the roomy van cab. I was glad to let him park as the caravan area was crammed full. He found two narrow spaces in the main car park and parked with one wheel in the next bay

Lottie liked this choice as we had more space and grass behind us where she lay while we ate lunch.

After using the service facilities I drove on to Lakenheath after experiencing driving on narrow single carriage ways for the first time. I felt proud of my achievement but relieved when I stopped in a lay-by and let Van-Man resume driving.

After Fakenham we were slowed down by a tractor which Van-Man eventually overtook. Rather him than me! After we passed the junction to where we stayed last year we joined a long snake of cars crawling along. As cars overtook the cause of the holdup and turned off we saw we were following a steam tank engine sat on a low loader.

“It’s not every day you see a steam engine on the roads,” Van-Man remarked by the time our van had only two cars between it and us.

Just relaxing

It must be going to the Heritage railway that runs through Sherringham Park,” I suggested looking at the map. I was right as we followed it at crawling pace to Sherringham. The tight corners on the road meant the lorry had to crawl forward as it had to cross the white line on the tighter turns. Van-Man was unable to photograph the engine as his camera was shut up in one of the over head lockers. Soon after Sherringham we turned off for our camp site at West Runton which was at the bottom of a long bumpy narrow track.

It was a large site with level hard standings. The facilities were close and the dog walk was a short distance to a gate out onto high heath land with views over to Cromer and along to the Wash. Naturally Lottie took us out to inspect her facilities. Afterwards she lay down on the grass beside the van proudly surveying the site. Eventually she came in just as I was cooking dinner. She lay down on top of my feet so she could look out of the habitation door.