The John Bunyan Trail (5) Shefford to Chicksands

A sense of Deja Vu today as we park up in exactly up in exactly the same spot as on our previous visit. By the side of the 507 parked next to 'Eric's Removals' van just like last time. The weather is equally as grim too, the added bonus being an Amber weather warning for sleet an snow later in the day. Hopefully we should be on our way home by then. I do think these weather warnings are dished out far too often , spreading panic and worry. All part of the plan to keep people at home and not to travel. Look at me, sounding like a conspiracy theorist...

We follow the fast flowing River Flit as far as Campton. Instead of turning left, we continue past the impressive looking Campton Manor towards 'Chicksands'. The house was erected between 1581 and 1591 for the Ventris family.in 1645, Sir Charles Ventris, a Royalist supporter, resided in the property with his family because of an incident which led to the damaged oak panelling in the house. In 1645 a "small armed band of Roundheads came to Campton, crept up to the House, peeped through the windows and saw Sir Charles in the main downstairs room. One of the band drew his firearm and fired. Fortunately his aim was poor and he missed and the shots were embedded in the oak panelling.  Outside were 3.5 acres of grounds, side and rear gardens an orchard, a sun terrace and a double garage. 

 

We follow the flood plain of the River Flit through a variety of Wetland habitats. The include Reed beds, marshes, ponds and ditches. Or as I like to call it 'Muddy Boots' time. Looking towards the sky through the trees there is a very watery sun losing the battle to break through. A sign warns us that Deer Culling is taking place in the area. I hate the killing of animals , however I do appreciate that controlled culling has to take place to keep the population healthy and manage the countryside. We have a more immediate problem though as 'Archie' the dog has gone missing. Being close to 14 years old his hearing is virtually non existent these days. We split up and look for the errant pooch. After about 5 minutes the Old Boy comes bounding out of a field blissfully unaware of any worry caused.  

After we cross the Ampthill Road we have worries of a different kind. We are on the edge of Ministry of Defence land 'Chicksands'. There are plenty of signs letting us know the dangers , which include being shot from the nearby rifle range. Named after Chicksands Priory, a 12th Century Gilbertine Monastery located within the perimeter of the camp. The site was previously 'RAF Chicksands' which closed in 1997. It then became under the control of the British Army. Today, the Defence Intelligence Training Group (DITG) is based at MOD Chicksands, and is the Headquarters of the Intelligence Corps.The base will close and be disposed of in 2030. Which is quite sad really, no doubt thousands of houses will appear on the site. 

During World War Two Chicksands was a top secret listening post. Intercepting and logging enemy coded enemy transmissions. These would then have been taken to the famous 'Bletchley Park for de-coding. Several pivotal radio transmissions were intercepted at Chicksands Priory, including the transmission which led to the sinking of the battleship Bismarck. It once housed a so-called 'Elephant Cage, or radar antenna array, That too has all been dismantled with very little sign of it ever existing. The two pictures above show how it would have looked in it's heyday. I'm pictured standing on one of several thick concrete platforms that do still remain. 

 

We continue towards 'Appley Corner' passing a lovely pond. We pick up the 'John Bunyan Trail' for the first time on this particular walk. We make the turn back towards Shefford following the footpath that runs parallel to Rowney Warren Wood. A mixture of walking trails and BMX and Mountain bike trails for the more adventurous. From here you can also link up to the Greensands Ridge walk.Rowney Warren is jointly managed by the Southill Estate and the Forestry Commission. The wood is predominantly planted with mixed pine trees, but also contains many old oaks and beech trees dating back over 100 years old.

We follow the Bedford Road back towards Shefford crossing over North Bridge as we go. The water is very high with al the recent rain as you might expect.There are some very nice buildings in Shefford. We are particularly drawn to the one called 'The Brewery Tap'. A former Banks and Taylor pub looking at the designs on the outside wall. We had a B & T pub in Northampton at one time and the Beers were great. Sadly brewing ceased completely in the Summer of 2020. We popped in for old times sake at least. Mainly an old fashioned drinkers pub drinkers pub, with several Real Ales available. I stick to the Diet Coke though as I'm on the 'Dry January' campaign. Another very enjoyable walk in the Bedfordshire countryside. Total miles covered 9.43.   

Happisburgh Boxing Day Circular Walk

 

It's a murky and misty morning as we make our way down the coast to Happisburgh (pronounced Hazeborough). We set off through the churchyard at St Mary's Church. It was demolished and rebuilt in the 15th century. The tall tower of St Mary's church is an important landmark for mariners ancient and modern. Warning of  the location of the treacherous nearby sandbanks.To the north of the church there is a mound marking the burial place of 119 British soldiers. The soldiers drowned when 'The Invincible' one of Nelson's fleet on the way to the Battle of Copenhagen was wrecked offshore on Hammonds Knoll.

Leaving the Church we follow the North Walsham Road before taking the footpath on the left hand side of the road. We walk past a caravan park that seems to be deserted, as we walk in the direction of Walcott Hall.It's mainly fields of crops, probably animal fodder and fairly uneventful. That is until we happen upon a a gathering of Tweed clad men with shotguns in the field directly ahead. Thankfully not the way we wished to continue.We didn't hear much gunfire, hopefully not too many Pheasants were dispatched. We followed the narrow tarmac road, taking us past Walcott House. The lady of the house was putting out bird feeders, we exchanged Christmas greetings over the pond. 

There is a brief sojourn with the B1159 as we we look for our next footpath on our left. It is still grey and damp, and doesn't look like improving. We find the path and it is a straight run now to the village of Ridlington.(19.7 miles (31.7 km) north-east of Norwich). The village is surrounded by land largely in arable use. We make our way past the half thatched church of St Peter. A German Zeppelin bomb damaged the Chancel end of the Church, around midnight on 24/25 April 1916.Just past the church are various paths leading in different directions. We need the one that follows the field edge before turning left and finding a gap in the hedge. We follow the green lane down to the road. 

 

St Peter's Church Ridlington

There is a bit of road walking to be done for a couple of hundred yards. A nice Christmas scene is playing is playing out on our left. Two lovely horses and a flock of Geese are gathered. Our next path could be easily missed. It's a narrow one that winds between tow flint cottages on our right. We end up back on the B1159 and follow the grass path edge before crossing close to a ditch. We are heading towards the coast path, this will take us right into the heart of Happisburgh and hopefully the Pub! Given the reputation for cliff erosion in the area I'm giving the edge a fairly wide berth.Down on the beach a dead Seal has been washed up on the sand. Someone has circled it and written in large letters 'RIP'. There are a few walkers around, we meet the lady from Walcott House who I had spoken too earlier. Another tells us that there was once a Caravan Park close to where we stood. It had to move swiftly before the sea could swallow it up

Very sadly Happisburgh is crumbling into the sea, and nothing seems to be able to stop it.During the last 20 years, 34 homes have crumbled into the water in Happisburgh because of coastal erosion.It is so susceptible to erosion because the cliffs are made from boulder clay which slumps when wet. The narrow beaches give less protection against the powerful waves, which increase in energy as they travel across the North Sea.You can clearly see the pipes and wires that remain coming out of the cliffs from previous properties. 

Abandoned pipes and wires

The Hill House Inn

I am very keen to visit The Hill House Inn, and not just for obvious reasons.Dating from the mid-16th Century it is packed with history. This rural retreat was a favourite with author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in the late 19th Century. It is said that it is here that he wrote arguably one of the greatest Sherlock Holmes stories ;The Dancing Men'. Other notable visitors from the Arts world include Sculptors Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth. Although set back from the Cliff top the pub has been given an estimated 15years before it too will fall to the mercy of the weather and the sea. I took the opportunity to enjoy a pint of  Lacons brewery festive  ale 'Saint Nick's 4.2%. Accompanied by a bottle of Adnams 'Tally Ho' Barley Wine. Quite a palatable combination I can confirm. 

Happisburgh is dominated by the red and white candy striped lighthouse, the last place to visit on this walk. The oldest working Lighthouse in East Anglia. It was first illuminated by oil and then in the 19th century by gas. Acetylene lighting was introduced in 1929 followed by electricity in 1949. In 1987 Happisburgh was one of five lighthouses declared redundant by Trinity House. Threatened with closure in 1988 it was saved by the village community. It is now the only independently run lighthouse in Brittain. In June 2018, the lighthouse was repainted. At a cost of £20,000, the work took two weeks by a specialist team of four painters using  300 litres of specially mixed masonry paints.

It has been  a really enjoyable walk , in total 8.37 miles. 

The John Bunyan Trail (4) Shefford to Shillington

It's another damp and overcast day on the Bunyan Trail. We are on the edge the town of Shefford in Central Bedfordshire. The first place of interest as we walk in an anti-clockwise direction is the village of Campton. It is a comparatively low-lying parish The church stands at around 150 feet above sea-level. Much of the parish is within ten feet of this either way.  

Once again we pass a mill but there is nothing really to see. Something of a disappointment really as I suspect there are going to be few highlights on this particular route. Anyway, keep reading because you never know what might be hiding around the corner? Only Meppershall Airfield! There are planes too parked up on the grass runway. No sign of any life though so we continue on our way towards Shillington. The path is set to take us across some extremely muddy fields.  

There is a potential alternative, although it will be a long way round. This would involve following the edge of the field, which does look a little less muddy. However the bottom edge is parallel to a stream, so a bit risky. Nothing for it then but to 'plough' on ahead. It is also very exposed to the wind and rain, as I always say though 'It's good to be out'. The map shows some interesting earthworks once we get over the the other side of the fields. What more incentive could there be? Sadly it was less 'Earthworks' and more 'sewage works'. We have now reached Shillington, and the point at which we reached on our last walk. We are about to make the turn and head back to the starting point. 

 

I always get quite excited when there is a Norman 'Motte and Bailey' to be found.This particular one is next to the Hills Moat. The 12th-century castle motte at Meppershall was built by William de Meppershall, a royal official who held the manor as a tenant-in-chief of the crown. The castle motte is roughly 25m x 30m and is surrounded by two baileys of irregular shape. The castle was certainly in existence by the reign of King Stephen, for the King issued a royal charter during a siege of Meppershall in 1138. In the 17th century, a timber-framed manor house was built on the castle site. Today the remains of the motte and both baileys can be seen.However they are out of bounds within the grounds of the manor.

An unfortunate name

The Manor house is an impressive building , with even more impressive gardens. Listed by English Heritage as Grade II and 'of special interest' in 1966. It is right next to the Church of St Mary's Meppershall. The listing describes the building as early seventeenth century, with much of the upper part having been rebuilt after a fire in 1959. The Manor House belonged to the De Meppershall family for nearly 300 years following 1086. St Mary’s Church has served the village for about 900 years.It's all really rather pleasant. I could see myself living in the Manor. The view over the graveyard wouldn't be a problem , at least it would be quiet!

Muddy Boots again

No sooner have I valiantly cleared my boots of the worst of the thick mud, another muddy field appears. This will take us back to our starting point passing Polehanger Farm as we do so. The sun has actually made an appearance right at the end of the walk. I can't get the photo I wanted as it is directly into the sun. I take one of a marker post with the 'John Bunyan' sign on it. The first one I have taken today, it doesn't feel complete without one. 

That's about if for today then.A good walk, probably even better in the Summer when drier underfoot. In total 9.17 miles walked.