This is a walk for those who enjoy open countryside and big skies. It starts with much field edge walking but rewards come later with the skirting of Denham Castle mound and a return through a deer farm. A warm summer day would be ideal but because most paths are not regularly used underfoot conditions should be good all year round. The whole circuit is over six miles and takes about three hours without stops. You may need more detail than is provided here so you are advised to take Ordnance Survey Explorer 210 Newmarket and Haverhill map.
Park at Denham church. This can be found up a little side turning on the Barrow to Dalham road. There was no obvious ‘Church’ sign at the time of writing but the junction is identified by a bus stop one side of the road and a 30 mph sign the other. Having parked walk across the drive to enter a field and follow the headland to the right. This path takes you beside a post and rail fence and along the edge of a moat. At the far corner enter another field. Obey the fingerpost pointing left and follow the field perimeter around three sides, keeping a ditch or hedge on your left at all times. Ignore a footpath going left in the first corner. On the far side, when you are almost back to the houses and church, you will find a wooden footbridge on your left. Go over this and cross a narrow field towards another hedge. The footpath turns left on the near side of the hedge and there is a bridleway on the far side. This is used by farm vehicles and horses and at certain times of the year can be muddy. It is probably best to stick to the footpath. Continue with the hedge now on your right for a while then use a culvert to cross the ditch and join the bridleway. This must be done before reaching larger trees. Turn left. This broad grass swathe soon narrows and leads into scrub. Walk gently downhill to find a junction and footpath leading right (waymark). You are faced with open views as you make use of the headland above the ditch on the right. Follow this and eventually cross from one side to the other making use of a convenient culvert. Continue until the path forks at the corner of a wood. Take the right option and continue with the wood on the left. In the next corner turn right to stay with the hedge and enter the next field. Turn left into the next corner and then right. The next gap in the hedge allows you to turn left to follow a green vehicle track towards the houses of the scattered hamlet of Dunstall Green. Turn right at the road and at the T-junction at the end cross to enter a green lane with hedges on both sides. You soon lose the left-hand hedge. Shortly after losing the right-hand hedge veer slightly left across a strip of grass between fields. Go through a gap in the hedge into the right-hand field. The right of way heads diagonally across this field to the far right hand corner but the landowner has left a narrow strip of uncultivated land beside the hedge to the left. At certain times of the year this could be the easier option. Find your way to the wide timber bridge in the far corner. Cross it to join and accompany the hedge and trees on the right. On reaching a corner, with a wood just to the left, go through a kissing gate on the right and turn right. In effect you are going back on yourself but along the other side of the hedge and only as far as the field corner. Turn left and keep the fence on your right. Follow this field edge until you reach the site of Denham Castle.
You will follow the moat (usually dry) to an interpretation board which explains the history of the 12th Century Norman motte and bailey castle, which was constructed of earth and timber, and was originally known as Desning castle. The owners and English Heritage are hoping to begin a programme of restoration. On reaching a pedestrian gate go through and accompany the fence on the left downhill. In the bottom corner another gate will exit on to a road and a tiny green. A few steps ahead you need to turn right down a green track. An obvious signpost points to Denham church. Within 50 paces you will find several tall gates. You need to go through the second on the right. The others will be padlocked. If you continue ahead
you will end up in Barrow, which is not where you left the car. Follow this track with hedges on both sides climbing gradually uphill. After a right-hand bend meet a concrete track and turn left (another fingerpost). Follow this hard surface track all the way back to the road (there is a waymark on a left-hand bend so you do not carry straight on by mistake). Cross the road and go through a gap in the hedge (fingerpost). Stay with the fence and gardens on the right and you will return to the church car park.
Roger Medley [text-blocks id=”50903″ slug=”roger-medley-tel-no”]
Coming Soon to a Fingerpost near you
Suffolk County Council has received funding for a county wide initiative to encourage more people to explore the local area. A field officer has been appointed and volunteers have been recruited to attach plaques to fingerposts in individual parishes. Each plaque (see diagram) displays an app. which can be downloaded to modern Apple and android phones. This will display the local section of the Ordnance Survey map showing footpaths and recognised walking, cycling and riding trails. The information can be stored if walkers are visiting an area where there is limited phone cover. Plaques have been added to 44 stable fingerposts in Wickhambrook and where fingerposts are missing or unstable these have been reported. There are 18 of these and they will be replaced complete with plaques. Wickhambrook is one of the first parishes in the County to complete this task.
W.I.Walking Group
The Wickhambrook W.I. Walking Group meets every Wednesday morning at 10am starting from the MSC car park for walks in the village or slightly further afield. We walk for about two hours and cover about five miles, depending on how much chatting is taking place. There are usually six of us, although we have had a dozen occasionally, dogs are welcome too.