(For the sake of those from outside the Parish of Wickhambrook these notes describe the complete circuit starting and finishing at the car park next to the Memorial Social Centre. The whole walk is about 5 miles and will take 2 to 3 hours. Ordnance Survey map 210 Newmarket and Haverhill will provide reassurance. The route can be tackled any time of the year being mainly green lanes and field edge paths but the cross-field path can be sticky after rain.)
From the car park entrance at the MSC Hall turn right and take the footpath that runs between the cemetery and the Women’s Institute Hall. Cross the wooden bridge and continue in the same direction with the ditch on the right. Turn left at the corner and follow the edge of the field on your left. Reach the road and turn right. Ignore turnings to the left and right until you have crossed the little road bridge and reached the 30mph signs at the foot of a hill. Spot a partially hidden stile on the left. Climb this and head half left on a defined path through grass crossing a culvert and veering right. Cross a second stile. Despite both stiles being dog friendly there may be sheep in this field so dogs should be kept on leads. Continue in the same direction walking along a headland with a stream on the right. Go through a gap in the hedge, and continue with the stream on the right. Please note that this section is a ‘villager’s path’; the actual right of way goes diagonally left through the crop but is unlikely to have been cleared. On reaching a concrete bridge on the right turn left and follow a vehicle track which soon turns right and skirts a small wood. The ‘villagers path’ returns to the side of the brook and follows that into the woods. There are fallen trees in this area that provide convenient seating for a coffee break. Soon after entering the shade cross a wooden bridge and then a second one and on meeting a wider track turn right. Follow this green lane, still with the brook for company, along the middle of a ribbon of trees. Pass turnings to the left and right. On reaching the end of the trees (there is a pond on the right) ignore the main track to the left and continue slightly right. This track leads to and around orange-tiled Busses Farm but there is no obvious nameplate. Join a metalled road and continue in much the same direction. There are wood carvings and metal sculptures in this area.
At the (difficult to see) bridleway sign turn right. Turn right at the end of the field on the right and follow a grassy track between a ditch and woodland. When faced with fence turn left. Stay with hedge on the left and a large field on the right. In the next corner (there is a gap on the left) stay with the headland as it turns right.
Easter Wood, which is private, is on your left. There is every opportunity of seeing buzzards and deer on this stretch and you will certainly notice the open skies. At the corner of the wood turn left (waymark) and after 70 paces turn right (waymark) to continue gently downhill between arable fields. At a large cylindrical pipe turn left and follow this path eventually passing alongside a blackthorn copse. Soon after the end of the copse you will find a confusion of waymarks and posts. Turn right at this point and follow a series of thin white poles (or a path cleared through the growing crop). At first the chosen direction is towards a lone wind turbine but this does not last for long. This cross-field path staggers alarmingly sometimes following short sections of crop tramlines and at other times veering to the left or right. On reaching the far side of this field find a vehicle track and turn right. Follow this as it swings left and right through a wide gap in the hedge (there are waymarks but these are not easily spotted). Stay with the right-hand hedge for some distance. Eventually the field on the left narrows and you go through a more enclosed section. After this continue with the hedge on the right and you will shortly re-enter the ribbon of woodland where you were 50 minutes ago. Turn left and follow this green lane all the way back to the road ignoring all options to both right and left. Turn right and after 100 paces cross the road and take the path ahead indicated by the footpath sign. This path should be familiar but from the opposite direction. By way of a change on reaching the field corner climb the steps and turn right to skirt the recreation ground on the way back to the car park.
Roger Medley
Last walked November 2023
This series of walks have been put together by Roger Medley.
If any of the walking notes are confusing or inaccurate or the information is wrong, please contact Roger on 01440 820551. If they are helpful, or if you have any other comments, likewise.
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.