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| Halvergate |
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Halvergate
marches, with their spectacular views, are the setting for this
week's seven-and-a-half-mile walk.
WE TOOK THE ROAD OFF THE ACLE STRAIGHT signed
Halvergate, opposite the pub, two-and-a-half miles east of
Acle. At the right-hand bend, with a large black barrier with
arrows, we turned left at the sign Weavers Way along the narrow
country lane. Further along, after the farm buildings on left
there is parking on the grass verge.
 We
continued eastwards along this lane, which soon became a rough
track and kept along it, going through gates and over stiles
until we came to a concrete path. Here we turned right and
followed this path round to the railway crossing which we
crossed with care.
With the buildings on our right, we turned right to the stile
and notice board, climbed the stile and turned left along
the bank, walking beside Breydon Water. This path took us
to the Berney Arms from where we continued along the path,
over stiles to the windmill.
We turned right here, going down the steps over a stile and
walked along the gravel path to the right-hand bend where
we turned left to the two white posts. Going through a gate
we crossed the meadow to the white gate ahead.
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The mill at Berney Arms
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Crossing the railway line, we climbed the stile
on our right, turning left across the meadow. Here the friendly
cattle accompanied us to the gate, or you can cross over on
the plank bridge.
We crossed several meadows, going over the gates or through
them, at one stage keeping close to the ditch on our right.
We kept Tammy on the lead, not only because of the water,
but also because of the lambs and calves in the meadows.
At times we wondered if we were lost, as the Weavers Way signs
were few and far between! We kept going in a north-west direction,
finally coming to a gate with a sign on it!
Keeping right over the earth bridge we turned left along a
green lane and very soon climbed a stile on our right and
crossed a meadow to barriers ahead. We went through more gates
and over an earth bridge, keeping straight ahead.
The next stile was surrounded by water but we managed to get
over this obstacle and continued along the path, turning left
through a gate and over an earth bridge, then right going
towards the windmill.
The path went left and we managed to get through the very
narrow gate. The route goes around the gate with a concrete
pad; but, as there was a cow with a newly-born calf there,
we went through this to the track and turned left to our car.
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| Points of Interest
(see map) |
1
The marshes appeared to be a harsh landscape even on a sunny
day in April. How much more is it so in winter time? We
have no doubt this was a smugglers’ delight in days
gone by!
2 On the path
beside Breydon Water you might be lucky enough see a kingfisher.
We saw peewit, swan, heron, shellduck and other duck on
the landward side of the path. Two rivers, the Waveney and
the Yare, meet here. In the 1800s many a report was recorded
in the Norwich Mercury of customs officers arresting smugglers,
one of whom was Richard Woodham, of Yarmouth. Goods smuggled
were tobacco, spirits, and yes, handkerchiefs! This area
was a setting for a book entitled Black Sailed Traders,
by Roy Clark.
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The Berney Arms, one of the most
remote pubs in Norfolk.
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3
We had a very warm welcome, as usual, at the Berney Arms.
The pub can only be reached by foot, boat or train, and
only a private track runs to it. There is a very good menu,
and the excellent fayre is served seven days a week. Charles
enjoyed a pint of Woodforde’s Great Eastern. The windmill
is the finest remaining example of a marsh mill. It has
seven floors and is by far the highest marsh mill on the
Broads, being 70 foot high. It is thought it was built in
about 1840 for the Berney family. It was originally built
for grinding cement clinker – the cement made from
the chalky mud dredged from the river bed. It closed in
1880, soon after it was converted into a drainage mill.
Map References OS Landranger
134, Outdoor Leisure 40: 432066, 441068, 464072, 478070,
465049, 460053, 449057, 442062, 432066.
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