Archive for 2009

November 17th, 2009
2:24 pm
Day 4 (30/8) – Horsey, Sea Palling and Hickling

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Today we toured To Horsey, Sea Palling and Hickling Broad.
We travelled from Clippesby via Thurne to West Somerton.

We continued to Horsey where we stopped for lunch at Horsey Windpump on the edge of Horsey Mere.

Views of Horsey Windpump

Views of the dyke and boats along the edge of Horsey Mere

We continued on to Waxham Barn where we stopped for a coffee and a cake, and to visit the barn.


Views of Waxham Barn

Steve last visited Sea Palling many years ago during his pre teen years, when he spent considerable time on the beach with bucket and spade! It was interesting to contrast the childhood memories with the actual visit and perspective many years later as an adult. So much seems different when you are grown up!

We continued to Hickling where we stopped to visit and walk around the Nature Reserve. We loved the sense of peace and tranquility – it felt as though you were miles from anywhere…


Views of Hickling Nature Reserve

We returned home via Potter Heigham and Thurne – by now a very familiar leg of our touring.

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November 17th, 2009
2:10 pm
Day 3 (29/8) – Mautby and Filby Broad

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Today we took a shorter trip via Stokesby and Mautby to Filby Broad. Filby Broad is one of the Trinity broads, which are not connected to the river system and are used as storage reservoirs.

As we passed Mautby we visited Thrigby Post Windmill, which was built in around 1790 by Robert Woolmer to grind wheat for the Thrigby Estate.

More details of the history of the windmill can be found on Wikipedia here.

We then toured via Thrigby to Filby Broad.

Views of Filby Broad

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August 29th, 2009
11:32 pm
Day 2 (28/8) – Thurne, Potter Heigham and Ludham

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Today we toured from Clippesby via lovely country lanes to Thurne, Potter Heigham and Ludham, including a visit to St Benets Abbey, the only abbey in England to escape destruction during the dissolution of the monasteries under Henry VIII.

Our first stop was the picturesque village of Thurne, where we viewed the river Thurne and windmill.


View of the river and the windmill at Thurne

Our next stop was Potter Heigham.


Swans at Potter Heigham

This was a day of extreme weather. We travelled to How Hill with the intention of taking an electric boat trip on the nature reserve, but were assailed by rain, hail, thunder and lightning! Unsurprisingly all boat trips were cancelled, so we travelled on to Ludham, where we consoled ourselves at the Alfresco tea room situated opposite St Catherine’s church.


The Alfresco Tea room at Ludham, and St Catherine’s church

We decided to seek out St Benet’s Abbey despite the weather. St Benet’s was a real gem.


Views of St Benets Abbey


St Benets Abbey


St Benets Abbey


St Benets Abbey


St Benets Abbey


Yacht on the Broads at St Benets Abbey and more abbey views

We then returned home to Clippesby.


Are these straw bales, modern art or swiss rolls?

Finally the sun lit up the treetops at Clippesby after a very rainy day.


Sunlit treetops at Clippesby

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August 27th, 2009
10:41 pm
Day 1 (27/08) – Clippesby Hall

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We arrived at Clippesby Hall at 13:00, and found it to be a first rate camp site that merited all the positive reviews we had read. Our pitch was adjacent to a wooded area with mature pine trees.


Reception at Clippesby Hall and the woods adjacent to our pitch


Views of our pitch before and after setting up

After pitching camp we paid a quick visit to the supermarket at the local village, Acle. We returned to eat, and then sat outside to look up at the stars and listen to the wind in the trees until we lost all track of time.

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