During lockdown I explored more of my home county, Cambridgeshire, than I thought was possible. I did so many walks, and many of them multiple times, so decided in 2022 that I’d travel a little further to get out in to nature at the weekends. One of Cambridgeshire’s bordering counties is Norfolk, and we are about an hour’s drive from its forests and nature reserves in the south. They make a perfect escape from the towns and cities nearby, providing fresh air, lots of trees and most importantly peace and quiet.

Across the 2022 colder months, continuing my autumn & winter England series, we explored four walks in this beautiful area.

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Thetford Forest – Lynford Stag & Arboretum

Thetford Forest is the largest man made forest in England, and is roughly the size of an entire city! It was established in the 1920s and is run by the Forestry Commission, consisting of almost 20,000 hectares of trees. Thetford Forest is not only a haven for deer, birds and other wildlife, but it also provides timber for the nation – and provides employment not only for foresters but for contractors, sawmillers, hauliers and, of course, tourism related businesses.

It’s the perfect place for woodland walks, wildlife spotting and fresh air and makes for the perfect day trip from Cambridge, Norwich, Ely or anywhere in Cambridgeshire, Norfolk or Suffolk.

If you’re looking for a peaceful walk, then Lynford Stag in the Forest is a great place to start. There is a little picnic site, and then 2 main walking trails to take in a wide range of landscapes – from dense forest to lakes and marshland. You can find the walking trails in detail HERE. We loved exploring the trails and walked a 10km route around the area. It’s also home to the Lynford Arboretum which has a nice selection of trees and wildlife to explore.

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Lopham Fen

Across this region of England, there are many fens – these are areas of wetland, often with surface water. We have many of them in Cambridge, with Ely being the most famous city built on ‘the Fens’.

They are special places that support a diverse range of plants and animals. Lopham Fen is one such nature reserve, but which goes beyond a fen as you can also explore the areas of woodland, heath and even follow the river Waveney that rises here.  Whether you’re a wildlife enthusiast or just keen to get outside, the fen creates a sense peace and tranquillity as a wild open landscape.  

If you do visit the Fens, be prepared for a very wet surface – part of the fun is trying not to sink! Also be sure to stop at the incredible refreshments van in the car park as the hot chocolates are the BEST I’ve ever had.

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Great Hockham and Harling Wood

Great Hockham is another picturesque area of South Norfolk, which we chose to visit for our 3rd weekend walk in the area – offering 2 scenic walking trails as well as the opportunity for horse riding.

This area of the Forest is also a distinctive landscape, and is home to the famous Great Eastern Pingo Trail – Pingos are an exciting word for little pools of water, like the one in my photo below, which were formed during the last Ice Age!

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Thetford Forest – High Lodge

Our fourth and final walking route was at High Lodge – the main area in Thetford Forest and home to most of the attractions, so is more for activities than it is for walking and hiking albeit there are still 4 walking trails. There are also 3 cycling trails, multiple play areas and activities including Go Ape (a big forest climbing area with zip lines), Forest Segwaying and even Archery which makes it a great location for kids. We did the Segwaying and it was a lot of fun! You can read more about the things to do at High Lodge HERE.

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To make a weekend of it…

You could also choose to stay longer and make a weekend of it in or around the area. The wonderful Thorpe Forest log cabins within Thetford Forest itself are beautiful and for ultimate luxury you could go for a Golden Oak cabin with a log fire, huge floor to ceiling windows and a secluded hot tub.

If log cabins aren’t your thing, then you could stay in a local hotel outside of the nature reserve areas of South Norfolk – Tuddenham Mill is wonderful, with big free standing baths. If you would prefer to stay in a town for good restaurant options, then Newmarket, Ely, Cambridge and Norwich are also all potential bases for exploration.

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Thank you so much for reading. It’s been great to explore some of the less well known regions of England and go for some lovely walks out in nature. I hope you enjoyed following along – stay safe and happy travelling!