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Circular Walk Redhouse Yards, via Thornham Magna, Suffolk

Difficulty Leisurely

Walking time 1 hour 31 minutes

Length 4.9km / 3.1mi

Route developer: Michael Goodhart

Route checker: David Hodgkinson

Start location Redhouse Yards Car Park
Route Summary An well sign-posted amble through a particularly fine area of rural Suffolk with an abundance of interesting buildings, bridges, water and woodland.
*move mouse over graph to see points on route
Getting there

The walk is in rural Suffolk between Stowmarket and Diss.  Turn left off the road between Thornham Magna and Thornham Parva and the Redhouse Yards are at a clearly signed turning on the right.

Description

 [1] From the car park of Redhouse Yards,  cross Gislingham Road and take the permissive path on the left on the other side of the hedgerow to the road. After 150 m take the path going diagonally to the right along the side of a field  beside a brook joining Thornham Magna Street after 350m.

(A)Redhouse Yards is a collection of buildings containing a cafe and restaurant, toilets, craft and art galleries and shops.  There is also an attractive childrens' playground with rustic timber sculptures.

(B) Thornham Magna, (Big Thorny Village), was mentioned in the Magna Carta  in 1215 and has much beauty and history. re 

[2] Cross the Street and the bridge over the brook and follow the old track that runs parallel past the old post office and thatched cottage,  After 250m turn right cross the bridge and the Street and follow the clearly signed footpath ahead.  This path, initially a drive, soon becomes a narrow grass track beside a paddock and then weaves through Lock's Wood.  After 350m, crossing a ditch, it joins Clay Street, and safety 

[3] Bear right and follow Clay Street for 1200m. Then turn right and follow the clearly signed path across fields  and through Dorman's Wood and then passed Swattesfield Hall, to Gislingham Road.

(C) Swattersfield Hall is an attractive farmstead with duck pond and interesting barns, there is also a campsite and tents and a log cabin are available for hire.

[4] Cross Gislingham Road and onto  clearly signed permissive way through woodland.  Take left fork down steps and over footbridge,  Take track skirting to left of Redhouse Farm through Queen Elizabeth Corpse, and turn right at tarmac path returning to Redhouse Yards, 

(D) Queen Elizabeth Corpse was planted in 1982 to commemorate the 80th birthday of the Queen Mother.

The path returning to the car park, leads, in the other direction, to the beautiful grounds of Thornham Hall.  This provides ample scope for excellent extensions to the walk

( E) The Thornham Estate was developed by Lord Henniken in the 1980s as a rural centre and it includes 12 miles of way-marked walks.

The ditch between the path and Clay Street needs crossing carefully, particularly in wet weather, 

 

POI information No details available.
Notes

Refreshments: cafes Redhouse Yards

Toilets:  Redhouse Yards

Information  Thornham Magna:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thornham_Magna

Acknowledgements

This route was devised during a Ramblers Route Development Workshop lead by Justin Bend on 20 April 2013

  • 1- Redhouse Yards- The playground at the side of the car park
    1- Redhouse Yards- The playground at the side of the car park
    By - M Goodhart
  • 2- The permissive footpath parallel to Gislingham Road
    2- The permissive footpath parallel to Gislingham Road
    By - M Goodhart
  • 3- Thornham Magna Old Post Office and thatched cottage
    3- Thornham Magna Old Post Office and thatched cottage
    By - M Goodhart
  • 4- The ditch at the junction of the footpath and Clay Street
    4- The ditch at the junction of the footpath and Clay Street
    By - M Goodhart
  • 5- The steps down and footbridge over the brook on the permissive path to the north of Gislingham Road that skirts around Redhouse Farm.
    5- The steps down and footbridge over the brook on the permissive path to the north of Gislingham Road that skirts around Redhouse Farm.
    By - M Goodhart
  • 6- The path that returns south to Redhouse Yards. In the other direction it leads to the beautiful grounds of Thornham Hall
    6- The path that returns south to Redhouse Yards. In the other direction it leads to the beautiful grounds of Thornham Hall
    By - M Goodhart
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