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Burnham Thorpe

Difficulty Leisurely

Walking time 2 hours 30 minutes

Length 8.2km / 5.1mi

Route developer: Robin Segulem

Route checker: Keith Rose

Start location Burnham Thorpe, Norfolk
Route Summary A circular walk from Burnham Thorpe to explore the surroundings of Nelson's birthplace.
*move mouse over graph to see points on route
Getting there

By bus: The nearest bus service to Burnham Thorpe is the Norfolk Green Coasthopper 2 which runs between Hunstanton and Fakenham.  It passes through Burnham Market which is 1.4 miles from Burnham Thorpe.  In Summer 2013 these buses ran every 30 minutes during the day. See http://www.norfolkgreen.co.uk for up-to-date details.

Description
 
[1] Start from the grassy car-park area on the north side of the church and follow the track round, past the east end, and walk south towards the village, past the playing field. At the crossroads opposite The Pightle (an enclosure or pound), turn right to the Walsingham Road junction, with the fine village sign, presented by the Royal Navy, on your left. Cross into Blacksmith’s Lane, then turn right into Creake Road. Follow to just past the small crescent of houses on your left. 
 
[2] Turn left along the track, with a left hedge, uphill. Turn right at the top and follow past the wood. From along here are wide views of the surrounding countryside to the coast. The view stretches from Burnham Norton church (originally there were seven Burnhams), with Scolt Head Island beyond, past Burnham Overy mill, and east to the pines of Holkham beach. Further inland may be seen the obelisk in Holkham Park. Passing the wood continue downhill to the road. Cross and turn left (facing the traffic) and carefully follow for nearly 1/2 mile to where a sandy track crosses. Turn left and follow this green lane past a fine, large barn to a road. Bear left and follow to a junction and bridge over the River Burn; but keep left along the road passing the flint garden wall of the old rectory with its commemorative plaque and inscription. 
 
[3] A few yards further on a stile on your right gives access to a path alongside the stream. The Burn rises south of South Creake and runs to the sea at Burnham Overy, and Is one of the few rivers that run to the north coast of Norfolk. At the footbridge turn right and cross to follow the left field-edge path to the road. Turn right to the bend where a track goes off to the left. Turn along this and follow to another road. Cross and follow the sandy track uphill and past the remains of an old barn. The track crests the hill and continues ahead, past a left junction, toward the great park of Holkham. Shortly before the park-wall the track bears left, alongside a small triangle of trees, to the park-wall, and you pick up with the grassy track running alongside. This is the line of a Roman road that ran several miles inland from the coast.  Following the wall and, about 140 yards past an iron-gate, turn left at the first field boundary. 
 
[4] Follow this field-edge path running to the left of the hedge, This leads past a traditional brick and pantile barn. Passing this cross the junction and continue ahead along the track, After crossing a narrow lane the church tower comes into view and the path drops gently back down to it. 
POI information
Burnham Thorpe’s greatest claim to fame must surely be its 200 year link with that greatest of English seafaring heroes and Norfolk’s most famous son Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson. For it was in the old rectory, also long since gone, that Horatio was born on September 29th 1758. 
The village has probably altered little since and still possesses much rural charm. We share some of the sights, sounds and smells that the young Horatio must have known as he too explored the local paths and lanes. 
 
The modest flint church of All Saints (A) holds many Nelson ‘relics’, and it is here that his father - rector for 46 years - lies buried. His son was destined for more lofty surroundings for he rests beneath the dome of St. Paul’s. 18 months before his death he wrote “Most probably I shall never see dear, dear Burnham again, but I have the satisfaction in thinking that my bones will probably lie with my father’s in the village that gave me birth”. 
Notes

Maps: OS Landranger 132 or Explorer 24

Acknowledgements

Walk originally published in West Norfolk Walkway - 2 by Ramblers King's Lynn Group - 2002

Photo - Burnham Thorpe All Saints church © (Adrian S Pye) / CC BY-SA 2.0

  • Burnham Thorpe All Saints Church
    Burnham Thorpe All Saints Church
    By - © Copyright Adrian S Pye and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
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