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Swaffham and Sporle, Norfolk

Difficulty Leisurely

Walking time 4 hours 31 minutes

Length 14.6km / 9.1mi

Route developer: Allan Jones

Route checker: Mike Whittaker

Start location Green Energy Centre (Ecocentre) car park
Route Summary This circular walk take you past to the place Nelson spent a lot of his childhood and the church where his father originated. It will take you through rural areas as well as Swaffham town centre. There is also the ruins of a medieval village site.
*move mouse over graph to see points on route
Getting there

Local bus services see http://www.carlberry.co.uk/rfnlistr.asp?L1=SWA0260&op=D

Description

[1] From the car park walk back to the Castle Acre road. Turn left and follow the road, under the by-pass, for about 1/2 mile. Turn right along a broad track, Washpit Drove, and keep straight ahead on this path for just over a mile. At the tarmac road turn left and in 300 yards turn left along Palgrave Road. At Palgrave Hall, situated by a pond on the left, keep on straight-ahead along a gravel track (part of the Peddars Way). The track meets a tarmac road in the village of Great Palgrave.

On the left are the remains of the medieval village, now only visible as a series of mounds in a grass field.
 
Turn right along the road and follow it for 3/4 mile to a crossroads. 
 
[2]. Turn right towards Swaffham and Sporle village centre. Shortly after the start of the houses of the village the church lies just off the road to the left.
 
(A)This is the church at which Nelson’s father officiated.
 
From the church continue along the main street following the pavement and stream alongside the highway. At Palgrave Road turn right and walk up Bunkers Hill. Towards the summit of the hill, just before the old railway bridge, turn left along a field edge path. At the end of the second field turn right and follow the path as far as the Peddars Way. Turn left along Peddars Way and follow it to the main A47
 
[3] Cross the busy road and carry on straight- ahead keeping to the Peddars Way. At a cross path turn right and follow the broad tree lined path for just over a mile until it meets a tarmac road. Turn right along the road past the entrance to Wood Farm and in a short distance turn right to join a footpath across a grass field. Cross the field heading to a stile to the right of a group of houses. At the road turn left and keep right for a few yards at the road junction before going up a few steps on the left to join a path heading towards the church. just before the Church Gates turn left to cross Campingland. In a short distance turn right along The Pightle and at the London Road turn right towards the Buttermarket. 
 
[4]Keep to the pavement on the right. The most imposing building on this side of the Buttermarket is Montpellier House. Against the door is a plaque commemorating the visit of Francis Nelson to Swaffham. Francis, Nelson’s wife, was born in the West Indies and found the chilling north wind at Burnham Thorpe too much for her. Whilst Horatio was at sea she rented this house for the winter months. Further along the street turn right into the Churchyard and turn left at the Church to a gate opposite the George Hotel. Carry on along Station Road back to the car park. 
 
POI information

Nelson’s father, Edmund, was Clerk Rector of Hilborough and Vicar of Spore from 1750 until his move to Burnham Thorpe in 1755. During this time Catherine Nelson gave birth to their first four children. Their first born, Edmund, died at four months and was buried at Hilborough. The next child, Horatio, was baptized at Swaffham but also died at four months and was buried at Hilborough. He was named after Catherine’s great uncle Horatio, the first Lord Walpole, who also stood as his godfather. Susannah and William, later to succeed to the title of Earl Nelson, were also born before the move to Burnham Thorpe. 

Notes No details available.
Acknowledgements

Featured in Nelson's Heritage Walks 

Developed by Alan Jones for King's Lynn Ramblers' 2005
 
Photo - St Mary's church in Sporle © (Evelyn Simak) / CC BY-SA 2.0
  • St Mary
    St Mary's church in Sporle
    By - © Copyright Evelyn Simak and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence (see acknowledgements)
  • Sporle Village Sign
    Sporle Village Sign
    By - Mike Whittaker
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