One of England’s most popular national trails is the Peddars Way and Norfolk Coast Path which is located in the eastern part of the country. This 93-mile hike starts as Peddars Way at the Heath Country Park in Suffolk and stretches all the way to Holme-next-the-Sea, which lies on the coast in north Norfolk. It is here where it joins with the Norfolk Coast Path and reaches from Hunstanton over to Cromer.
Along the way you’ll travel along an historic Roman road through loc cliffs, salt marshes, sandy dunes and beaches and rolling farmland. The scenery is splendid and the paths are divided into sections if you don’t have the time to travel the entire route, which takes about eight days to complete. Most of the paths reach through the Norfolk Coast region and the Brecks, which features beautiful river valleys and forests.
Half of the trails are suitable for horseback riders and cyclists. The views from the Hunstanton cliffs allow you to see across the Wash and into the Lincolnshire Wolds. Some of the most interesting and most popular sites along the way include the village of Castle Acre, Thetford Forest and Peddars Way, which is basically a Roman road that was created over 2,000 years ago.
The favorite section for many hikers is from Wells over to Morston because of the brilliant natural beauty on display along the coast. The crossing at the River Thet is another area teeming with excellent scenery. Some of the nearby towns on the route include Norwich, Thetford, Kings Lynn, Cambridge, Cromer, Sheringham, and Swaffham. You can reach Norwich, Kings Lynn, and Cambridge in a couple of hours from London by railway. Several other communities along the national trail are accessible by train and bus services.
Most of the Peddars Way can be enjoyed by cyclists. Peddars Way also offers a special pathway for those who’d like to explore the trail on horseback. If you’d like to tackle the entire length of the path or spend at least a couple of days on it, there are numerous places along the way to spend the night. These include inns, hotels, hostels, bed and breakfasts, and campgrounds.
The Peddars Way and Norfolk Coast Path features a rich history and is an excellent combination of the ancient and old along with the new. It’s believed that Peddars Way was created in the 1st century around 61 AD. It was built so Roman troops could travel throughout the East Anglia region. The Romans used to build their roads in straight lines and Peddars way is no exception.
However, the Romans didn’t name the route the Peddars Way. It’s believed to have gotten its name in the 15th or 16th century. In comparison, the Norfolk Coast Path is quite modern and was built by linking several existing footpaths to newly-created ones. They were called a long distance path back in 1986 and in 1991 the long distance paths were then renamed as national trails.
Just remember that wild camping isn’t allowed in England, meaning you need permission from land owners before using their property. Even if you’re given permission you shouldn’t light any fires. The best section for camping is the Norfolk Coast Path.
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