Stour Valley Walk Stage 2: The final two stages
of the Stour Valley Walk, both walked and written by Roger Medley.
I did think about putting the two walks in separate editions but you
might as well have them while the weather's so good. JF
Day 1 - Newmarket to Thurlow. Walked on Saturday 19th
July 2003
Leave Newmarket from the Clock Tower. Newmarket is well known for
being the centre of the race horse industry. Charles I established
regular Spring and Autumn meetings in 1632, but did you know among
Newmarket's listed buildings is a dung pit? This circular pit is overgrown
with nettles and is surrounded by brickwork. The 'building' lies at
the heart of the Palace House stable complex; thought to be the oldest
racing yard in the country. Part of the listed buildings status is
a stipulation that the site should be maintained in active use...
There is a tedious stretch from the High Street to start of Devils
Dyke 2.8km along the Cambridge Road. This is best undertaken in the
morning when there may be a lull in the traffic and there is a chance
of seeing the horses. Walking is safe enough, with both a pavement
and grass verge, but unless you are keen on vehicle identification
or can imagine the activity taking place inside the conservation sculptured
hedges, there is not much of interest. You could carry out an analysis
of the different types of discarded litter or you could just take
a taxi. It is easy to miss the start of the Devils Dyke section as
the left turn, the true start of the walk, is somewhat shy. There
is a footpath sign pointing to Stetchworth and Woodditton. The sign
displays a Stour Valley Way emblem but as this is the first you may
need to know what to look for. The way mark shows a dragonfly and
an artists palette and will be your constant companion over the next
60 miles.
The path undulates and goes through a variety of cover, making maximum
interest. Devil's Dyke was originally a continuous 10 mile defensive
structure stretching from the fens around the river Cam to the forests
of Woodditton. It was thought to have been built around the C6 when
warfare between Britons and Saxons was common. It was built by hand
- of course - and was originally some 350 feet high along the chalk
ridge with a fosse filled with water and a palisade of stakes along
the top. It guarded East Anglia from the South West, a mighty block
for anyone who wished to gain access. Nowadays it is a lot more welcoming.
Because the bank is made of chalk there are some quite unusual flowers.
When we walked along on 19 July, Bellflowers were still on show (just)
including a dwarf version, pink pyramidal Sanfoin (most attractive
colour, and looks like a small lupin) plus the usual harebells, centaury,
scabious and wild geranium. Within a quarter mile some spruce trees
might appear, the ditch drops away to the right and for the first
time you get a feeling of height (unusual where we live, but height
is comparative. Folks from the Lake District would snigger at our
use of the word but ours is a more modest habitat) The path borders
the Newmarket golf course. If you have grown out of playing the air
guitar you can switch to playing air golf. A hole in one at no. 15
(421 yards. Par 4)? Cross the Newmarket to Linton Road. The next section
is less well walked and the entrance is more to difficult to find;
but it's there. There is now a gentle incline and the wooded area
contains many tree boxes. Do they grow wild or were they planted?
On approaching the Newmarket to Haverhill Road the path opens up again.
Cross the road and start to climb. You will need to pick your way
through a mass of tree roots and low flying branches. The surrounding
fields change from arable crops to horse paddocks. After 6km you reach
the end of the Devils Dyke section and turn right towards Stetchworth.
The open Marquis of Granby looked enticing. You wander through the
village, across the road and into stud paddocks. There is an interesting
challenge where the way mark points along the top of a post and rail
fence. We managed a couple of steps but toppled off and opted for
the left hand side. At the field end can be found one of the entries
for the 'smartest stile on route' competition. It takes walkers from
both left and right sides and drops them safely (via a handy tree
trunk) into a sunken lane. The next way mark introduces some confusion.
Recent ditching work has resulted in post being removed and put back
at 90 degree error but continue in the same direction towards the
wood on top of the hill. enter a long stretch of tunnel pathway in
the company of hundreds of brown butterflies (ringlet and gamekeeper?)
and the occasional dragonfly. Did you know that butterflies have to
raise their body temperature 30 degrees C before they can fly. This
is why they can often been seen resting on plants with wings outstretched
to warm themselves. And many butterflies have markings that look like
eyespots to fool predators. Birds often peck at these mistaking them
for eyes. The butterfly can escape with an injured wing instead of
a fatal injury. The path is well maintained but the young trees can
be just a little to friendly. Do not turn right - the Icknield Way
is a different path! You will pass ominous signs saying 'Do not interfere
with any animals in the paddock. Previous interference has caused
death' Cambs. County Council. The paddock was empty. What type of
animal? Whose death? The animal or the person doing the interfering?
One of these situations where you need to know more.
At 12km you come across the first sign of water, rushing water in
fact. This is part of the Ely-Ouse water transfer system through which
surplus water from the Ouse is channeled, tunneled and pumped to enter
the baby Stour at Kirtling Green. It eventually reaches parts of Essex.
Before this transfer scheme was constructed there were plans to dam
the Stour between Sipsey Bridge and Great Bradley to produce a large
reservoir. Someone, on this occasion, made the correct decision. The
true source of the river is at the uplands (!) of West Wratting at
an impressive height of 380 feet above sea level. This is the first
meeting of both path and river.
Great Bradley church is 100 paces of route. It is part cemented rendered,
welcoming and is usually open. One of its main claims to fame is that
it has a fireplace in the north wall of the tower which was used for
baking bread for use in the Eucharist. The outlet for the smoke can
be seen in the exterior wall, some 16 feet up and covered with a stone
baffle. The fine south porch is built of brick and tradition has it
that these were made by Henry VIII's own brickmaker.
After a short, quiet but challenging section of road walking and some
more cross-field paths Little Bradley church comes into view. It is
not usually open but the keys can be collected locally. This is a
lovely little church with a rounded tower tucked away down a long
lane through undulating countryside. There are humps and hollows in
the field surrounding the church marking the site of the deserted
village. It contains a brass set in a moulded stone frame for John
Daye, 1522 to 1584, the renowned Elizabethan printer. He produced
the first book of church music in English and printed Queen Elizabeth's
prayer book in six languages. While browsing in the graveyard we met
a lady who had sold one of her paintings of the Church to Lord Vestey.
Apparently his daughter was about to get married there. At a local
exhibition this old man in a long black coat deliberated long and
hard and then said 'Yes. I will buy that one. I will send my chauffeur
around in the morning' The chauffeur duly arrived with cash in hand.
To his lordship's credit he did not barter on price. After 17km you
will reach Great Thurlow and will be delighted to find an 'open all
day' pub.
Day 2 - Thurlow to Cavendish
Early morning in Thurlow is very pleasant. The trees, meadows, recent
signs of cow occupation, proximity of the river and church towers
are all reminiscent of the Cotswolds. There had been heavy rain overnight
but ground was so dry and warm that there was little sign of moisture
after 10.00am. While leaving the village a 'Beware of the Bull' sign
will be found. There was no bull to be seen but what is the legal
situation? By law farmers are banned from putting a bull in a field
containing a footpath. But there are two exceptions - 'bulls not more
than 10 months old' and 'bulls which are not of a recognised dairy
breed and which are at large with cows or heifers'. there must be
clearer ways of getting these official messages across. So if you
can tell your Jersey (dairy) from your Hereford (beef) you're ok;
if not... In case you are thinking 'lot of fuss about nothing' there
has been a recent 'for instance' in the Lake District where a lady
and her dog were crossing a field and were trampled by cows. She suffered
severe head injuries, broken arm and broken ribs. The advice for walkers
with dogs on leads is to let them go; they can run faster than cows;
we cannot. How about a campaign to remove signs if they do not apply?
The task could amount to the undoing of 4 whole screws or in some
cases two pieces of rusty wires.
There are good views looking back. The tops of Thurlow Hall and church
can be seen across old parkland containing fenced clumps of limes
and chestnuts. The countryside returns to arable at Great Wratting
but the theme is interrupted between Grampian Foods and Kedington
village. Kedington church has been called the Westminster Abbey of
Suffolk. In the porch is a cutting from the Daily Telegraph entitle
'Bats in the Belfry' 'Sir, I note the correspondence regarding a proper
Christian response to bats in the spire. As the incumbent of typical
Anglican parish, I can assure you that the only answer is to get the
bats baptised and confirmed. In my experience, you will never see
them again. Fr Gary Buckley, Coventry'
The church is open every afternoon and is well worth an hour of anyone's
life. It boasts uneven floors, higgledy-piggledy box pews, a three
decker pulpit, a musicians gallery and a wide variety of monuments
to local families, particularly the Barnadistons. This family, lords
of the manor from C13 to 1745, has a vault beneath the centre isle
which contains 54 coffins, the oldest going back to C16. We sat for
a breather and commented on the number of dead leaves scuttling between
the headstones and consoled ourselves with a talk of a very dry season
rather than an alarmingly early Autumn. Continue through a glorious
avenue of chestnuts and down the village high street where there is
a shop, which sells sandwiches and drinks and a pub. There is now
a long stretch of headland and farm track snaking along the valley
which culminates in an almost impenetrable crop rape (we should have
chosen the easy route and stuck to the headland). A few days later
and it would have been harvested. The regulation width had been cleared
but rape falls over and becomes entangled with neighbours. You then
meet the river Stour again which, in July, is resplendent in outcrops
of purple loosestrife.
The path diverts round a small farm, where I first noted that common
thistles give off a scent, and up a hill. I am about to suggest a
new game show whereby contestants are taken blindfolded in a helicopter
and lowered to the ground at a selected site within 20 miles of where
they live. They can then remove the blindfold and walk no more that
a quarter mile in any direction and have to identify where they are.
I may allow use of a map. This particular site is a typical of the
area. There is an estimated 1 in 4 climb up to the plateau and you
look down on an area of fen including some visible water. Where are
you? Another competition site will follow later.
Two fields paths are crossed with some difficulty (thistles, nettles
and other weeds soon take up ownership of cleared areas) followed
by a half mile of road walking. There follows a most pleasant section
through the grounds of Baythorn Hall, an imposing drive leads up to
the hall which watches your progress. This stretch includes a short
section through a dark copse (if you want a bit of atmosphere...)
and along the back of Stoke College. The college buildings once housed
famous and interesting characters. The last dean of the college was
Dr Parker, who was chaplain to Anne Boleyn and attended her execution.
He later became Archbishop of Canterbury under Elizabeth I. The property
was sold the Elwes family in the C17. John Meggor Elwes was known
was the miser of Ashen and took incredible economies to save money.
It is said that he repaired his windows with brown paper, saved fuel
in winter by sitting in the greenhouse, employed only one servant
to deal with the whole estate and when travelling avoided turnpikes
and public houses. He lived to the age of 75 but it may have seemed
longer! Continue past a mill pond and into the village. There was
nowhere to eat or drink. On Sunday both village stores and pub remain
closed. The church has a very small pulpit, measuring just 20 inches
across (not much good for the Vicar of Dibley) . There is a well preserved
doom on the east wall (Yes. I had to look it up. A doom is a picture
of the Last Judgement with Christ often seated on a rainbow with souls
being weighed below and being dispatched to join the blessed or the
damned).
On leaving Stoke-By-Clare cross over a weir, turn left for 20 paces
then diagonally right and continue gently uphill through arable crops.
These had just been cut but it was a boring stretch and would have
been more so pre-harvest. On approaching Clare the interest quota
shoots up. The path leads down a private drive and along the bottom
of gardens following the riverbank. Pass the Priory which is worth
a visit. Clare Priory was founded by the Lords of Clare as the first
Augustinian house in England. The friars here were involved with preaching
and healing in the local community until the Reformation. From 1538
to 1953 the buildings were privately owned but then the Augustinian
order returned. The grounds, chapel and shrine are open to the public.
Food and drink can be obtained in Clare at 5pm on a Sunday afternoon,
and presumably, at most other times. Both the museum, one of the smallest,
and the church, one of the largest, in the country, are worth a visit.
Clare church has the dubious distinction of being one of the most
despoiled by William Dowsing. In 1643 Parliament ordered a general
destruction of alters, pictures and images in all churches. Dowsing,
a local lad, was appointed to carry out this work in Suffolk. At Clare
'we broke down 1000 pictures superstitious: I broke down 200'. He
was one of the few in that line of work who kept a diary. Go through
the country park, pass the only set of public toilets on the route
since leaving Newmarket, and up the side of the recreation ground. |
