Exploring the countryside around Scarning

If you take a circular route down New Inn Lane along Rushmeadow Road, Podmore Lane  and Dereham Road you may see deer . Along this route you will pass over the Parish boundary for a short distance but along the way there are opportunities to explore other paths. At the bottom of New Inn lane you could turn right  and then take the next  left and take a walk around the side of the sewage works and onwards through Rush Meadow which is a  'Special Site of Scientific Interest'  (SSSI). more about wildlife here

This is the road that leads up to the works.

A modification to the footpaths has been proposed.

The path from the original sewage farm to Rushmeadow Road.

View from the bottom of New Inn lane, but if you turn left and continue along Rushmeadow Road you will see the school at the top of the hill.

This is the field behind the school which provides an income for the School Trust.

Further along the road you will come to the bridge over Wendling Beck. This bridge rebuilt in 1885 was at one time known as Grissel Bridge. The driveway on the right just after the bridge leads to Hill Farm. The next turning on the right would have been the road down which Tony Blades walked with his sister to school . After this one can turn left into Podmore lane as they did and pass over the footbridge beside the ford.

The ford at the bottom of Podmore Lane.

View looking east, Scarning Grange can be seen at the centre of this picture.

You can continue up Podmore Lane  up to Dereham Road at Scarning Arch or take one of two footpaths on the right. The first runs parallel to Rushmeadow Road but on the south side of Wendling Beck and if you turn left at the end of the path you will arrive at the A47 which you could cross to walk up Chapel lane to the centre of the village. The second path leads you to the the A47 and and onwards to the Dereham Road.

  

If you follow this footpath which starts opposite Scarning Grange on Dereham Road, cross the A47 and continue past Railway Farm. Here if you turn left you can head towards Scarning Fen where you may be lucky to see this kestrel flying overhead or coming to rest on the electricity cables. At present there are three ponies keeping the grass under control. another picture here

If you decide to go right you can make for Manor Farm then take a left and head for Green Lane, an unmade track and thence via Shipdham Lane into the centre of the Village.If you turn right at Manor farm and head back down the road to the Grange you will get a good view right across to the church in Dereham and pass Poplar farm on your left before retuning to the A47.

Manor Farm

View towards Dereham

Poplar Farm

There is a footpath and cycleway leading from Draytonhall lane which leads on to Ted Ellis Way. Follow this route and you can walk into Dereham passing the Church on the left or by turning right  after the last house in the estate you come upon the water meadow  and the children's playground 

Geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunting game played throughout the world by adventure seekers equipped with GPS devices. The basic idea is to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, outdoors and then share your experiences online. Geocaching is enjoyed by people from all age groups, with a strong sense of community and support for the environment.

If you have a suitable GPS device you could explore the treasure hunt which starts with a 35 mm film canister hidden somewhere in the Water Meadows. http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=d4226435-a2e5-46da-98b5-62a4565e0b55

Walks around Dereham Booklet

Hoe Bird Walk

Not in Scarning but well worth the early start. Monthly walks of about 3 miles to record and observe birds and wildlife led by Janet Hatton of the NWT. Members have been going on this walk for 23 years and recording the changing wildlife scene. New members always welcome. The next one is on 16 May 2010 8am-9:15am. Those who went on the April Walk recorded 51 different birds!
Location: Meet in the lane at Grid Ref: TF 989 173 Cost: Free

If you have any comments or suggestions about walks and places to see around Scarning please e-mail Richard Allan at mail@scarning.info by clicking the logo below.