Country:
District:
Start: Norwich bus station (NR1 3GX) Grid ref. TG 229 080
Waymarkers : The route follows the Tas Vally Way markers from Cringleford to Flordon, then navigates along country lanes to Tasburgh.
(S) From Norwich bus station, leave South-West via the steps onto Queens road (A147), turn right and take the underpass across the road. Take the left at the roundabout onto the A11. After 280m, where the roads branch take the right onto Newmarket Road and keep to this, over the outer ring road and through to the exit into Cringleford.
(1) Follow Eaton Street across the river and after the first housing of Cringleford take the left onto Intwood Road and follow this through the village, across the railway and over the Southern By-Pass. This now becomes a village lane through Intwood which consists little more than the gatehouse, church, a cottage and a distant hall. Keep to the lane until it meets a road on the right.
(2) Take the footpath opposite (South), across the meadow, a stream and another meadow then onto a track which leads onto Swardeston Lane. Turn left and after 200 yards take the footpath on the right, past the two redundant chimneys and out onto Low common lane. Continue straight ahead until there is a footpath on the right.
(3) Keep to the path by the field boundary fence and ignore other paths. Eventually this passes by a lake and then continues on until it meets a road. Cross the road and follow the footpath which will zig zag following the field boundaries. Where the end field boundary turns to the left continue on the footpath straight across the field and then around the west and south perimeter of a paddock and onto a lane down to the road that bounds Mulbarton Common.
From the paddock it is a little confusing as there is no clear indication of the right of way. The footpath is supposed to follow the field boundary beyond the paddock which leads onto the road. However this was pretty much overgrown on this occasion and it appeared to all intents that the private track was being used as the way out.
(4) Diagonally cross Mulbarton Common to meet with Birchfield Road and continue along this modern road through the housing estate. At the far end turn right and follow the road out of Mulbarton and down to a roundabout. Turn left and follow the road through to Bracon Ash.
(5) At the junction where stands the village sign, take the left onto Hawkes Lane. When the road turns a sharp left continue on along a footpath until it meets Mergate Lane. Turn left then bear round to the right at the junction and continue straight ahead through the farm buildings. Follow the footpath beyond across the fields until it emerges by Flordon Hall cottages.
(6) Turn left onto the lane and less than 100 yards after the bend in the road take the footpath on the left. The waymarker had been removed at this point so it is not immediately evident as to the exact location of the footpath which is on the west side of the ditch across the fields. Keep in a straight line (South-East) all the way through to Whitehouse Farm at Flordon.
(7) Once again it is not clear as to the route - the path goes between the farm buildings and then across the following field to emerge where the farm track meets the road. Turn left and follow the road through Flordon. Ignore the Tas Valley Way fingerpost on the left as it is here the walk diverges from the trail. Continue along the road, over the railway and then bear right at the junction beyond.
(8) Continue along this road and then left when it junctions Low Road. Bear right onto Grove Lane and follow through to Tasburgh and the junction with the main A140. Turn left. The bus stop is a few yards up the road (A140). Beyond this on the right is the Countryman pub. (E)
Walker
Difficult 
Easy 
