Showing posts with label Lark Valley CL. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lark Valley CL. Show all posts

Friday 18 September 2020

Lark Valley, Flempton, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk... continued 2

 Wednesday, 16th September 2020

Weather forecast is for another scorcher, a little cooler than yesterday, only 27C, but, the reality is cloudy with a few spots of rain, by lunch time, we have the sun and 24C.


The plan was walking, and a trip to Tesco for essential supplies (wine), tomorrow, but, we decide to take advantage of the cool morning and cycle to Tesco, Bury St Edmonds this morning.

Now that we know the way, it is only 9.5 miles, of fairly flat cycling, there and back.

Not as cool as we had hoped, it is very humid, and, on the return leg, the sun is out, and, temperature climbing steadily.


Plus of course, we have purchased a few "extras", and, I have two fully loaded panniers and a haversack to carry on the way back.

We pass the Woolpack en-route, no Dingles in evidence.

An afternoon stroll into a village, or, hamlet, in the opposite direction to Flempton. There is no name board, so, not sure what it is called. Even the parish church, with it's well kept grounds, is devoid of a name board.

Thursday, 17th September 2020

Temperatures have cooled, only 20C, today, and, a little windy.

A lazy day, reading books, and, doing absolutely nothing.

Friday, 18th September 2020

Sunny, but, very windy, not cycling weather!

A short walk is our only exertion, otherwise, another lazy day.

Our elderly neighbours (age 90 and 92), left today, towing their caravan. No fancy gadgets, like caravan movers, all done manually. Well done them!







 

Tuesday 15 September 2020

Lark Valley, Flempton, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk... continued 1

 Monday, 14th September 2020

Another bright sunny morning, with a forecast temperature of 27C. Excellent September weather we are having.

On Saturday, when we arrived, a fellow motorhomer told me about a walk, nearby. 


The destination is a reconstructed Anglo-Saxon Village, at West Stow Country Park.

This is a bit too cultural for us, we normally just walk in countryside, or, cycle ride.

The walk there (about 2.5 miles) is through pleasant countryside and woodland, mostly, alongside the River Lark, (hence, Lark Valley), so, little chance of wandering off track, anyone can fallow a river!

In the event, it turns out to be quite interesting, thanks to Covid-19, the museum is closed, but,


the reconstructed village is available to walk around, and, various displays of archeological finds, from nearby.

The reconstructed buildings, are of course, intelligent guesstimates of how they would have actually been, based on archeological digs and finds, in the immediate area.

As a is usually the case with such things, I am amazed at the distances over which they traded goods, and travelled, in an era when the fastest form of transport on land was a galloping horse, and, on water a sailing boat.


There are artefacts suggesting the location was populated during the Stone Age, Bronze Age and Iron Age, plus, of course, the Romans were there, followed, after their eventual demise, by the Anglo-Saxons.

Inevitably, throughout, there was a ruling elite, just like now, little changes, same trough, different pigs

There is the usual cafe and visitor centre, complete with expensive shop. 

Thanks to Covid-19 again, no hot food or


indoor seating at the cafe, we are limited to muffins, sandwiches and coffee, and outdoor seating, but, of course, with such pleasant weather, this is no hardship.

In addition to the distances travelled and traded over, the number of buildings and artifacts is impressive, from an age when, every wood working task would have started with felling a tree, rather than a trip to B&Q, and, Youtube "how to videos" had not yet been thought of,












Tuesday, 15th September 2020

Today is forecast to be a scorcher, at 27C.

Whilst getting the bicycles ready for our morning cycle ride, I have a chat with our caravanner next door neighbours.

They are heading out for a walk, to West Stow Country Park and the Anglo-Saxon Village reconstruction, where we went yesterday.

They tell me they are aged 90 (her) and 92 (him) !

They are still spritely, and, heading out for their daily walk, they tell me they only do a maximum of 4 miles per day now, since they are "getting on a bit"!

As well as being quite fit, for their age, they are mentally alert, asking me about how we connect to the internet, and, how to get live TV and Netflix, via the internet, in the van. As I explain, I am doubtful as to how much they will understand, but, I should have known better, he is clued up on "mobile data", "smart phones", "MiFi", "Roku sticks", "Fire Sticks" etc.

We cycle an easy 12 mile circuit,  Flempton - Risby - Cavenham - Iklingham - Flempton. Mostly along quiet country roads.

The route allows me to collect another letter, in my "ABC" of Villages, Town and Cities, as we pass through (C)avenham, and, it obligingly has a name board!

One letter per outing, it is going to take me an age, without even thinking about the more difficult letters, like "X" or "Z"! I need a good run of place names.

It is sunny, calm, very hot at 27C. 





 

Sunday 13 September 2020

To Lark Valley, Flempton, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk

 Saturday, 12th September 2020

A bright and sunny day.

We only have 64 Miles to go, to our next site, this allows for leisurely packing, and, departure at 11:00 from Russdenill Lodge.

We have enjoyed it here, but, perhaps, best that we are leaving. We have new neighbours, a couple, similar in age to ourselves, in a Campervan. They appear to be serious cyclists, arm warmers, lycra, a map holder on the handlebars, food and flasks packed in their panniers. They do have very similar bicycles to us, ie Specialised Hybrids.    

The traffic is very busy, but, mostly going in the opposite direction, ie, towards the coast, so, I assume that Cromer, and Sheringham will not be wise choices today.

We find Lark Valley N52.300165 E0.661026 Millview, West Stow Road, Flempton, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP28 6EN, no

problem, adequately sign posted off a small quiet road near Flempton village.

No welcome, but, the location of relevant things, ie pitches, water, etc is well sign posted, so, no problem.

There are showers, toilets, washing-up sink, but, due to Covid-19 precautions, they are all closed, at present.

Quite rural, tidy, first impressions, favourable, quiet.

Once set up, lunch eaten, we go for a little explore, to get our bearings. Village (Flempton) about half mile walk, along quiet

road. There is a pub there, but, it is not obvious that it is open, another victim of Covid-19 perhaps?

Bus stop to Newmarket and Bury St Edmonds. Not sure this route to Bury St. Edmonds is cycle friendly, it is the A1101, a 50mph road, but, I can see from our map, there is an alternative route.

It would appear there is a glut of thatched cottages in the immediate area.
















Sunday, 13th September 2020

Unbelievably nice day today, it may be mid-September, but, brilliant sunshine and 21C.

We are running out of some supplies, so, we need to find a shop. 


There is a village (Flempton) about half a mile along the road, but, it has no shops. Google to the rescue, it tells us there is a Tesco Hypermarket, at Bury St Edmonds.