I walked this, the 13th stage of my Grand Norfolk Hike, on Sunday 6th – Monday 7th April 2012.

Diss to Bungay

Diss to Bungay

I arrived in Diss at about 1pm after a lengthy train journey via Norwich and quickly picked up the Angles Way path towards Harleston.

The Angles Way at Diss

The Angles Way at Diss

My intention had been to wild camp in a small wood (well, copse actually) on the banks of the River Waveney.  However, as I started to walk along the Waveney it fast became apparent that the land either side of the river was very boggy and fen-like.  My boots and socks were quickly waterlogged and I had to adjust my wild camping plans.

Of course, this is a clear lesson in not mistaking the map for the terrirtory, what looks great on Google / OS maps might be very different on the actual ground.

By 8.0pm I was well past Harleston and beginning to feel very tired.  I knew I needed to find somewhere to pitch within the next hour or so.

Trudging past a field I saw a flash of white out of the corner of my eye.  I stood still and watched an owl swoop down into the field and a moment later take off with a mouse held tight in its talons.  I followed the owl with my eyes as it flew off in the direction of a wooded hilltop, it was then that I noticed a public footpath sign pointing up into the wood.

‘This is it’ I told myself and taking a swig of water began the hopeful march up the hill and into the wood.

Owl Wood

Owl Wood

It was a small, young wood.  The map does not give a name so I gave it one in honour of the owl I had seen earlier on.  Nettles covered most of the ground but towards the back of the wood I found a clear space in front of a birch tree just right for setting up a camp.  It was now about 8.30

I spent the first 10 minutes worrying that an angry farmer/landowner was going to walk into the wood and order me out.  I countered this train of thought with some straight-forward rational thinking:

‘What is the likelihood of anyone (apart from myself) entering this wood tonight?  Almost zero!  Stop worrying!!’

I went through this routine half a dozen times or so, until I eventually stopped worrying and got on with  gathering tinder for a much needed cuppa tea and some dinner.

With food and tea out of the way I set up camp, climbed into my very snug sleeping bag (inside a bivvy bag and on top of a light-weight blow-up pad) and listened to the sounds of the night.  First the birds stopped singing, then some foxes began barking but after half an hour or so they also stopped.

The night was quiet, there was no wind.  The sky was obscured by cloud but a silvery-shimmer gave away the presence of the full moon.  I spent some time just gazing up at the night clouds, willing a break to appear so I could see la luna…but without luck.

I shot a bit of video and tried to sleep:

I doubt I managed more than four hours sleep.  I was warm and comfortable so it wasn’t that that kept me awake.  I think it purely the uniqueness of what I was doing, sleeping outside, vulnerable but safe, close to the ground, the trees and wildlife.

At about 4.30 I woke to the dawn chorus and watched the wood turn from dark greyscales to deep green, the sun slowly rising in a pink haze.  At five I boiled some water up and drank a lovely cup of tea.

Sunrise in Owl Wood

Sunrise in Owl Wood

By 6am I had packed up camp, carefully keeping to the wild camping code of ‘leave nothing but footprints, take nothing but photos’

Owl Wood - leave no trace

Owl Wood - leave no trace

I left the wood and started the 10 mile hike to Bungay.  The sun was out and I was amazed by the wonderful, sharply-focused early morning light.  Everything looked utterly beautiful and vibrant, despite my tiredness I felt refreshed and energetic.

Leaving Owl Wood

Leaving Owl Wood

An hour or so later I reached the river Waveney.

River Waveney near Bungay

River Waveney near Bungay

By this point my lack of sleep had caught up with me and I began to feel dog-tired.  The final 6 miles were a bit of a forced march.  I reached Bungay with an hour to wait until the 1pm bus left for Norwich.  I found an cafe and joyful downed a very welcome cappuccino.

I arrived back in Ely for 2pm, stood in the shower and then had a nap.  A wonderful 24 hours and a first ever wild camp that I’ll never forget.

 

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Wild Camp practice in Thetford Forest

by martinxo on May 6, 2012

I’m off on the next stage of my Grand Norfolk hike in a half an hour..  I’ll be walking from Diss to Bungay with a wild camp along the way.

Yesterday I thought it would be a good idea to actually try and put up a basic shelter with the new kit I’ve recently purchased.

This is the first time I’ve put up a tarp shelter/basha was pleased with the results.

My Thetford Forest camp

Thetford Forest camp

Thetford Forest camp

I used bungy cords in place of rope, it was so easy, I fear there is a price to pay for this ease but am not sure what it is, I’m sure I’ll find out soon enough.

Thetford Forest, as always, is a delight, so huge, easy to lose oneself, bliss.

And no trace was left…

Leave nothing but footprints, take  nothing but photos

Leave nothing but footprints, take nothing but photos

But now..

Forward to Bungay!

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Boyz in the wood

May 1, 2012

A couple of weeks ago I took Harry and his pal Jude to Brampton Woods.  Harry was a little resistant at first, suggesting the time might be better spent in front of a computer or Playstation etc but as soon as they entered the woods that all stopped. We spent some time finding a likely [...]

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Getting ready to go wild in the country…

April 25, 2012

I’ve set a date, at long last, for my first ever wild camping micro-adventure.  Sometime over the weekend of 5th May I’ll sleep the night under the almost-full moon beside a certain river in Suffolk. Here are are couple of photos taken quite near to the ever-so-top-secret location (images ‘borrowed’ form the web, apologies in [...]

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Grand Norfolk Hike stage 12: Wells-next-the-Sea – Sheringham

April 22, 2012

I walked this, the 12th stage of my Grand Norfolk Hike, on Saturday 7th April 2012. You can see a map of the hike so far I caught the bus on a fresh, sunny Saturday morning from Lynn to Wells at 8.30am. I was pretty much the only passenger until Burnham Market where I was joined by a woman [...]

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A River Great Ouse joke

April 12, 2012

From ‘Fenland River – The Story of the Great Ouse and its Tributaries‘ by Rodney Tibbs, as related by W.E Doran, Chief Engineer of the Great Ouse River Board in the foreword: After a very pleasant dinner some years ago in one of the Cambridge Colleges a certain Don turned to me and said “Why [...]

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Night hike! Along the Ouse to Little Thetford

April 5, 2012

A couple of weeks ago I walked my first ever night hike.  Obviously, I’ve walked in the dark before but this is the first time I’ve purposefully set out on such a journey. One of the benefits of living out in the sticks are the wonderful skies on a clear night and I’ve often stopped [...]

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Grand Norfolk Hike stage 11: Burnham Overy Staithe – Wells-next-the-Sea

March 31, 2012

Jo and I walked this, the 11th stage of my Grand Norfolk Hike, on Saturday 25th March 2012. You can see a map of the hike so far After a long, and rather fraught journey to the coast, we disembarked the Coasthopper at Burnham Overy Staithe and made our way down to the beach. And what a place [...]

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In Praise of Wild Camping (no.3) – Sleeping in the Forest by Mary Oliver

March 24, 2012

Sleeping in the Forest I thought the earth remembered me, she took me back so tenderly, arranging her dark skirts, her pockets full of lichens and seeds. I slept as never before, a stone on the river bed, nothing between me and the white fire of the stars but my thoughts, and they floated light [...]

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Grand Norfolk Hike stage 10: Downham Market to King’s Lynn

March 22, 2012

I walked this, the 10th stage of my Grand Norfolk Hike, on Saturday 18th March 2012. You can see a map of the hike so far The rain was coming down as I waited on Ely station for the train to Downham Market. ‘Am I completely mad?’ I asked myself. Rather than walking 10 miles or so [...]

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