Meet 9am B&Q South car park, off Hall Road Norwich NR4 6FB, for 9.15am departure. Packing a lot in today so keeping to timetable and smart driving required.
An hour’s run for coffee at Brown’s, Mundford IP26 5EH 01842 879888. Then short run to Oxburgh Hall, PE33 9PS (Entry £10pp National Trust members free) where there’ll be more refreshments.
Built by the Bedingfeld family in 1482 as a statement of power, the Hall and the family have endured turbulent times. Through religious persecution, Civil War devastation, near dereliction and threatened demolition. Moated medieval manor house with Victorian Gothic interiors, A masterpiece of medieval brickwork and best surviving example of the original Tudor building. Garden & Parkland.
Leave there 1.30pm for short run via a mystery stop to our final destination, Stow Hall Gardens (£7ea) PE34 3HT. Small and little known the gardens at Stow Hall have been in place since the early 1800’s with designs on a grand scale including an enormous conservatory, rose garden, a great greenhouse and a pine stove (for pineapples). The kitchen garden is now mainly laid down to lawn and has been planted with many ancient apple and quince varieties. The two areas of much older planting are the grass banked path lined with apple trees from the 1920’s, and the arched walkway covered in pear trees on the south side and apple trees on the north side, both planted in the early 1800’s. This is the site of the last Stow Hall, dismantled in 1995. The yew hedge shows what was the outline of the Hall and the Incense Cedar is in the position of where the tower was. The steps stand in their original place leading to the front door. Although the 1930s rose garden is now grassed over, roses are still an important and over 200 varieties can be seen growing all through the gardens. Grab tea and cake then leave at closing time 4pm.
Return route of about an hour, largely along B1108, Watton Road to A47 at Norwich with drivers peeling off for home along the way. For those going on to the Bure Valley Railway Car-BQ you’ll make that Club event easily.
Sign up and please advise me if you would prefer to join us en-route.
- David
- Mark
- Kevin
- Richard W
- Mick & Gella
- Laurie
- Richard C
