Advice for riding the Peddars Way

wanderersmelody

wanderersmelody

Well-Known Member
Joined
20 June 2003
Messages
167
Location
Essex
Visit site
I'm thinking of riding the Peddars Way in Norfolk for charity this year doing it over 3 or 4 days. I've found some good websites but can anyone tell me first hand if you can actually ride the whole way without touching huge main roads or it being dangerous? Any where you can recommend to stay over on route. Happy for horses (2) to have just grazing or a stable and grazing? Prefer B and B rather than camping although I wouldn't rule that out as hubbie will be on hand to transport stuff on each pit stop. Any advice or even any other routes (looking for 60 miles or so in total) thanks.
 
The link posted by Cold Feet is the one I was going to suggest. There appear to be 2 routes, 1 seems to be more horse friendly than the other but doesn't stick entirely to the Peddars Way - for reasons of safety.

I've been looking at routes for the Peddars Way only tonight, I saw a post on Facebook Riding Buddies page about someone looking for company for this ride and it has got me interested.
 
As it's for charideee you can come and stay with me if you like. I live near Roudham Heath about 700 metres from Peddar's Way. We've got more than enough room to put up two tired riders and their horses. The only condition is that you let me ride a section of Peddar's Way with you the following day :)
 
I'm going to be doing this for the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity and will be setting up a JustGiving page soon. My Dad's terminally ill and was diagnosed with C last january. His prognosis was poor - yet he's still here and the hospital have been amazing. Dad did a lot of charity work for the Queen Elizabeth hospital for children back in his day and I just want to do something a bit different for him and also in appreciation of the work the hospital have done. I want to challenge myself and also not do it as part of a big organised event as I'm keen to really make this quite a personal challenge. Anyone is welcome though to join in. Just a bit concious of not making it an official thing because of insuances/liabilities etc.I've only just really come up with this plan so I'll probably create a facebook page and post again on here. And a huge thank you to 'HEST'. I will be in touch! xxxx
 
Hi wanderersmelody, did you ride the Peddars Way after all? If so could you give me some pointers (Start & finish, any detours, B&B, horse accommodation) as I would like to ride it too with a few friends. Many thanks
 
I rode it with 2 friends about 4 years ago. We started from just north off the A11 at Wrexham and we took a leisurely pace, staying at Little Cressingham first night, Castle Acre 2nd night. 3rd night was Sedgeford. 4th day was a short ride to Courtyard Farm, Ringstead to drop off our saddlebags, then carry on through Ringstead Country Park to Old Hunstanton and along the beach to Holme next Sea then back to Ringstead.

Lunch and dinner were difficult each day. It is difficult to find horse b&b accommodation on route except in Castle Acre and Ringstead areas. We found it easier to ride to the night stop, put horses out in field, then catch a bus (Sedgeford to Hunstanton as the village pub was shut) to somewhere to get lunch/have a "normal no horse" afternoon, then come back to the digs either with a takeaway, fishnchips or suchlike.

The route was a mix of bridleways, byways, quiet lanes, and some piggies in fields. Only major road we crossed was the A149 at Hunstanton and Holme and there's plenty of gaps in the traffic to get across.

Places we stayed, from memory....

First day: drove to Wrexham, got dropped off in village, had sandwiches, set off about 1pm to ride to Little Cressingham.
First night: The Vines, Little Cressingham. 5 minute walk to the Phoenix pub for dinner. The Vines owners let us put horses in a grassy field behind their house.
http://thevinesbedandbreakfast.co.uk

Second night: there are at least 3 horsey bed and breakfasts in Castle Acre. Lots of pubs, a supermarket and food shops/cafes in Castle Acre. On the Peddars Way holiday we stayed at Tudor Lodgings with field for the horses.
http://www.tudorlodgings.co.uk

Third night: East Hall Farmhouse, Sedgeford. This was where we found the 1 mile away village pub was shut, and there was no bus, so we had to thumb a lift into Hunstanton to get some lunch and also buy some dinner to bring back to the digs.
http://www.ukhorsehols.co.uk/norfolk/4537257249

Fourth night (we could have ridden here on third night if we'd took it slightly less easy!). A 1 mile walk to the village pub. We took a taxi to Hunstanton and back as we forgot to bring sleeping bags with us so bought cheap single duvets in the Tesco at Hunstanton to bed our bunks with. Wouldn't have wanted to carry a sleeping bag on our horses anyway. We were picked up from here to go home so no problem with luggage.

Other places on that uk link url that I've stayed at:

Home Farm Stables at Holme next Sea - luxury luxury luxury. Really really nice!

Whitehall Farm, Burnham Thorpe. Bed and breakfast and camping. Lovely homemade lemonade too.

Enjoy!
Courtyard Farm, Ringstead (see above link).

On previous holidays in the Castle Acre area I've stayed at:
http://www.themanorhousebedandbreakfast.com
http://www.abbeyfarmliveries.co.uk

There's also this place which looks nice at Harpley, though I've not stayed there yet.
http://www.lowerfarmbedandbreakfast.co.uk/dogs-horses/

and
 
Thank you v much Suechoccy. This is really helpful! I think I have 'spoken' to one of your horse buddy, Jackie! I am so looking forward riding it. We will be doing it hardcore in January :) Thanks again
 
Chuffy99, hopefully it is all rideable. I am following this map http://www.bhsaccess.org.uk/ridemaps/east/Ridingmap.php?map=Public/Peddarsway. Although, today, ahead of the ride, I went to check on foot 87 x 93 in Bridgham Heath where the Peddars Way crosses the A11, it was a very busy dual carriage way. There is a waiting place halfway across but the traffic was dense and fast today. I did not cross the A11. Even if I had crossed, the next obstacle is crossing the train tracks. Apparently there is a tunnel going under the track which is a better recommendation. I am just reporting what the book says ahead of the A11 as I did not cross the A11 today. x
 
Some of it is drivable (horse and carriage or car) as some of it is either quiet lane or public byway. I don't remember many gates on it. Where they were, they were easily openable.

The busy A11 and railway line are the reason we started our ride from Wretham as that meant we started north of both those items so didn't have to cross them.
 
Yes thank you Suechoccy, was with a driving pony I was thinking of as would love to drive for several days without continually going back to base, if anyone else has done a longish drive would love to hear about it
 
Can anyone recommend a place (B&B - parking place with hook up - Livery yard - private farm) near Great Cressingham/little Cressingham/close to Peddars way for 1 night over for 1 horse lorry + 2 horses with stables if possible? The Vine B&B has no vacancies. Cheers
 
As some of the places mentioned above are no longer open, I'd just like to post an update on places to stay with your horse along the Peddars Way as at June 2022! Some are B&B, some are self-catering and some are both.
Going from south to north:

Thetford Forest:
Little Cressingham:
Drymere:
Little Massingham:
East Walton:
Harpley:
Ringstead:
Holme-next-the-Sea:
Hope that helps.

I'm planning to avoid the dangerous railway and A11 crossing by starting from Weeting and using the Harling Drove, and the Hereward Way, to join the Peddars Way Equestrian route just north of Roudham.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top