Text contributed by Peter, pictures by Lou
The Wednesday walks are attended by an eclectic group and allow fellow walkers to enjoy the pleasure of shorter – up to 6 mile – walks, breaking up the mundane routine of the week with routes close to Ipswich.
Lou was leading the walk on 17th January 2024. We had a select group of 10 and, for the first time in many months, no dogs joined us on the walk so there was no yelling for dog-bin sightings to allow owners to dispose of their excess cargo. The weather was fresh but great for walking and the pace was kept high, not to keep warm but because Anne needed to be back for a pilates class.
We started to walk from the free Bramford picnic site car park through idyllic but sleepy Bramford, then transferred to the footpath by the side of The Bramford Cock pub and crossed over the B1113 to Fidgeons Farm. A diversion was required up Bullen Lane, which is now quite busy with traffic. After passing an aerial, the electricity substation site came into view. It has grown over the years and the landscaping is maturing well, with beehives near the exit.
A further diversion was required for a geocache – which was found this time – followed by a banana stop near an owl box. There had been a lot of work done by the farmers with winter wheat poking through the ground, while other fields had been ploughed in preparation for sowing later in the season.
As we turned east by Round Wood and Bullen Wood near Burstall Hall, the highlight and highest point of the walk offered superb 360° clear panoramic views. This included views of Bramford and north-west Ipswich. We then dropped down past Thornbush Hall to the Church View estate being built on the former poppy fields site and skirted the edge of St Mary the Virgin church, Bramford.
A walk of 5.8 miles with minimal mud. It was very noisy with discussions from politics to ingrowing toenails. Great fun, lovely walk. Thank you, Lou, for an epic walk.
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