Pictures contributed by Stela; story by Christina Bail.
Glen and I would like to say “thank you” to David and Glenys for organising this beautiful spring walk in the ancient woodlands near Thornham Hall which we glimpsed in passing.
Prior to arriving at the car park, we were in no doubt it was going to be a good walk, but we were expecting open field spaces as is so typical in the mid-Suffolk area. Instead, we walked approx. 6 miles through mostly lush and dense woodland, on soft grassy paths; at times the shrubs and trees formed green tunnels. The grounds around Thornham Hall have been made accessible to the wider public, becoming a real attraction thanks to the efforts of the 8th Lord Henniker and his wife, Lady Henniker, who were very involved in conservation projects. There is a small visitor centre, a cafe and playground as well as a walled Victorian garden which will be open daily as from 29th May.
Around 20 walkers joined David on that day. We encountered a pretty country church with a thatched roof, rather unusual, and probably the smallest church I have ever seen. We were able to go inside and admired the altar and its stained glass windows. People commented on the pretty cushions on the otherwise hard oak benches all of which had their bespoke design.
After the walk a couple of us were probably over ambitious and decided to take a different, supposedly more scenic route back to David’s cottage where teas and biscuits were awaiting us. However, we got completely lost and finally gave up and returned home.
