Noracl one

Verified Slow Way

Verified by 85.71% of reviewers

Completed this enjoyable walk on a cold day in February in just under 4.5hrs, with only short breaks.
Route was straightforward and easy to follow, with large portions along roads and paved paths and the remainder through woodland.

I'd give this walk 3 stars. The mapping is accurate and easy to follow, especially when importing the route to the OS maps app (you can use the free version of this app if you don't want to create a subscription)

Overall, the walk didn't 'wow' me, however this was my first walk in Norwich so I am struggling to compare it to similar walks in the area.

Around 1/3rd of the walk was along the road, and part of this included walking through an industrial trading estate, which wasn't great. After reaching the edge of the city into 'countryside' territory, the walk was still mainly along concrete roads rather than switching to public footpaths/bridleways, which would have been nicer underfoot. The walk is flat for the entirety, meaning those that struggle with inclines would find this suitable, however the distance is difficult.

We completed the walk without stopping, as there was nowhere suitable to stop for the duration of the route (apart from 2 benches in the woods around 2 miles from the finish, by this point we decided it better to crack on and have a sit down at a pub in Acle)

Disappointingly, the only pub in Acle was permanently closed upon arrival.
There was a noticeable lack of facilities along the duration of the route, nowhere to stop for a toilet break, for example pubs/cafes, which isn’t ideal for a 4-5 hour walk.
Train journey back into Norwich was quick, cheap and easy. I'd recommend this walk as a late spring/summer route, as in early March, the fields were muddy with no crops growing, which didn't really provide many points of interest.

In February 2023, we walked from Norwich Train Station to Acle town centre. It is about 14 miles, which we completed under 5 hours without taking any breaks. There were a few good places to stop whilst walking through the woodland section of the route, but the weather was wet, so we just wanted to get indoors somewhere in Acle instead.

The route on Slow Ways is very accurate, with the Norwich half of the route mainly being along roads/pavement, going into fields/woodland for the Acle half of the route.

Agree with the other reviews with regards to access and I would suggest to others to walk this route on a dry day.

An enjoyable route with several woodland and farmland areas to enjoy. Not always the most accessible of routes for wheelchair users, however this is a lovely walk that will take about 5 hours with breaks (we walked it in 4 hours 20 without any sizeable breaks). Saw plenty of animals including cows and sheep, not many rivers/lakes to see though so will be the majority of dirt tracks. Would highly recommend this route though and can also enjoy a drink and snack in Acle on arrival.

A nice walk through the countryside, with a variety animals through the many wooded areas. Highlights include kestrels, grouse, squirrels and a white chicken bird. The weather wasn't perfect, and a few parts of the route were quite muddy as a result. One to walk on a sunny day!.

I have given this route 3 stars out of 5 because it isn't accessible to everyone, especially those who require wheelchair/pushchair access.
I walked this route on 28th February 2023. According to my Strava recording, it was 13.96 miles and took 4 hours and 10 minutes, albeit this was without much of a break. I would recommend putting 4-5 hours aside for this walk, including breaks. The route on Slow Ways is very accurate.
Starting at the train station, we walked towards the Sainsburys supermarket on Dussingdale Drive, where we stopped to buy a bite to eat. Then, crossing the Bittern railway Line we headed towards Broadland Business Park. At this point it is worth calling out that there isn't a footpath along Smee Lane so you have to walk along the country road (which is quiet). This is followed by a tranquil walk along Broadland Northway where there is a nice view of the fields. The group decided to cross the bridge, accessed via Middle Road which is a bit steep for a wheelchair/pushchair user. We then walked through Little Plumstead, Blofield Heath and Burlingham Green. As seen on other reviews, there are stiles which are along farm lanes and so may also be difficult to access for those with wheelchair/pushchair access.
I would recommend this walk to anyone who is local to Norwich and wants to walk along a peaceful route.

I walked this from Acle to Norwich, in dry conditions. The walk is a pleasant walk through the countryside, with relatively few obstacles, there are a couple of gates to be aware of, and the biggest challenge (as per the shown route) is probably the long set of steps in Thorpe St. Andrew, alongside the Sainsbury's supermarket. However, there are ways to avoid this. When coming from Acle, when you get to the top of the steps, you can follow the road (Mary Chapman Close) round to where it meets Dussindale Drive, and turn left, and this will bring you to the junction that goes into the supermarket, and from there you can rejoin the route into Norwich.
Also of note, a small section of walking on the road between Acle and Burlingham Woods, which was a national speed limit (although not much traffic).
A lot of the route doesn't have much in the way of facilities, with Blofield Heath (roughly in the middle) standing out as having a newsagent and an Indian restaurant, as well as a bus stop for onward travel.
On a nice day, the walk is very enjoyable, and was very quiet, and as well as walking alongside fields, there are also a couple of small woods to walk through.
The 4 stars are for 2 reasons, one being the steps (but which are avoidable), and also a bit of a lack of facilities en route.

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