Walking round Itteringham

The first morning of our stay we set off to explore Itteringham. It's a pleasant village with lots of traditional brick and flint houses, a church, a manor house now owned and let as a holiday home by the National Trust, and a wonderful village shop/cafe providing refreshment.

Itteringham manor

We'd planned our route - up the road, over 'our' river the Bure, to the village then circling back through fields, crossing the Bure again and back up the road from Itteringham Common - and more or less stuck to the plan but adding in a minor excursion on footpaths around the village. All the paths were well marked and maintained - something I always appreciate as I hate pushing through brambles and nettles - and free from awkward stiles. There were tempting signposts to other paths in the vicinity which lead in widening arcs from the village, and permissive paths head to Mannington Hall and gardens a mile away (not open at the time of our visit but somewhere to explore at a later date). We could even have walked to Blickling Estate - allegedly a ten minute walk, but maybe not at my speed. 

The countryside is not the totally flat land of the Fens but there's still something typically 'Norfolk' about it - long views to the horizon and great expanses of sky above.

The shop turned out to be better than expected; a community project with cafe and deli, and quite a stopping-off point for cyclists in the area. Of course, we had to have tea and cake - Tunisian orange and almond for me - eaten outside in the warmish sunshine (though there is indoor seating for inclement weather)

Then back 'home' over fields and a small bridge over the Bure to pick up to road atthe small cluster of houses at Itteringham Common.

The River Bure

Itteringham Common

 All in all it's an area I'd like to explore again, perhaps with more cake.