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It's possible to walk all the way to Thetford, following the course of the Little 0use, which meanders between the 2 towns, through scenic woodland...
If you're beginning in Brandon town centre, then simply follow the river, from the bridge over it, bearing the main road, then all you need do is follow the river as far as Saint Helen's picnic site...
There is a narrow wooden footbridge here & some options of where to walk, but whichever side of the railway line you pursue, there are underpasses between the 2 trails...
The more interesting is the second railway bridge, over the stream at Saint Helen's well, where there is a natural spring, then a very steep climb out of a dingle, back to the main trail...
The main problem is locating the tenuous route to the second wooden footbridge, which brings you out behind Thetford power station, to continue the walk into town, through the king's Forest...
The way towards the bridge is not signposted from the Brandon side, although on the Scout camp side of the river, there are 2 arrow new signs...
It's easy to miss the narrow entrance to access to the footbridge, especially as a large tree trunk has fallen across the gap, but if you look for this obstruction, which has been sawn in half, then this is where to deviate from what appears to be the main trail...
However, if you do miss the turning, it's still a scenic walk into town, but the route emerges onto a busy roundabout, outside the centre, & going this way misses the intriguing back view of the power station...
Written May 21, 2013
Address: Santon Drove & Warren
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Don't do what we nearly did and stop at the driveway to the castle. We thought we might have been trespassing, and were half expecting some eccentric aristocrat to take potshots at us with an antique rifle...but this is actually a right of way as the castle drive leads to the historic village church of St Brandon.
Apparently, this church was gutted in a fire in 1998, only a basic shell left, so that makes it just a bit more remarkable. Reconstruction has been done well and you wouldn't know that it isn't all original stonework, only in places you can tell it has been reconstructed, as the stone is too new looking. A note on the door welcomes visitors, and if the door is locked, you can ask nearby for a key.
The graveyard dates back centuries...I have a thing about old graveyards, I love reading headstones and learning about complete strangers who died hundreds of years ago. Don't know why, I just do.
Written May 24, 2009
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I was surprised by this well hidden stone castle. From the road, the only signpost is for a golf course, so you wouldn't know that a Norman castle lurks beyond the anonymous gate. From outside, it looks like private property, but there's nothing to stop you wandering down the driveway and past the trees, where the impressive castle reveals itself.
You can't actually go inside, as that bit is private property...but look out for a handful of annual events inside (Christmas fair, Shakespeare plays, etc.) that may be advertised around Durham.
Written May 24, 2009
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Brancepeth is an old village of twee cottages and affluent mansions spread out on either side of the main road. While hurtling through on a bus, blink and you'll miss it...but if you're walking along the path in the above tip, take my advice and make a small diversion. Not to see the houses...they may be pretty on a sunny day, but no, you're here to see the two big attractions mentioned below...so cross the main road and enter the gates of what might look like a private property. Trust me...it is worth it.
Oh...and look out for the tiny Shetland ponies grazing in a field close to the railway path...
Written May 24, 2009
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For about 100 years, trains used to rattle along here between Bishop Auckland and Durham, passing some of the largest collieries in the county. But all that came to a halt in the 1960s, with the decline in mining and the closure of many pits. Instead of letting the tracks become overgrown and forgotten, Durham County Council has transformed it into a 9 mile long footpath.
OK, so it maybe isn't the most exciting walk you'll ever undertake, but for locals it is a great place to walk the dogs, jog or cycle, especially when it is sunny. It's mainly flat too. So, if you find yourselves in Durham at a loose end and it is nice weather, catch a bus out to Brandon or Meadowfield, head right off the main road for a minute or two, and you'll soon come across the path. The nicest stretch is probably that around Brancepeth, a pretty village described in a tip below, but if you're feeling energetic, you could continue on to Willington or Bishop Auckland.
Written May 24, 2009
Brandon and Meadowfield are about 3 or 4 miles from Durham....quite a walk, up and down hills, and not the most pleasant as the roads are busy. You could take a walk over Prebends Bridge in Durham, climb the hill and pass through a couple of fields to Obserbatory Hill near Nevilles Cross, from where there is a great view over Durham. Half a mile further on, you could stop for a drink at the Duke of Wellington pub, or at the bottom of the hill at the Stonebridge Inn...then it is main road all the way, under a railway bridge to Langley Moor (where the railway path begins) and eventually Meadowfield/Brandon. I walk it every day to and from work, and it takes me about 40 minutes. It would be a good route to cycle, as there are cycle paths for most of the way.
Otherwise, take a bus or a taxi. Plenty buses head to Brandon, although not all of them pass through Meadowfield. Buses to Crook also follow this route. Take on that goes via Meadowfield, and leave the bus on the main road close to a petrol station and a Chinese takeaway (ask the bus driver for Browney). Take any road to the right and after a minute or two, the railway path will appear. A taxi out this far will set you back £6 or £7 from the city centre.
Brancepeth is further down the main road, and you need to take a Crook-bound bus.
Written May 26, 2009
I'm not sure if this should go in the Thetford or Brandon section, because the site is stuck out in the woods, somewhere between the 2 - according to my bearings closer to Thetford, but it's promoted at Brandon railway station, so I'm writing it here...
Also, I'm not sure if its actually 'a tourist trap', as such, & I'm not writing this to discourage you from going there, because I've spent the occasional day cycling all around the site, & its a scenic enough place if you like lots of trees & feeling isolated, but actually being no more than a mile or 2 from the nearest main road...
& thats what I like about Thetford Forest in general;
I.E; the sense that I've left civilisation behind & am doing the Ray Mears lifestyle, if not Bear Grylls, when in actual fact, I'm not really as out in the boondocks as appearances might have 1 believe...
But this is also my criticism of the High Lodge concept, because Thetford Forest is a place where 1 can let 1's imagination run riot, & on any day of the week but Saturday or Sunday, be out in the trees all day doing whatever 1 pleases, without direct contact with anybody...
High Lodge attempts to contain this formula in a set area, signpost & label it for the disoriented townie to get there bearings, but does it really need to be so organised?
For my liking,there are just too many timber bollards with multi-coloured directions for names of various trails, which are all supposed to be very different, but in fact, are all very much variations on an identical theme...
& what really annoys me, is that the linear route between Thetford & Brandon, that runs close to here, is not marked at all clearly, but actually made more awkward to follow, by all the other distracting signage...
Unique Suggestions: There is something for any person who enjoys a day in the woods at High lodge, be they cyclist, horse rider, hiker/naturalist, or thrill seeker...
If you like dangling off a rope & careering through the treetops, then the Go Ape section is a must...
High Lodge is designed so that the trails for walkers & riders do not coincide, so don't think that if you fancy a days birdwatching, you'll have mountain bikers whizzing past you all the time - the paths for nature lovers are very peaceful, with the occasional hide spaced along them...
There are 4 separate cycle paths around High Lodge, designed for mixed ability, though really, they're not as different as the advertising claims...
The Black Trail, which is supposed to be the daredevil route, has some heart-in-the-mouth drops, but I completed most of it on my bike, with my camping gear strapped on the rack, so it ain't that extreme...
Fun Alternatives: If, like me, you prefer to ride a linear route, rather than the convoluted circular type around High Lodge, than trace the off-road track direct from Brandon to Thetford - in theory it should only take half an hour, if you turn the pedals over briskly...
But beware, its not well signposted & with all the alternative forest tracks leading off from the not so obvious main route, it's all to easy to follow the wrong path & end up back where you started from - as has happened to me more than once, & I felt like smashing my head against a tree in frustration, wishing I'd just taken my chances on the narrow main road between the 2 towns...
0r otherwise gone via the A134 - which is a peculiarly pleasant main road to ride, compared to all the others in this area...
Updated May 20, 2013
Brandon, Meadowfield and Brancepeth
What is there to say about Brandon? I've no idea. I don't really live in Brandon itself, but in another estate over the main road in Meadowfield. Not much to choose between them though. Anyway, there...
Build your own Brandon page
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