SOUTH EAST
06. NORFOLK, BARROW COMMON
Distance: 4.4 miles/7km | Time: 3 hours | Grade: Easy | Total ascent: 53m
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Skirt along saltmarsh, roam past an old Roman Fort and ascend a glacial ridge for a stunning coastal vista.
Overlooking the bustling coastal villages of Brancaster Staithe and Burnham Deepdale sits the peaceful, botanically rich Barrow Common.
Named after a Bronze Age round barrow, the site gained ancient prominence through the views afforded by its height in the landscape.
In spring and summer, spot the white dots of seabirds that nest on Scolt Head Island amid the dynamic mosaic of habitats shaped by the tides. On the common, songbirds sing and invertebrates buzz.
1. START
On the edge of Brancaster Staithe Quay, spot the large red and white buoy. From here, pick up the Norfolk Coast Path westwards. The reeds on your right occasionally harbour bearded tits. After half a mile, you will reach a National Trust sign for Branodunum Roman Fort.
2. 0.7 MILES
Through the gate, cross the field, forking slightly left. Go through the next gate, across the track and through another gate into another field. This is the site of a Roman shore fort. Built around 230 AD to guard against Saxon invasion, Branodunum is the most northerly fort of its kind in Britain. Across the field, you reach a gate by the main road.
3. 1 MILE
Cross the road and follow Green Common Lane uphill. As you gain height, look behind you and out to sea. East of the SS Vina wreck marker lies Scolt Head Island, internationally important for its nesting birds. In summer, look out for terns flying to the island with sand eels in their bills.
4. 1.6 MILES
Barrow Common is not only a cracking vantage point but a gem of a nature site. Softly purring turtle doves have recently returned and are believed to breed here. In late spring and summer, the open grassland contains a plethora of wildflowers, which support solitary bees and butterflies. Look out for lizards, too, and maybe a marsh harrier.
5. 2.3 MILES
Follow the path around the edge of the common to Common Lane. Bear briefly right and then left on to Dalegate Lane. This mile-long stretch takes you on a back road to Deepdale Market, passing The Downs woods where fallow deer may be spotted.
6. 3.5 MILES
Cross the road, heading right. Opposite Dalegate Stores, The Drove takes you to the Norfolk Coast Path. Head left and follow the path west back to Brancaster Staithe Quay. Listen for oystercatchers and curlews, and spot samphire growing in summer.
USEFUL INFO
Starting point
Park for free on Brancaster Staithe Quay (PE31 8BW), where there is a public toilet. There is limited space at peak times and the car park floods during big tides, so check tide times.
Or catch the Coastliner 36 Lynx bus (between King’s Lynn train station and Fakenham), alighting outside the Jolly Sailors pub. Head 0.1 miles west along Main Road to Harbour Way where the walk starts.
By bike it’s a one-mile detour from Norfolk Coast Cycleway (route 30).
Terrain
Mostly flat, with some slopes. Some paths may be muddy after rainfall and during winter. One third of the route follows the waymarked Norfolk Coast Path. There are no stiles, making the walk accessible to pushchairs and some wheelchairs.
Map
OS Explorer 250
Eat/drink
Brancaster Staithe boasts two award-winning pubs: the Jolly Sailors (jolly sailorsbrancaster.co.uk) and The White Horse, with rooms (whitehorse brancaster.co.uk).
In association with
