Walk 8 - Pingo Trail walking and hiking route

Walk Instructions

Start Point

The start point of the route is found in the car park. Do not walk along the straight and obvious path, which is the line of the former railway. Go through a gate on the right to follow a waymarked path, over wooden bridges and with the wettest sections helped by boardwalks. This is Thompson Common, a rich mixture of woodland and more open areas. There are plentiful pingos.

1. Join a surfaced lane, turning left. Continue along the lane, passing a few isolated properties. After the final dwelling, the lane loses its surface. As the track goes to the right, bear left, soon crossing an extensive area of rough grassland on a narrow path, helped by the occasional waymark. The route continues through Thompson Carr, a large area of damp woodland dominated by oak and alder. There is a long straight section by the side of a stream, at the end of this section turn right at a junction, cross over the stream and walk for approximately 200m to a waymarked junction.

2.Turn left to continue through the woodland, the path soon weaving among the trees. Eventually there is a view of Thompson Water through the trees, an artificial lake created in 1845, now owned and managed by The Norfolk Naturalists’ Trust. Reach an area with information board and go straight ahead to join a wide, straight track in a short distance. This is part of the legendary long distance route ‘Peddars Way’.

3. Turn right. To the left is a large area reserved for military operations.

4. At a cross tracks in 300m. turn right to follow a long straight tarmac roadway, without traffic, for a little more than one mile. Before reaching Thompson village the road loses its surface. Join a surfaced road, going straight ahead. At the next road junction, bear right, then straight ahead at the next fork, to reach a crossroads in the middle of the village. Go straight across to walk to the Chequers Inn about 300m. along the Griston Road. (If a visit to the inn is not required, turn right at the crossroads).

5. From the inn return to the crossroads, turning left to walk along School Road. Pass the village school. At a junction a few metres further, go across a road and follow Hall Lane, with bridleway sign. This broad track crosses agricultural country. At a junction turn left to continue on a good track, heading for distant properties. Cross a field on a path reserved through the crop and rejoin the outward route at the tarmac surfaced lane. Turn left to return to the car park, looking carefully for the right turn into woodland immediately before a road junction.

Disclaimer: This route was correct at time of writing. However, alterations can happen if development or boundary changes occur, and there is no guarantee of permanent access. These walks have been published for use by site visitors on the understanding that neither HPB Management Limited nor any other person connected with Holiday Property Bond is responsible for the safety or wellbeing of those following the routes as described. It is walkers' own responsibility to be adequately prepared and equipped for the ‎level of walk and the weather conditions and to assess the safety and accessibility of the walk.