Nar Valley Way – Leg 3 | fenlandramblers

Tuesday 28 January. The weather gods were kind to us today as we set out for the 3rd leg of our Nar Valley Way walk. This section was 10.4 miles from West Acre to Wormegay using the line of the trail as currently shown on OS maps. Despite all of the recent rain, the majority of the route was in good condition with only a few very muddy bits. The section through Bradmoor Plantation was particularly attractive and it was here that we joined the course of the River Nar which we followed into Narborough. The crossing of the A47 was interesting with the option of a 3ft high tunnel alongside the river or a gamble with the traffic whizzing by overhead. The latter won out and we didn’t have to wait very long for a suitable gap in the traffic.

The section leading out of Narborough was very familiar to us as we’ve done this many times on group walks. We stopped for lunch at the sluice just north of Marham Fen and then went to have a look at what remains of Pentney Priory. The last time that we visited, the landowner virtually chased us off as we had wandered all of 20 yards away from the permitted right of way. Things have deteriorated considerably since then with a sign having been erected to ward unwelcome visitors away or to agree to a £5 entrance fee. I doubt that we’ll bother to come back again.

Retracing our steps back to the River Nar, it was here that we detoured from the amended route of the Nar Valley Way and made our way on the old route through Shouldham Warren. Whilst I appreciate that the amended route stays true to the course of the river, it is very much the same as the previous 3 miles and the Shouldham Warren path offers a wider variety of scenery. It was only a mile or so from Shouldham Warren back to the car parked in Wormegay.

A most enjoyable and dry day.