The Secret Castle Walk

On Sunday the 19th April I am leading a walk in the Waveney Valley to visit the almost unknown motte and bailey castle at Darrow Wood. The walk is around 7 miles long and starts at Homersfield Bridge Picnic Site (just off the A143) at 10am. The walk is free and if you want any more information please give me a call on 01379 788008.

The castle is owned by the National Trust and was probably built soon after the Norman Conquest in the 11th Century. The wooden castle was soon abandoned in favour of a stone castle at Buckenham and the earthworks slowly disappeared under scrub and woodland. The castle was only re-discovered in the middle of the 19th Century when the trees were cleared. Nowadays the tree covered motte and bailey is surrounded by a water-filled moat. The woodland has a good colony of Early Purple Orchids that should be coming into flower.

This is an exciting time of year with migrant birds arriving from Africa and early butterflies feeding on newly opened flowers. On Saturday I saw my first Swallow, followed by Willow Warblers and Blackcaps the next day. Cuckoos should be arriving in the next few days.