Round Norfolk Walk Day 2 - Oulton Broad to Bungay

Distance: 18 miles
Ascent: less than yesterday
Weather: warm and sunny,  breezy
Midge bites: 1
Lizards: 1
Bunny score: two all
Buzzard, cuckoo, partridge, swifts, shallows, mallards, chiff chaff.

We were away from the Wherry just after 8:30am, crossing the broad over the footbridge by the yacht station and into the park.

The path leads out of town to the Carlton Marshes Nature Reserve,  passing a new caravan park which according to the sign should be opening this summer - they'd better get a shift on.

At the nature reserve, we were greeted by a woolly moth caterpillar and some fluffy ducklings. The path follows the River Waveney as it wends its way along through the marshes, grassy flats on either side with cattle grazing, drainage ditches and ponds. There were a couple of people out walking but mostly it was just us.

The path to Beccles is about 7 miles along by the river, with the rustling of reeds, highlighted by yellow flag iris and poppies, and chirping of reed buntings and sedge warblers. We saw a couple of marsh harriers and kestrels flying around and on the water there were families of swans, Canada geese and oodles of greylags, plus the occasional passing boat.

At six mile corner, we'd done five and a half miles. A sternly worded letter of complaint is being drafted.

Towards Beccles the path became a bit more grassy and overgrown, although there were more people, quite a crowd at one point. The only benches of the day were concentrated along a short stretch nearest town, we didn't sit as we hadn't any lunch yet and it was drizzling slightly.

After Beccles we left the river and the path went around arable fields, we stopped for lunch at a grassy spot near to Barsham Hall.

A tree lined path led towards Bungay, before depositing us by the side of a busy road and then along what was probably once a quiet lane but at 4 o'clock was a rat run of school run traffic and lorries. We passed the Warnford Malthouse, which is very industrial looking and crossed a narrow bridge, with care as no one was for slowing down.

We crossed some cow fields, and met some very happy cows. Bungay is very pretty and we are staying at the Castle Inn - it has very authentic olde worlde floors.