Sandringham and Wolferton

About trip

In 1862 revenues from the Duchy of Cornwall had raised such a large sum of money for its owner, the Prince of Wales - the future King Edward VII - that he was able to buy himself a fine house. He chose Sandringham, some 7,000 acres (2,835ha) of beautiful rolling countryside. The house, however, was not at all to his liking, so he set about rebuilding it in a style he felt reflected his status. The result was the rambling Jacobean-style palace in red brick and stone that you can visit today - providing that no member of the Royal Family wants to stay in it, of course. Today it is the private property of the Queen, along with much of the surrounding countryside. In 1968, she expressed the wish that the general public should also enjoy the estate and some 600 acres (243ha) of woodland and open heath were set aside as the Sandringham Country Park. Access to the park is free (there is a charge to enter Sandringham Gardens) and visitors can enjoy the peaceful waymarked nature trails, as well as the observation hide to watch the wildlife around Jocelyn’s Wood nature reserve. Visitors to the house and its gardens can also see some of the most spectacular parkland in the country, with an intriguing mixture of formal arrangements and ancient rambling woodland. When Sandringham was owned by the fun-loving Prince of Wales, the unassuming little railway station at nearby Wolferton saw some of the world’s most powerful monarchs and statesmen pass through the station. Consequently, in 1898 the track from King’s Lynn was upgraded and two staterooms added to the station, so that visiting dignitaries could arrive in style. When the railways came under the axe in the 1960s, Wolferton looked set to follow the fate of many other small stations, but one British Rail inspector was so impressed by what he saw that he decided to buy it. Painstaking restoration slowly took place and the waiting rooms were converted into a museum, with exhibits about what it was like to travel in Victorian and Edwardian times. Unfortunately, the Sandringham estate refused permission for the museum to put up any advertising signs, so in 2001 the owner decided to sell it. Although since purchased as a private house, the fabric of the station is still the same and, at the moment, the pretty rust-red ironstone station, easily seen from the road, is close to how it might have looked in the 19th century. There are no tracks, and flowers enjoy the place where grunting, hissing steam engines would once have stood, but it is an atmospheric place and it is easy to imagine the bustle and commotion of its former life. While you're there: This walk will take you through the country park, but not into the Sandringham Estate, where you must pay an entrance fee. The fee includes access to the gardens with their own woodland walks, the house and the museum. The museum includes vintage royal coaches and cars, a large collection of historic photographs and a sad tribute to the Sandringham Company, who died in the Gallipoli campaign in 1915. What to look out for: It is well worth taking the time to do the boardwalk into Dersingham Bog. This is circular and, in the summer, you can expect to see seven or eight species of sphagnum moss, black sedge, cottongrass, sundew and bog asphodel. Where to eat and drink: The Sandringham Visitor Centre is open every day except Good Friday and Christmas Day, though the house and gardens are open only in summer. There is a selfservice restaurant, a tearoom and kiosks selling sandwiches, snacks and ice cream. Directions: Cross the road from the car park and bear right on the lane towards Wolferton. The walled gardens of the Old Rectory mark the end of the mixed woodland. Continue straight ahead at the junction, past St Peter’s Church. The road bends to the right, passing the old railway gatehouse and cottages (1881) bearing the fleur-de-lis emblem. Stay on this road to make a complete circuit of the village, eventually arriving at Wolferton Station. After the station, follow the road to the left and go up a hill until you reach the car park for the Dersingham nature reserve and a gate beyond it. Go through the gate and take the track to your left, signed ‘Wolferton Cliff and Woodland Walk’. The path climbs to a cliff top looking out over a forest, which 6,000 years ago was the seabed (now 1.5miles/2.4km distant). Follow the track until you see the 330yd (302m) circular boardwalk around the bog to go down some steps to your left. Walk down the steps to explore the bog walk. Emerging from the boardwalk, take the sandy track to your left, skirting the woods to return to Scissors Cross. Take the left fork out of the car park and walk along this road to the A149. Cross the A149 and take the lane opposite, passing a house named The Folly. After a few paces you will see a lane to your left marked ‘scenic drive’. Turn left to walk through the gates. Walk along the drive or take the footpath on the right through Sandringham Country Park. When you see a processional avenue leading to Sandringham House on your right, leave the drive and look for a gap in the trees to your left. Follow the trail past a bench and down some steps, then stay on the yellow trail (waymarked in the opposite direction) as it winds through Jocelyn’s Wood before returning to the main drive. Turn left and walk along the drive to the car park and visitor centre. From the visitor centre, head for the lower car park and pick up the yellow trail again, which follows the main road, but is tucked away behind the trees of Scotch Belt. Cross a lane, then take the road ahead to your left for 200yds (183m) before picking up the path on your right as it passes through Brickkiln Covert. At the crossroads, where the footpath comes to an end, turn right down a quiet lane with wide verges. You are still in woodland, although the trees here tend to be silver birch rather than the oaks and pines seen earlier. Cross the A149 to reach Scissors Cross.