Weeting Castles to Grimes Graves (Note: This walk can only be done between March and October, Grimes Graves (English Heritage) is open. At other times, the entrance gate is locked and access is not permitted).

About trip

All that remains of Weeting Castle are a few teetering, rugged grey stone walls standing amid mature trees and long grass. However in the 12th century, this was a comfortable and relatively secure house. It comprised two floors: the lower one was used for storage and the upper one provided the main accommodation. The order to build it was probably given by William de Warenne, the Earl of Surrey, who enjoyed the friendship of William the Conqueror. The man who did all the building work, however, was Hugh de Plais, de Warenne’s tenant at Weeting. Weeting Castle was never intended to be a defensive structure, like de Warenne’s sturdy motte and bailey at nearby Castle Acre, but was a manor house surrounded by a wet moat. It would not have hindered a serious attack, but was sufficient to repel the casual robber. The moat was rectangular and still exists, albeit in a rather more shallow form. At the other end of the walk lie the mysterious humps and bumps in the grass that represent Europe’s largest prehistoric flint mine. These were dug by folk in the Stone Age some 4,000 years ago, and were a large and prosperous enterprise. High-quality Grimes Graves flint has been for miles around, suggesting that it was prized for making sharp tools (like axe and arrow heads) and that it was in demand over much of southern England. For many years, no one knew how the peculiar pitted surface of this area had been formed. Various explanations emerged. Some proposed that the pits were actually graves, while the Saxons believed they were devil’s holes, perhaps made by the pagan god Grim - hence the name Grimes Graves. It was not until 1870 that they were properly excavated, and then it was discovered that the 400 or so circular depressions are actually filled-in mine shafts. The pits therefore had a perfectly rational and practical explanation, dispelling the aura of mystery that had hung over the site for centuries. However, if you visit very early in the morning, when mist swirls over the hollows and only birds break the silence, you will understand very well how legends of pagan sacrifices and sculpting by the devil originated. The rock in the shafts is very hard and it was hacked out by men using picks made from the antlers of red deer. Their objective was to locate nodes of hard, black flint with no flaws. This was roughly knapped on a site near by, then sent off to be traded for other goods. While you're there: Visit historic Thetford with its 12th-century Cluniac priory and its huge 11th-century castle mound. At Santon Downham the High Lodge Forest Centre provides visitors with information about activities and events in the area of the forest. Bressingham Steam Museum, Banham Zoo and Tropical Butterfly World are all within easy access. What to look out for: Today, most of the shafts at Grimes Graves are blocked up, but English Heritage has excavated one, and visitors can don hard hats and climb down into its depths. The ladder descends about 30ft (9m) to a bulb-like hollow, where several short tunnels have been dug off to the sides. Where to eat and drink: There is nowhere to eat on this route, but the English Heritage shop at Grimes Graves sells chocolate and snacks, and there are picnic tables if you want to take your own meal. For something more substantial, the Saxon, on the main road through the village of Weeting, serves generous portions of homecooked food and Brandon ales. Directions: Park in the sandy lay-by at the sign for Weeting Castle. Walk across the meadow to look at the remains of this fortified manor house, then follow the farm track past St Mary’s Church with its round tower, originally 12th century, but rebuilt by the Victorians in 1868. Go through Home Farm, then jig left then right, passing curious sows in their pens to your left. After walking past the pig enclosures, turn right. At the junction by Sunnyside Cottage, take the left-hand turn, following the track with woodland on the left and a field on the right. After about a mile (1.6km) you reach the A1065. Turn right and walk for about 350yds (320m) along the verge. Cross the A1065 and then follow the paved lane signposted to Grimes Graves. Stay on this road for about 1.25 miles (2km), until you see a sign on your right for Grimes Graves. Pass through the gate and walk down the approach road to enter the site. You will need to pay an entrance fee, even to walk here. From the car park, follow the path to your right leading across the heath to an area of tall trees beside a Ministry of Defence firing area. Cross the stile over the perimeter fence, then turn left to walk along the outside of the fence to the corner of the site. Turn right at a junction of paths. After 200yds (183m) you see a sunken water butt with a corrugated-iron roof, looking like a house that has half-disappeared into the ground. Go straight across this junction and walk along the sandy track to the A1065 again. Despite the proximity of the main road, you are in the depths of prime forest here, where you can stand and hear nothing more than the trill of birdsong. Cross the A1065 and take the sandy track directly opposite. After a short walk, the woods give way to farmland again. Pass Brickkiln Farm and ignore the track going off to the right. When you reach the end of the field, turn right and walk along the side of Shadwell’s Plantation, a wood that was planted in memory of the poet Thomas Shadwell, a resident of Weeting who died in 1691. Keep straight ahead when the track divides, and stay on this track until it rejoins the outward path by Sunnyside Cottage. Retrace your steps past the pig farm and then back to reach the car park again.