Old Hunstanton's Dunes

About trip

Old Hunstanton is steeped in history and legend. It is said that St Edmund was shipwrecked here in ad 855, and was so grateful for being spared a watery death in the Wash that he built a chapel as an act of thanksgiving. The 13th-century ruins still stand today, looking out across grey stormy seas from near the old lighthouse. Edmund left Hunstanton soon after and went on to become King of the East Angles. Between ad 869 and 870 Vikings invaded his kingdom and fought battles until he was captured. He refused to renounce his faith and died a particularly unpleasant death. Some years later, Edmund’s grave was dug up and his body was found to be uncorrupted. It was declared a miracle and his remains were moved around the country for many years in an attempt to keep them safe from Vikings. They were eventually kept in Bury St Edmunds, although records are vague about what happened to them later. Some say they were taken to France, while others claim he was reinterred at Bury after the Reformation. Regardless of the fate of the relics, Hunstanton is proud of its claim to a small piece of the saint’s history. Edmund is not the only remarkable historical figure to be associated with the village. Members of the Le Strange family have been squires and landlords here for more than 800 years. They laid claim to the beach and, according to one charter, all that is in the sea for as far as a horseman can hurl a spear at low tide. The family still hold the title of Lord High Admiral of the Wash. There is a popular local story that tells of a famous German lady swimmer called Mercedes Gleitze performing the impressive feat of swimming the Wash from Lincolnshire to Norfolk in the 1930s and the admiral promptly stepping forward to claim her as his rightful property! The lighthouse that has become a symbol of this attractive town dates from 1830. When the First World War broke out in 1914, the light was extinguished and was never lit again. The lighthouse is now in private hands. Because of its strategic position on the coast, Hunstanton was the site of some very clandestine happenings in that war. Hippesley Hut, a bungalow, was used to house a secret listening post to monitor the activities of German Zeppelins and some of its secrets remain hidden even today. Before you leave the village, spare a thought for poor William Green, a Light Dragoon officer, who was shot here in 1784 by smugglers while helping the King’s customs men. The killers were never brought to justice, although the villagers, being such a small community, must have known their identities. The association of the village with contraband can be seen in the name Smugglers’ Lane, along which you will walk. While you're there: Holmes Dunes National Nature Reserve is 400 acres (162ha) of sand dunes, foreshore and salt marsh, particularly favoured by winter migrants. Although these birds can start to arrive as early as July, the peak time is October and November. It is a spectacular sight to see thousands of birds arriving from the North Sea on a clear autumn morning. They rest and feed, then move on to milder climes and make their return journeys around March. What to look out for: The Ringstead Downs Nature Reserve is home to rock roses, meadow grasshoppers and gorse. While walking along the dunes stop to look at the marram grass. This durable plant is used to stabilise the sand, and to prevent it from being scoured away by the fierce winds that roar in from the North Sea. Where to eat and drink: The Caley Hall Hotel (1648) has a good restaurant. In summer, you can take afternoon tea on the patio. Bar meals are also available at the Ancient Mariner Inn, attached to the Le Strange Arms Hotel in Old Hunstanton. The kiosk at the car park is open all summer and winter weekends, selling bacon and sausage rolls, ice-cream and snacks. If you want to break your walk half-way, The Gin Trap Inn at Ringstead makes a good lunch stop. Directions: Walk towards the sea and turn left to head across the dunes. This is Norfolk at its best, with miles of sandy beaches and dunes, and the lighthouse at Old Hunstanton visible on a cliff. Keep close to the golf course and after about a mile (1.6km) you will arrive at a colourful row of beach huts. When you see a gap in the fence to your left, take the path across the golf course and continue straight ahead into Smugglers’ Lane. Emerging at a junction, take the lane opposite, past the post box to reach Caley Hall Hotel. Cross the A149 and aim for the road signed ‘To St Mary’s Church’, where you can see the grave of William Green. Turn right up Chapel Bank, through a tunnel of shade before reaching open farmland. After 700yds (640m), turn left on a grassy track, Lovers Lane, a permissive path. When you each Lodge Farm, follow the track around farm buildings to a lane. Turn left along the route marked Norfolk County Council Ringstead Rides. When you see the fairy-tale lodge of Hunstanton Park ahead, follow the lane round to the right along an avenue of mature trees. In the field to your right you will see the ruins of 13th-century St Andrew’s Chapel. Bear left at Downs Farm and head for the gate to enter Ringstead Downs Nature Reserve, one of just a few areas in Norfolk that is chalk rather than sand. It belongs to the Norfolk Wildlife Trust and the area is grazed by traditional hill sheep. This is one of the most beautiful parts of the walk. Follow the path right through the reserve until you reach a lane. Turn left into Ringstead, where the tower of St Peter’s Church still stands. Stay on this road as it bends right and left through the village, passing The Gin Trap Inn. The road climbs gently out of the village, forking right then left along Peddars Way towards a sail-less windmill. At the last house, look for the waymarked path to the left. This cuts across a field, then turns right into a lovely tunnel of hedges. Note the Norfolk Songline sculpture half-way along the path. Cross the A149 and walk through Holme village, with its long green to reach the car park.