North Barsham, East Barsham and West Barsham

The walk starts in North Barsham by the ford of the pretty River Stiffkey. It follows the river before turning for a short distance along the main road between Fakenham and Little Walsingham to pass the outstanding early Tudor East Barsham Manor. The house, built by Sir Henry Fermor in pinky-red brick with fine mouldings of roses and fleur-de-lys, has romantic turrets, finials, and ornate chimneys. It was later the seat of both the Calthorpe and L'Estrange families.

The splendid gatehouse is decorated with the arms of England and the Tudors. Henry VIII stayed here in 1511 and walked barefoot to the shrine at Walsingham on a pilgrimage. The manor was in a ruinous state during the 1700s but was restored by the end of the 18th century.

Next to the manor is All Saints Church. It has been reduced in size over the years, and its 13th-century tower chopped in half. It features Norman doorways, some 15th-century stained glass, and a lovely 17th-century alabaster wall memorial to the mother of James Calthorpe of East Barsham Manor, alongside fine old carved pew ends dating from the 15th century.

On leaving the church, the walk follows narrow lanes to West Barsham, passing the modern hall with its lovely garden (the present house replaces an older manor house) to reach the lovingly cared-for small Church of the Assumption.

Now towerless, this Saxon church has a Norman doorway and a tiny original glassless Norman window above the porch. The church was enlarged in the 14th century, and the beautifully carved lectern and oak benches depicting farm and domestic animals are modern. The church was originally the center of a fairly large village which fell into decay when the population was decimated by the Black Death.

A pleasant stroll along the Stiffkey valley brings you to North Barsham and another All Saints Church, surveying the River Stiffkey from its site on the hill. Also towerless, this church is rather plain, but inside are a 13th-century font and a 17th-century pulpit. From the church, it is only a short distance back to the parking place.

Acknowledgment: Text derived from the Out and Out Series; Discovering the Countryside on Foot. Pictures courtesy of Wikipedia.