Duration brewery, West Acre woods, Castle Acre – Lynn News Washed Up column
Have you been down to the woods today? It’s not the Teddy Bears picnic but newcomers to West Acre woods may well be pleasantly surprised at the beauty of the scenery and the quality of the end point of the walk that goes from West Acre to Castle Acre and back again.
More about that end point later...
The woodland walk itself follows the newly restored chalk-bed river and wetlands. The result is a diverse landscape that has woodland, open glades and more shady areas.
Deadwood is also left to provide an important home for a range of species. With such diverse habitats, visitors can see an abundance and variety of wildlife, flora and fauna.
The West Acre estate is two years into a rewilding venture that aims to kick-start nature recovery across the estate.
The strategy is to incorporate grazing animals such as cattle, ponies and wild pigs, all of whom contribute to different habitats, but to also allow natural processes to shape the environment.
What is particularly impressive about the West Acre initiative is that the strategy has a place for humans within it. It is recognised that we, as human beings, are part of nature, not something looking in on nature from the outside.
As such, the pathways are clear and accessible; the walk is geared up to allow people to stop and take it all in. To have a moment to sit by a beautiful running stream, to dip our toes in a fjord or to stop and listen to the sound of birds calling.
There are not numerous signs exhorting us to take our litter home or to stick to the footpaths – there is just an expectation that everyone will respect what is around them and do the right thing.
Now back to those end points and I am stepping on my fellow columnist Bar Man’s toes here, so I apologise. If you start and finish your walk in West Acre, then do not miss out on the new jewel in the village’s crown.
At Abbey Farm, there is an artisan brewery called Duration (pictured) and it is not to be missed. The small but perfectly formed brewery makes a range of beers, using as many local ingredients as possible – particularly local malting barley.
While these are wonderful, it is the whole ambience that makes this so special.
Think of the classic scene: the sun setting, people sitting around chatting on benches and tables, music creating a soundtrack for the day, a food trailer serving delicious street food.
Right now the world is a scary and worrying place.
I guarantee you, if you take in a there and back walk from West Acre to Castle Acre and top it off with an hour at Duration Brewery, everything will seem a whole lot better.
Sarah Juggins