Timworth, Ampton and Ingham in Suffolk

2pm 8.2 miles in I hr 6 mins

Week to date mileage 21

Month to date mileage 39

Average weekly rate 31.9

Average Monthly rate 138

Year to Date 856

Life time 8634

If you travel North out of Bury on the A134 by passing Fornham St Martin after a mile or so you see a right turn to Timworth. This road out of Bury runs parallel to the old dismantled Great Eastern Railway line. I parked in Timworth next to a post box on a bend. This village seems to amount to not much more than a few farms a few houses and a large place called Pineworld which makes and sells pine and pots 7 days a week.

Only 3 miles out of Bury but the place was incredibly quiet and peaceful with some lovely views across a gentle undulating landscape featuring fields, the churches at Timworth and Ingham and a race course at Ampton.

The population of Timworth is small from the Suffolk Parish History records it shows a total of 45 recorded in 1086 and in 1981 just 56. I ran up an unmade road to St Andrews church at Timworth. How this church continues to run a service in such a sparsely populated village and with surrounding churches at both Ingham and Ampton I just don't know.

It was raining a fair bit and I couldn't find a path which was supposed to run behind the church so rather than hang around I returned back to the road. I headed left through Ampton Wood not seeing any cars or people but I did see a roe deer in the woods. After a mile or so of running in a quiet wood to the point that it was alsmost sinister I emerged in the village of Ampton.

You are immeadiatley drawn to the sight of some very large iron gates which are the entrance to Ampton Hall. There is a very fine house which dominates the village in extensive grounds which presumably stretch as far as Ampton Water and Great Livermere. Outside of the house almost directly opposite is the church of St Peter. and several houses with seemingly roman connections. There is certainly a nearby roman road and one or two houses seemingly have roman inscriptions and roman archways whether original or a victorian folly of some sort I wouldn't know.

There is a lovely pathway leading into Livermere Park but today it was guarded by a huge dog so I retreated and headed across fields near St Peters church into woodland. After emerging out of New Dalmer wood you cross the sight of the dismantled great eastern railway.

Almost immeadiately you are into the village of Ingham. Here the church and the pub are being refurbished, St Bartholmews had the workmen so I couldn't get close and the pub is also closed until December. This is a busy village the road through the centre travels to Thetford and Norwich and is busy and noisy.

I returned back to have a look at Ampton Race track. This is an interesting circut used for amateur jockeys and point to point races. The run crosses the track which runs down a hill but must be a great venue for racing. I ran back into Timworth over a lovely bouncy bridge and back to the peaceful village.