A cycle ride to Lackford

I warmed up for Juneathon with a 16 .4 mile ride out to Lackford in Suffolk.  I woke early this morning and eventually got up at 6.30am. The weather was overcast and the dark clouds threatened rain as I set off through Bury St Edmunds and out of town to Fornham Saint Martin. Out at Culford I disturbed a muntjac deer which was crossing the road and then made a bolt for it crashing through undergrowth to reach safety. Muntjac deer were in the local news this week after repeatedly raiding allotments in Bury St Edmunds the local gardeners want some action to cull them.


At Brockley Corner I decided to veer towards West Stow rather than Ingham. I notice on the map there is at Brockley Corner a Hill of Health Tumulus. Not sure how this got it's name ironic for a burial mound.

After West Stow I followed the road past the Anglo Saxon Village. Here you are just within the KIng's Forest . Here there is a mixture of pines and broadleaf trees and you are always likely to see deer. I turned for home along the Mildenhall Road and the next village I reached was Lackford. The run for home was fairly straight taking me though Flempton, Hengrave, Fornham All Saints and home.

Ickworth Park Albana Walk

8am 8.5 miles in 1 hour 9 minutes 07 seconds

Week to date mileage 20

Month to date mileage 73

Average weekly rate 31.4

AverageMonthly rate 136

Year to Date 754

Life time 8532

Course: Set of towards Horringer over fields towards Lord Hervey's wood and Great Horringer Hall. Along Westley Lane and into Horringer Village. At the Church turn right into Ickworth Park, down to Ickworth House and then do a circuit of Albana Wood before returning on the same route.

My first to Albana Walk since March 5th when the woodlands were carpeted in snow drops. Today was warm and sticky to the extent that one dog walker questioned my sanity for running in the heat, I guess he has a point. However I love this warm weather long may it continue.

I took one or two pictures of the various exercise frames which are set up around Albana Walk. I have never seen anyone actually use them, then again you don't actually see that many people walking around here which means you often disturb deer usually muntjac but also roe.

Albana Walk, Ickworth Park, Suffolk

10am 8.2 miles in 1 hour 6 mins 17 secs

Year to date mileage 993

Month to date 43 miles

Average miles per month 107

Average weekly rate 24.7

Weather: A beautiful autumn day very mild and perfect for running. Only problem is I have a 'cricked' neck from shifting furniture.

Course: Set of towards Horringer over fields towards Lord Hervey's wood and Great Horringer Hall. Along Westley Lane and into Horringer Village. At the Church turn right into Ickworth Park, down to Ickworth House and then do a circuit of Albana Wood before returning on the same route.

Usually once I am into Ickworth Park I see little traffic but today was different as there was a Wood Fair taking place. A sale of wood and carvings which seems to attract a lot of interest.

The woods of the Albana are a great place for seeing deer and today was no different I saw 2 muntjac but didn't manage to capture them on camera. When I saw the first deer I came to a halt and the deer kept so still that I wasn't sure if it was a wood carving until I moved to take a picture and it shot of into the woods.

The Muntjac deer are the oldest of all known deer. There are several species of muntjac the one we are likely to see in large parts of England is the Reeves Muntjac and it is our smallest deer. It is believed that the Duke of Bedford had a collection of muntjac deer in the 19th century at Woburn Park. There were several escapees but the biggest escape apparently happened in the 1920's from Whipsnade Zoo.