Adkins Wood Circular Run Suffolk

8.30am 7.7 miles in 1 hr 9 mins 42 seconds
Week to date mileage 35 miles
Month to date mileage 20
Average weekly rate 29.9 miles
Average monthly rate 130
Year to date 1317
Lifetime 10910

A run around beautiful Ickworth Park.

On a misty autumn morning there were several walkers with dogs taking a walk to see the autumnal colours and with recent winds the trees have dropped their leaves to form a colourful carpet in many parts of the park.

Eddie And The Hot Rods Do Anything You Wanna Do

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Now playing: Eddie & The Hot Rods - Do Anything You Wanna Do
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Fairy Lake at Ickworth Park Suffolk

11.15pm 7.8 miles in 1 hr 14 mins 22 seconds
Week to date mileage 20 miles
Month to date mileage 64
Average weekly rate 30.4 miles
Average monthly rate 132
Year to date 1262
Lifetime 10855

What should have been a long run on my birthday turned out to be a very slow frustrating run as I struggled with my new injury. It is hard to run when you can feel a dull ache in your leg and are not sure whether further runs are causing more damage.

Frustration really as this time of year along with Spring are the best time for running the weather being wonderful. Also conscious of the clock change and the dark evenings so running in the daylight is precious valuable time.

Still I persisted and ran out to Ickworth park and as far as the Fairy Lake. I passed on the lovely soft pathway two sheep which has broken out of their field in search of better grazing, I slowed to a walk to pass them without scaring them too much. From whence they had come I am not sure as I couldn't see the rest of their flock.


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Now playing: LCD Soundsystem - Tribulations
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Adkins Wood Ickworth Park Suffolk Circular Run

8.15am 9 miles in 1hr 13 mins 44 seconds
Week to date mileage 28 miles
Month to date mileage 28
Average weekly rate 30.7 miles
Average monthly rate 134
Year to date 1225
Lifetime 10818

Adkins Wood is a lake and woodland run around Ickworth Park. Deer culling is in progress but thankfully no sign of this today. East Anglia seems to have a high population of deer compared to the rest of the country if the no of road accidents is anything to go by or maybe the driving leaves a lot to be desired in these parts.

On a damp morning the Fairy Lake and the Canal Lake were shrouded in mist. The pontoon bridge between them has been pulled up and stacked in broken sections. I had noted that the boards had become unstable in previous runs to the point of being uncertain whether you were going to put your foot straight through. Instead the ground is a bit damp in this wet area of undergrowth and tree cover next to a stream between the two lakes.

Ickworth Park Lady Herveys Wood

9am 10.2 miles in 1 hour 22 minutes 51 seconds

Week to date mileage 33

Month to date mileage 99

Average weekly rate 31.7

Average Monthly rate 138

Year to Date 638

Life time 8416

I couldn't resist returning to Ickworth Park having spotted a pathway yesterday that I thought might lead to a large lake in the woods. I ran through Adkins Wood but took a turning through the middle of the woods at firepoint 115 which lead me over to Lady Herveys Wood and the lake that I have never visited before in Ickworth Park. The lake appeared very shallow and I imagine is much less frequently visited than the main canal lake near the summer house.

On the OS Map it appears to be twice the size of the canal lake but it is difficult to get an impression of this as there only appears to be a pathway at one end of the lake though I am sure on another visit I will take a look to see if I can run around it.

After the lake through the woods there is a pontoon or duck board slate bridge over a wet section. The boards are somewhat bouncy and I thought I was going to put my foot through a board though I am sure they are stronger than they look. This is a wet section it appears there is a stream or an outlet from the Canal lake down to Lady Herveys Wood lake hence the duck boards.

You emerge from the woods into open fields and rolling countryside with excellent views of the Rotunda House and St Marys church. Eventually you arrive at the red brick walls that surround The Bothy. On a rise over the canal lake there is a well tended national trust vineyard , a summer house and the brick house called a bothy.

I ran around this lake and then returned past St Marys Church and out of the Ickworth Grounds before returning home.