Long Run to Lawshall Suffolk

The end of my 9th week of training for a half marathon called for a 13 miler. Luckily once again the weather was ideal for running, bright blue skies and no wind. At the same time it was cold and the overnight frost had left intricate patterns on the cars and made for some icy patches on the wet roads first thing this morning.

As my long run extends I am travelling further afield and my route today took me to Lawshall via Horsecroft, Pinford End, and Hawstead. The route was on road all of the way but I rarely saw any cars and was untroubled.
The church here is St Andrews at Hawstead , a sprawling village 

After my temp run on Friday I was a little stiff still and with the cool air took a while to get going. I think I could have done with having something to eat before running this sort of distance but as I was running by about 7.45am I didn't apart from a cup of tea and plenty of water. I took with me some Powerbar Ride Shots as the name suggests I think they are designed for cyclists but are designed for high intensity exercise. The blurb on the pack suggests :-

They're formulated with PowerBar C2MAX dual source energy blend for more energy to muscles. In fact, C2MAX was designed to have the same blend of energy sources that were shown in breakthrough studies to deliver 20�55% more energy than glucose alone, and in another study to improve athletes' cycling times by 8%. 

I bought them at the new Holland and Barrett health food store in Bury St Edmunds . I took 3 of these on my run and realised after wards that these are not for vegetarians so I will ditch the rest of them. A little hard to say based on one usage whether they provided an energy boost. The problem was I didn't have anyway water with me and without the the lemon flavour was sticky sweet. As an experiment  I will try something different for my next long run. I guess armed with a drink these may work for you.


My mile splits today were 8.55,9.28,8.54,8.37,8.49,9.01,8.38,8.33,8.27,9.10,8.43,8.31 and 9.38



The route was generally climbing on the way out and more downhill on the way back apart from the final mile which has 3 stiff climbs.

My total time for the 13 miles was 1hr 55mins and 28 secs. Happy with this. Not quick but main thing was the confidence gained from competing this. I know that I should be able to complete the half marathon at the end of March as long as I am healthy and not injured. Whether I can run any quicker will depend on the course , the weather and my state of mind.


Looking at my running log the last time I ran this far was when I ran the Stowmarket Half Marathon on the 29th March 2009 in 1.45.37




The Metcalfe Arms at Hawstead Suffolk is a real ale pub and consequently has a listing on CAMRA the campaign for real ale. There is a Metcalfe Society which is a one name geneology study site.

There were plenty of snowdrops on the banks of the road this morning, they are a flower that we have never been able to get to grow in our garden

On this route you pass an old school house which is a now a private residence.

This monument at Lawshall commerates Flight Sergeant Johannes Bartholomeus Jat Van Mesdag of No 64 Squadron who aged 21 whilst flying his Mustang Mk 111 lost his life on the 6th March 1945 near this spot on his Mothers birthday. The statue was erected in November 2009.


I haven't been able to find to much about this pilot but presume he may have been based at the Suffolk airforce based at Bentwaters.

Apparently these planes were named as P-51's in the US . 

The statue had fresh flowers.

Lawshall Suffolk

5pm 6.2 miles in 52 mins 1 secs

Week to date mileage 14 miles

Month to date mileage 117

Average weekly rate 29.5 miles

Average monthly rate 128

Year to date 631

Lifetime 10224

On the Bury to Sudbury road beyond Bradfield Combust along the roman road there is a turning for Lawshall. Initially you pass a number of greens including Lawshall, Hib's and Hanningfields before reaching the village of Lawshall. I parked up near the Swan Pub.

The weather was a mixture of sunshine and showers more April than late May and not warm. Lawshall has just held its annual scarecrow festival in aid of its village hall. This was the only 1 of the 19 or so scarecrows which were on display last weekend.

As per usual I didn't really have a plan of where I was going to run. I went through Harrow Green and past Our Lady Immaculate and St Joseph Church which sits not far from the gates to the western entrance to Coldham Hall.

There is a public right of way here that takes you up the hall and than on to Stanningfield where you can return to Lawshall along Donkey Lane. However I decided on this occasion to continue on along the road to Hawstead which was probably not the wisest choice. The road was lovely and windy and fairly hilly up and down. However it being rush hour there were a number of cars virtually all seemed to be Range Rovers.

I turned somewhere near Upper Dutmoss Wood and retraced my steps back to Lawshall. Entering the village this way All Saints Church looks more commanding.

The old Post Office is now a private residence but is still signed.

Hoggards Green/Stanningfield/Coldham Hall and Lawshall Suffolk

11.30am 12 miles in 1 hour 36 minutes 15 seconds.

Week to date mileage 37

Month to date mileage 66

Average weekly rate 34.4

Average Monthly rate 150

Weather: Steady rain.
Finally we have had some rain for what feels like the first time this year. It has been extremely dry and we could do with continuous rain for a month.

I parked the car at the Red House at Hoggards Green which is about 6 miles south of Bury St Edmunds towards Sudbury. The Red House is both a pub and a village shop.

I wasn't sure where I was going to run to as I set of in the rain. The first footpath I followed ended up at Yewtree Farm on the busy A134. As this was a deadend I retraced my

steps back to the Redhouse Pub. I set out on a B road hoping to pick up a footpath. I passed a very nice methordist church really in the middle of nowhere surrounded by fields. This road took me back to the A134 so again I retraced my steps back to the Redhouse. It was a good thing I wasn't popping into the pub each time I passed, though I was sorely tempted.

I again set out from Hoggards Green and this time picked up a road which took me into Stanningfield. The name apparently derives from stony field .

I passed the church of St Nicholas and then picked up on part of the St Edmunds
Way. However I was somewhat uncertain as to whether I should carry on as there were many imposing signs saying private besides the right of way pathway signs. This is somewhat intimidating and you feel a bit like an intruder. The private signs made reference to two private halls Coldham Hall and Rookwood Hall.

I never saw a soul on this run and decided that I was in my rights to follow the path. I soon reached Coldham Hall and its large grounds. It has a very long driveway and lots of a breed of Cattle in the grounds that
might be Highlands?

At the end of the driveway I couldn't see a way out there were some locked gates and I began to wonder again if I should be here and whether I was trespassing.

So I again retraced my steps but instead of going back to Stanningfield I decided on a quick visit to Lawshall along the wonderfully named Donkey Lane. I then took a visit in the opposite direction along Old Lane to the Little Rockwood Farm.

Before finally returning back through Stanningfield and into Hoggards Green . It was only when I returned home and had a look at Coldham Hall that I found out more about a very interesting history. The manor of Stanningfield and Lawshall was in the hands of the Rookwood family since Edward the 1st. The Rookwoods were members of parliament and staunch Catholics. Ambrose Rookwood inherited Coldham Hall in 1600 and soon turned the hall into somewhat of a secret retreat for catholic priests to practice.

However Ambrose Rookwood didn't enjoy his inheritance for very long as he was executed in 1606 as one of the conspirators involved in the Gunpowder Plot. he was executed along with Guy Fawkes. Could it have been at Coldham Hall that the plot to restore catholicism to England by blowing up the Houses of Parliament were hatched?

The last heir to the Coldham Hall estates died during the 1st World war and it is now owned by the German supermodel Claudia Schiffer. In 2002 when she married nearby in Shimpling apparently the locals who had gathered at the church were disappointed when Claudia Schiffer arrived hidden in blankets and she was roundly booed. I can now undertand the security around Coldham Hall which is aptly named. She has been stalked in the past and I guess my run through the grounds was probably recorded and watched on CCTV!

Still it is not every day you take a training run in Claudia Schiffers back garden!