Leavenheath Suffolk

5pm 6 miles in 49mins 07 secs

Week to date mileage 6

Month to date mileage 99

Average weekly rate 30.3

Average Monthly rate 132

Year to Date 1163

Life time 9183

After my last visit to Leavenheath on the 11th of July this year, I have always planned to return to visit the other half of the village which is concentrated around the village pub. I parked up near the Hare and Hounds and decided to run back along the pathway besides the A134 towards Honey Tye.

I turned off along the very straight Plough Lane. The weather was good, September having been an above average month for temperatures. I picked up on a a track leading me through some apple orchards on the left hand side. This was enjoyable even though the ground which was heavily rutted from farm machinery had turned to little lakes with recent overnight rain. The air smelt strongly of apples. Underneath the trees apples were littered in their hundreds giving a lovely warm autumnal pungence scent of cider. I saw nobody in the orchard and I emerged on to the Stoke by Nayland Golf Course near the 16th hole known as the Gainsborough.

I came to a series of lakes where the path seemed to cease and without any clear signs I had no option but to retrace my steps. It was only on looking at the ordanance survey map that it becomes clear that the pathway continues once you reach the other side of the lake and this would have enabled me to have a run a circular run.

However back in Leavenheath I took the Harrow Street path before again picking up a farm track towards Stewards Farm. Having completed my 6 miles I returned to the car.

Leavenheath Suffolk

4.40pm 6 miles in 49 minutes 3 seconds

Week to date mileage 6

Month to date mileage 64

Average weekly rate 32.1

AverageMonthly rate 139

Year to Date 881

Life time 8659

Leavenheath is a fairly large village that was once part of the Stoke by Nayland Parish. There is a concentrated population based around the Green where this is a cricket pavillion. Coming along the A134 soon after you cross into Suffolk from Essex you pass the lovely village of Nayland and small setlement called Honey Tye before arriving at Leavenheath.

If you take the first left along the High Road you can park up near the village green. I then followed a lovely shady path called the Kingsland Lane. The path is very uneven and most be suspetible to flooding but being under trees it was pleasant although there were plenty of bugs and flies so I had to be careful not to swallow to many when running. I sometimes do and they tend to get a little stuck in the throat.

After emerging from the woodland track I turned right along the road past Farthing Hall. I then saw a track to take me back over farmland which ran past Hulbacks farm and eventually to a nature reserve called Arger Fen which I must return to as it looked absolutely beautiful. Wild flowers dominate I took one or two pictures but only ventured into the outskirts of this site.

After a big loop I eventually returned to Leavenheath and ran out along the High Road past some impressive farms. There is certainly some money in farming if Green's Farm and Gedding Hall are any thing to go by. I returned to the village green and ran round the field a couple of times before venturing into the housing estate. This is a quite densely packed area of housing low level bungalows mostly very open access to all the properties with little defencable space.

I never spotted a church or pub but if you look at the map a further mile up the road is another settlement which is part of Leavenheath which I entirely missed so I may return. The secondary development although called leavenheath is also seemingly known as Harrow Street!