Running the Lt Whelnethum Suffolk Line Walk

After yesterday's continous wind and rain today was a lovely dry day with clear blue skies. The 1st of March as the saying goes ‘When March comes in like a lamb, it goes out like a lion’ goes the old folklore saying‥The reverse, however, is also true, and the saying continues: ‘When March comes in like a lion, it goes out like a lamb, so based on this we can expect some wild weather at the end of March.

Lunch time I used my time off work to do a run. The photo opposite with the fence in front of a lake is normally a field. The heavy rains have created a little lake along Cullum Road in Bury St Edmunds.

The 2nd photo on this blog post  again highlights the heavy rains and the flooding we have had. This is normally a pathway between the fence and the bush on the right.


I then ran  out along the Sicklesmere Road - A 134.Once into Sicklesmere I picked up a track to take me to the Lt Whelnethum Line Walk. This is a stretch of the old dismantled railway line which used to run between Bury St Edmunds and Sudbury. It is now a beautiful walk or run in my case!

You can still imagine the trains running down here even though none have done so for nearly 45 years. At its peak 6 trains used to make the journey between Bury St Edmunds and Long Melford. The line opened on 9 August 1865 and closed to passengers on 10 April 1961 and freight on 19 April 1965.

From the local newspaper the Bury Free Press this storey is shown on the Foxearth and District Local History Site for June 1878 ......

"There was a fatal accident on Saturday afternoon last at Gt Waldingfield, alittle boy named Gooden aged 7 years was riding with his elder brother who was returning to Lt Waldingfield with a horse and tumbril laden with coal when by some means the poor little fellow fell down between the wheels and was much crushed receiving injuries from which he died on Sunday mornin"

My ten mile run today went well. I am certainly more confident about doing this distance since doing the Runners World SMART Coach schedule.  My aim was always to build up a strong base level of mileage and the cream on the top would be a good race time at the half marathon at the end of March.

I am not running particularly quickly still. My 10 miles today were run in 1hr 28 mins and 29 seconds for an average of 8.51 miles. This is within the 9.15 mile time detailed in the schedule. My mile splits were 8.20,8.34,8.38,8.36,9.24,8.49,8.55,8.48,8.45 and 9.35.

At  the 5 mile point I started the run along the old railway line and my times slowed as the ground was heavy, muddy and it was a case of dodging the puddles. However some of the time the ground was like a rice field and my feet become wet. My last mile was the slowest and this contains two lengthy hills so this is understandably slow

 In the late Spring and Summer the walk along the Lt Whelnethum Line Walk will be totally different with tall grasses and ox eye daisies. My photos of a run along here in June 2006 show a different picture from today

Lt Whelnetham to Bradfield St Clare Suffolk

2pm 8.4 miles in 1hr 10 mins 10 seconds

Week to date mileage 18 miles

Month to date mileage 137

Average weekly rate 30.2 miles

Average monthly rate 131

Year to date 1564

Lifetime 9584

I drove out to the village of Lt Whelnetham with the thought of finding the old Railway Station House which is clearly marked on the OS map 211 Explorer edition of the ordnance survey map. Coming of the A134 just after Sicklesmere along the appropriately named Water Lane I parked close up to where the Old Station House is marked on the map.

Where I parked there must have clearly been a bridge but this has long gone with the ending of this railway line between Bury St Edmunds and Sudbury back in the early 1960's.

I set of up hill and must have run past the Station House as the marked pathway takes you on a bit of a detour around it. I didn't worry to much and continued on my run through apple orchards and past Maynard House. Maynards Wine Orchard produces a range of English wine and fuit juices and the orchards even in December were pungent smelling of old apples it was like being inside a bottle of cider.

I reached a minor B road but continued my run on passing over another former railway bridge.

The level of the field must have been considerably raised as there is very little clearance under the bridge here now and hard to imagine a train passing underneath.

I entered the small village of Bradfield St Clare and ran as far as the church called St Clare.
I was tempted to run to another of the Bradfields called Combust but the light was already beginning to fail and even this mnor road had a fair amount of cars so it wasn't worth the risk and I returned back to Maynard House.

I took a different turning with the objective of finding the old railway station. This path took me across a wet field and what would have been the old track and eventually through to the station itself. This has now been converted to a private residence. Further down track there are some old buildings here that once would have straddled either side of the railway which was a single line. It looked pretty derelict with the doors boarded but nevertheless it was possible to get a good impression of how the station would have appeared.

With time on my hands I decided to continue my run in the opposite direction along the restored Lt Whelnetham Line. This is a stretch aboot 1.5 miles long of restored pathway along the former railway line to Bury St Edmunds. A beautiful walk with lots of wild flowers this is worth visiting. Although a little muddy I ran to the end of this walk and then returned to do it again before returning to the car.

Little Welnethum Suffolk

8am 11.4 miles in I hr 32 mins 43 seconds

Week to date mileage 33

Month to date mileage 50

Average weekly rate 32.1

Average Monthly rate 140

Year to Date 867

Life time 8645

I ran out on the A134 road from Bury St Edmunds to Sicklesmere then just beyond the Rushbrooke Arms I turned left into Little Welnethum village.

The odd thing about the Rushbrooke Arms is that of course this pub is clearly in the village of Sicklesmere and Rushbrooke is about a mile away over the Hawkers Lane. I once was going to meet family and friends and was told to meet them at the Sicklesmere Wagon. I think we spent half an hour looking for the pub that no longer exists because the Sicklemere Wagon is now the Rushbrooke Arms. Strangely the village of Sicklesmere isn't listed in the publication called 'A survey of Suffolk Parish History' or Arthur Mee's 'The Kings England' -Why what is the history of Sicklesmere. As you run through it what is always odd is that the villages of Great and Little Welnethum have their welcome to their village signs actually in Sicklesmere?!

I ran up hill through a wooded plantation to St Mary of Magdalene and then picked up a path called parsonage lane which I presumed would take me to the road to Rushbrooke. Trouble was I went right instead of left along a very straight roman road and I ended up coming back into Lt Welnethum. From here I retraced my steps back to Sicklesmere and Bury.

A good run but ultimately getting lost spoilt my plans for a circular run but another time I think I will be ok with this route.

Lt Whelnetham Line Walk

7.30am 11 miles in 1 hour 30 minutes 43 seconds

Week to date mileage 31

Month to date mileage 84

Average weekly rate 31.7

AverageMonthly rate 137

Year to Date 765

Life time 8543

Set out early to avoid the heat and to do a long run. I have had to bin my New Balance 854's after only 241 miles!. The wear on the outer heals had removed all trace of the black rubber/carbon tread and I was running on the mid sole. What a bad buy!

I over pronate when I run so I always have to buy shoes which have strong outer heels but also suit high arches. This doesn't always appear easy and the information I receive in shops and on web suits often seems to contradict. Oh well it means buying a new pair this week.

I ran out along the Sicklesmere Road A 134 and was noticable this morning was the sheer number of motor bikes riding up and down this stretch for some unknown reason but it looked impressive.

Once into Sicklesmere I picked up a track to take me to the Line Walk. This is a stretch of the old dismantled railway line which used to run between Bury St Edmunds and Sudbury. It is now a beautiful walk or run in my case! You can still imagine the railway running down here even though no trains have done so for nearly 40 years.

The grass was very long in places but perfectly runnable and was carpeted in ox eye daisys.