Adkins Wood Ickworth Park Suffolk

Adkins Wood

An easy 8 mile run this morning out to Adkins Wood in Ickworth Park. A grey overcast Easter Monday.

Bee Hives at Ickworth Park

Canal Lake

This is one of my regular routes and it is always interesting to spot things which have changed. Today there were 3 things of note - a number of new signboards,lots of lambs in the park which made a tremoundous bleating racket as I approached and some further evidence of work to set up some beehives. By the canal lake and next to the summerhouse work has begun on establishing some behives.

St Mary's Church

Summer House

Apparently the National Trust has found evidence that beehives were present on the site when the Marquis of Bristol family seat over hundred of years  was  Ickworth Park.

I am hoping to run my next race on the 3rd of May at Croxton Thetford. It is the Breckland 10k race over the border in Norfolk.

This leaves little time for training but I will follow a 4 week plan from the Runners World SMART Coach and hope for the best!

Adkins Wood, Ickworth Park Suffolk

8am 9.2 miles in 1 hr 14 mins 54 mins
Week to date mileage 27 miles
Month to date mileage 48
Average weekly rate 29.7 miles
Average monthly rate 129
Year to date 679
Lifetime 10272

Adkins Wood is one of my favourite runs combining as it does hills, farmland, woodland , National Trust parkland and lakes. The run starts from Bury St Edmunds and sets off up Westley Lane until you reach Horringer,

then into Ickworth Park. Immediately inside of the park I turn left and into Adkins Wood which is a fairly narrow strip of woodland running the length of the village.
Who was Adkins?


I wore my Inov 8 shoes which I like a lot they have great grip and are a bit like a sports car in that they are low lying you feel as if you are hugging the ground as they have don't have the large cushion of normal running shoes.

When you reach the Fairy lake you know you are now in Lady Hervey's Wood.
There is a wet path way to take you over to the Canal Lake by way of some pontoon duck boards.

The Canal Lake is a very pretty spot with its summer house, vinefields and the views of Ickworth House and St Mary's Church.

Ickworth Park

9am 8.4 miles in 1 hour 11 minutes 38 seconds

Year to date mileage 1123

Month to date 33 miles

Average miles per month 110

Average weekly rate 25.4

Weather: Dull, overcast mild and windy.

Course: Repeated yesterdays run in the hope that this time my digital camera would work better when I downloaded to the pc. It did and the photos above are some of the shots. The weather wasn't as good so the pictures are not as bright as yesterdays.

The camera quality being less than a mega pixel is a little frustrating as anything close up or at a distance really is just a blur. However the camera is so lightweight I don't even notice I am carrying it so if I can find anything as thin and lightweight with more mega pixels that would be the ideal camera for me.

Most visitors to Ickworth Park which is run by the National Trust don't go far from house and gardens so they miss out on the lovely summer house by the lake and St Marys Church. Sadly I have never been inside the church which appears to be locked and the grave yard is marked with signs warning that it is unsafe to venture in.

Ickworth Park

8am 8.5 miles in 1hr 13 mins. Year to date mileage 671 miles, Month to date 136 miles, average miles per week this year 22.3 and average per month 97.

Weather was beautiful and sunny.

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.

Now owned by the National Trust the rotunda shaped house at Ickworth Park was built around 1803 as the home of Frederick Hervey. The Herveys family were the earls and Marquesses of Bristol. The house is 700 feet long and 100 feet high. From the photo you will see lots of boarding this is where the national Trust are carrying out some work to restore the west wing.

During the 18th century Lady Mary Hervey was a famous beauty and is remembered as the only women to whom Voltaire addressed a poem written in English.

Much of the great park was designed by Capability Brown. Here you can see herds of deer, rabbits and lots of woodpeckers. There is a vineyard and several walks. A good website to find out more is http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/places/ickworth/index.html.