The Weavers Way is a 61-mile long distance footpath in Norfolk, running from Great Yarmouth on the east coast to Cromer on the north coast. It uses public footpaths, some minor roads and a disused railway line.
The route passes through really varied scenery, from mixed farmland and woodland in the north, traditional grazing marshes, and of course the beautiful Norfolk Broads. The way passes through a number of lovely villages, fine flint churches, several large country houses, and historic wind-pumps.
Langton’s Guide to the Weavers Way and Angles Way.
I walked the Weavers Way with my wife and two youngest children, camping wild each night. As usual, we walked it in the opposite direction to the guide books.
Day one
We started in Acle, rather than the official start in Great Yarmouth, as it was easier for us to get a train here, and the stretch from Great Yarmouth to Acle (along the ‘Acle Straight’) was a part we had walked before.
The paths are generally good on the Weavers Way, but can get a little over grown in late summer. They can get quite muddy after a period of rain. We were lucky to have easy walking on dry paths, although this morning it was frozen. We couldn’t find anywhere to camp away from the path, so we reluctantly camped on it. This meant an early start the next morning, so we weren’t in anyone’s way.
Day two
We followed a disused railway line most of the way to North Walsham and Aylsham – complete with redundant platforms. This made for nice easy walking (and navigating!)
We camped beside the old railway line on the second night, again waking up to frozen tents.
Day three
The stunning Blickling Hall, a stately home which is part of the Blickling estate north of Aylsham and has been in the care of the National Trust since 1940. If you have the time, it’s well worth a look around. We stopped for a nice breakfast in the cafe.
We had an interesting walk through a mixture of fields and very quiet roads to Cromer, passing old cottages and churches.
A few miles before reaching Comer the route passes Felbrigg Hall. It is a 17th-century English country house, again owned by the National Trust. Outside the house are a walled garden, an orangery and orchards to look around.
The Weavers Way was a really nice easy walk, ideal for the kids. We found it interesting and varied. There were no other people walking it when we did it.
There were no campsites along the route, and you need to carry enough water, to get you between towns. The trains run fairly regularly to Norwich.
Further reading
I could not think of doing any of my long distance walks without my waterproof phone, which I use for navigation and safety. Read my review of the GPS and mapping here and My Ulefone Amor 3W phone review.
Langton’s Guide to the Weavers Way and Angles Way book.
Tips for walking with children
Walking the South West Coast path with children.
How I plan a successful long distance walk
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