Norwich to Caistor Roman Town Walk
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Walk wildlife Norwich Fringe Project This leaflet is one of a series of self-guided Wildlife has been quick to colonise the quarry trails that will help you enjoy the Norwich (map 2 site 6) Sand Martins nest in holes they dig Fringe countryside. themselves. During the summer they can be seen Norwich Fringe Project aims to promote hawking over the quarry and surrounding fields. informal recreational facilities in the Buddleia Norwich An escaped garden plant is common countryside surrounding Norwich. here; its colourful clusters of flowers in late summer attract large to Caistor numbers of butterflies. Teasels line A 1 4 Roman 0 the fence at Horsford the edge of Town the quarry. They produce Walk egg-shaped A47 flowers, Thorpe St Andrew attracting A47 seed eating Hethersett Goldfinches 1 in the autumn. A1 0 4 1 A Alongside the footpath, growing amongst the Norwich Fringe Countryside Management Project hedge, (map 2, site 10) Mile Cross Central Depot Admin Building Dog Rose can be found, Mile Cross Road, Norwich NR3 2DY recognised in winter by Telephone: 01603 423303 its arched thorns and in summer by its pink Email: [email protected] flowers. Website: www.norwichfringeproject.co.uk In summer these hedges are home to the Whitethroat, which sings in short bursts as it flies up from the hedge before diving quickly, back ARCHAEOLOGICAL WALKING TOUR into cover. www.norwichfringeproject.co.uk L O N E N G A J L O U The Norwich to Caistor A H E N N TI H R A A I 1 L M 4 L 6 Roman Town Walk – y D a Archaeological walking tour A lw RO i LAKENHAM G a N R RI he eastern slopes of the Tas valley are a well wooded, rolling Tagricultural landscape, where a y wealth of archaeological interest lays, a w il E evidence of civilisation long before a N R A L Norwich existed. A rich variety of E S wildlife inhabits the area with many R O fine old trees and woodland birds. H e E s IT w o H r The walk follows seven miles (11.2 W T o N T ER km) of quiet country lanes and public TH U SS footpaths passing two of the county’s SO A -P BY most important archaeological sites. y a r r Please find the route description for u features 1-13 on the next page. M h t u R y b n g i s e d t e l f a e L Arminghall Wood is privately owned - there Arminghall is strictly no public Wood access allowed. HALLBACK LANE Key Route Public Footpath MARKSHALL Site of interest Church Parking CAISTOR H I ST EDMUND G H A S H L A N E N V Maps are based upon or reproduced A L from Ordnance Survey material with L E the permission of Ordnance Survey Y on behalf of the Controller of Her Sewage F A Majesty's Stationery Office. Works R M © Crown Copyright. L Unauthorised reproduction infringes A N Crown copyright and may lead to 0 0.5 mile E prosecution or civil proceedings. Norwich City Council Licence No.100019747 2004 0 0.5 1 km The walk is approximately 7 miles (11.2 kms) Norwich to Caistor Roman Town Walk 1. The Cock Public House is an 18th 5. The site of Caistor chalk pit was 8. Arminghall Wood is a classic 11. Hidden amongst a plantation of Century building which originally had once a hill whose summit was slightly example of ancient woodland, dating Scots Pine, overlooking Chandler a thatched roof, replaced by tiles when higher than the point at which the from before 1600. It is recognised for its Lane and the Roman Town is a 6th it was badly damaged by sparks from footpath overlooks the quarry. wildlife value and has County Wildlife Century Saxon cemetery . The Saxons a fire at the nearby mill. Originally sand and gravel were Site status. Medieval woods were had begun to settle in the area around extracted for building materials. When important places providing fuel, AD440 and may have been employed 2. Lakenham Mill was built in the they became exhausted, extraction of timber, grazing, bedding and thatching by the people of Venta Icenorum first half of the 19th Century. the under-lying chalk began, which is materials. There were also a wide (Caistor Roman Town) as mercenaries In 1908 it was destroyed by fire processed on site into agricultural variety of food resources gathered to guard the town. but was rebuilt and finally closed in lime. A by-product is flint, which is such as nuts, berries and the honey 1947. It has been used as a woollen, used in the restoration of old of wild bees. 12. Venta Icenorum. The Roman Town at corn and saw mill and a toy factory. buildings. The wood is privately owned - there Caistor St Edmund was constructed as is strictly no public access allowed. an administrative centre from around 3. From its source at Carleton Rode, 6. Wildlife has been quick to colonise AD70, and it remained a regional the River Tas flows fourteen miles the quarry. Sand Martins nest in holes centre for another three hundred years. until it merges with the River Yare they dig themselves. During the 9. A pollarded Hornbeam is one of The full significance of the site was at Lakenham. It flows through a summer they can be seen hawking the many mature trees lining Hallback first appreciated during a drought in well wooded landscape with valley over the quarry and surrounding Lane. Recognised by its smooth grey the summer of 1929. bottom pastures and arable land on fields. An escaped garden plant bark with dark fissures and the dead Patterns were noticed in the growing higher ground. Buddleia is common here; its colour- leaves it retains through the winter. corn from an aircraft that revealed the ful clusters of flowers in late summer Hornbeam is a very hard wood, once street patterns, buildings and 4. A ‘ring’ shaped bump in the attract large numbers of butterflies. used for construction of precision excavations of the Roman Town. middle of a grazing pasture is all that Teasels line the fence at the edge of the parts such as pulleys, cogs, and wood remains of one of Norfolk’s most quarry. They produce egg-shaped screws; it also produces fine charcoal, 13. In the valley bottom there are still important monuments! flowers, attracting seed eating gunpowder and slow burning timber. rough grazing meadows, an important Constructed in prehistoric times, Goldfinches in the autumn. Commonly it is coppiced or pollarded wildlife habitat, nationally these areas consisting of a horseshoe of eight to produce firewood. There are also are threatened as their drainage and massive wooden posts, Arminghall 7. This area was planted up with several mature hollow oaks lining use of fertilisers has become more Henge would have resembled a trees by the Norwich Fringe Project Hallback Lane. widespread. Rough grazing is particu - wooden equivalent of Stonehenge. to replace Elms lost to Dutch Elm larly good for wading birds, and land The construction of such a religious disease. 10. Alongside the footpath, growing grazed by cattle is beneficial as they monument suggests this was a very amongst the hedge, Dog Rose can be leave tussocks providing cover for important area. found,recognised in winter by its nests and chicks. Many wildflowers arched thorns and in summer by its are unable to grow where there is pink flowers. In summer these strong competition from vigorous hedges are home to the Whitethroat, grasses. They have therefore adapted which sings in short bursts as it flies to grow where there is low soil fertility, While every effort has been made to include accurate up from the hedge before diving so simply adding fertilisers can and up-to-date information, the Norwich Fringe Project quickly, back into cover. does not accept responsibility for any errors or omissions. drastically reduce the number of If you find any inaccuracies we would be very pleased wildflowers. to hear about them. www.norwichfringeproject.co.uk.