Welcome Location Our lovely little village, nestled in the heart of BURY ST EDMUNDS rural Suffolk, has a long and varied history. A140 In Anglo Saxon times this was beort seate, STOWMARKET meaning ‘bright sett’ or ‘brightly seated’ and at NEEDHAM MARKET 91 metres above sea level, this is the highest B1078 A134 A14 place in East Suffolk. Slightly less pleasant Great Bricett BILDESTON GREAT accounts suggest the name could mean ‘fold BRICETT or stable infested with gadflies’! A1071 IPSWICH SUDBURY Walks The heart of the village centres on the tiny village HADLEIGH green and the adjacent Victorian school now Two historic serves as our Village Hall. Great Bricett lies on the B1078, about 5 miles circular walks A visitor to the village in the 1920’s described it as west of Needham Market, 9 miles north of “queer in its general appearance, having a windmill Hadleigh and 10 miles west of Ipswich. without sails, a hump-backed bridge, and, near the Post Office, a few cottages ranged beside the Public Transport village green. Chickens roamed in the church yard.” Limited public transport is available to Great Today, houses stand where the windmill once Bricett. Visit www.suffolkonboard.com for stood, chickens no longer roam the church yard, timetables or www.travellineeastanglia.co.uk the hump backed bridge is still here and the (08712 002 233) to plan your journey. Norman Church is still surrounded by centuries old cottages beside the tiny village green. Discover Suffolk Discover more great days out across Suffolk at The walks described in this guide take you on www.discoversuffolk.org.uk a fascinating journey around the parish. Each walk is 3-4 miles long Produced by Suffolk County Council and Great and can be easily Bricett Parish Council as part of the Diamond combined to Jubilee celebrations for Queen Elizabeth ll. make longer walks. Each starts at the village hall. Printed by Design & Print IP2 0UH 01473 260600 814-ESE-100512 Keep ahead, turning left at the next footpath Just before a small bridge turn left, The Airfield and to walk beside a wood. The path passes what keeping straight ahead uphill across a field Hall Route was RAF Wattisham’s Old Astra Cinema 2 . until you reach the road at Ringshall 4 . Turn right and follow the lane, crossing the Start: Village Hall During WW2 the noise of bombers shattered the main road to continue along the lane Distance: 3.5 miles (5km) peace of this once quiet, secluded village. However, opposite. This quiet lane is full of wildlife, Duration: 2 hours the development of the base meant that local roads especially finches: Greenfinch; Goldfinch; were surfaced and the village shopkeeper (already Bullfinch; Yellowhammers; and From the village green head to the main the baker, sub-postmaster and postman) could add occasionally Linnets. road. The house on the right was once the taxi driver to his list of services! village shop. Opposite the junction is St From 1942 the US Army Air Force used Wattisham Past Squirrel Farm and Ringshall House Peters Court, dating from 1500. Turn right as a fighter base. On 19th June 1944, a USAAF (c1620-1630), at the junction 5 , turn right and and then left at the footpath by the village Fortress loaded with bombs crashed into a field continue down the hill past Tollemache Hall, the sign 1 which contains images of St Mary near the village and exploded. The crew escaped location of Little Bricett Church 5 . and St Lawrence Church, the smock mill and nobody was hurt but considerable damage and Blenheim bombers, stationed at RAF Beyond an arched thicket, pass the first was done to properties, including the church. Wattisham during WW2. signpost on the right and turn right at the Today the base is used by the Army Air Corps, second signpost over a wooden bridge 6 . home of the Apache helicopter, and the RAF, who Cross the field and just before the small operate Sea King Search and Rescue helicopters. wood turn left to the road. Cross into Bear right and continue until you reach a Mill Lane and then left onto the footpath. footpath. Follow this path, keeping the ditch and hedge on your right 3 . This is near the site of a smock mill 7 – a horizontally weatherboarded mill, the shape of which resembled a farmer’s smock. The mill collapsed after a gale in 1954 and was never replaced. There are lovely views from this footpath of Great Bricett. The path leads between paddocks to a short bridge, over a stile and across a small field to return to the church and village green. Great Bricett Walks Two historic circular walks 4 3 2 6 1 2 1 5 7 5 4 6 3 3B KEY TO MAP The Airfield and Hall Route The Moat and Pub Route A Step Further Public Footpath Bridleway Map based on Ordnance Survey Copyright mapping. All rights reserved. Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown Copyright. Suffolk County Council 3A Licence No. 100023395 2012. Victorian glass destroyed by a wartime explosion. A Step Further… The Moat and A nearby window shows St Mary and St Lawrence in modern stained glass. (2.5 miles/4km, approx 1.5 hours) Pub Route At 3 turn right and continue to the road, then From the village green, facing the church, Start: Village Hall follow the footpath opposite. follow the footpath left, crossing the corner of Distance: 4 miles (6km) Great Bricett Hall’s garden to climb a stile and In the large fields there are often roe deer and Duration: 2 hours cross a field to a stile at the far right corner. in spring the ditch banks are full of cowslips, The Church of St Mary and primroses and wood anemones. In winter flocks St Lawrence 1 is nothing if Turn left and then right to cross a field. In the of lapwing and golden plover land here. not unusual, being long and middle of the field, where five paths meet, Turn left over the wooden bridge (keep the ditch towerless with a nave and look back. Just west of Great Bricett Hall is on your left) and at the path junction 3A left again. chancel all under one roof. Nunnery Mount 2 . At the end of this path, by the footpath signs, This was once the church of the convent of a The exact nature of Nunnery Mount is not known; turn left to follow a track past Maskells Hall, 12th century Benedictine Priory (St Leonard near it's too small to be a motte and bailey but it does past a row of cottages to meet Offton Road 3B. Limoges). There is a plan of the Priory on display bear resemblance to early Norman moated features. inside. The dedication of St Lawrence comes from Turn left, then first right and cross the main road Early maps refer to it as Nunnery Hill and an the long-vanished church and village of Little to follow the small lane opposite. Rejoin the adjoining field is identified as Nunnery Field. 4 Bricett, a mile south. Inside the porch, in the main route . Norman decoration of the main south door, is an Turning back, take the 1st path right and leave inscription ‘Leonardus’, added in Victorian times. Just after crossing a small stream, turn left and the field, past the end of an open garden to follow the footpath to the main road. A brick kiln 6 The churchyard is on the south side only as the cross a small bridge. Follow the footpath was once here and opposite are former priory quadrangle on the north side now (keeping the ditch on your left), through a Brick Kiln Cottages, which forms part of the private garden to Great Bricett small wood until you reach the main road. show the variety of bricks Hall, a 16th century house built into the west end. Turn left and left again into Wallow Lane. made at the kilns. This also contains remains of the former priory. Follow this for almost a mile through The south side is like an encyclopedia of early Marshmoor Mobile Home Park 3 , continuing Cross the road, down medieval windows - few styles are unrepresented on the Byway to the main road 4 . steps and follow the - and a curious arch at the east path over a small end reveals the site of a former Across the road the byway continues past The bridge. On the hill transept chapel. Red Lion; opposite is Red Lion Cottage built to your left is a 17th about 1570. Continue to Tollemache Hall, century thatched Inside, the Norman font has formerly the manor house of Little Bricett Tudor Cottage. distinctive carved designs and the 5 . The Hall dates from 16th century and Continue ahead to wooden pulpit, probably Jacobean, Little Bricett church was once situated return to The Street is an unusual octagonal design. Most adjacent to the Hall. in Great Bricett. of the East window is clear; the former.