June 2026 – Castle Rising
June continued the trend of improved pheasant attendance, potentially due to the rumour of a tea room and a shorter walk. With knowledge this area from a previous Camino outing, the Pheasants were well prepped for the walk. An order mix up at the tea rooms led to a delayed start, but a bonus portion upgrade for some of the Pheasants. This welcome event was offset by the weak coffee.
Castle Rising delivered on beautiful scenic rustic life along with views of the castle grounds and the chance to fill up on food before the walk even started. After leaving the village, it was straight across the A149 and off onto the back roads through Fowlers Plantation. On a heavy road section, the group soon crossed the A148 heading into the fringes of Roydon. Crossing back over the A148, skirting around White Hills Wood and following the small river, the team soon found themselves back at the A149. Having been distracted by Mill House and slightly off course, the Pheasants split up, allowing Andy and Stu to take the shorter route back to the pub. The remaining flock took the disused Old Hunstanton Road on a picturesque loop back past the Almshouses of Trinity Hospital to join back up with Andy and Stu for refreshments.
Post-walk discussions on the road-heavy nature of the walk were interspersed with how uneven the ground was when off-road. Once drinks arrived and after some back and forth with the pub staff on portion control, a few nibbles arrived and everyone enjoyed the shade and was thankful for the shorter walk.
