September 2026 – Pingo Trail, Caston
This outing saw the Pheasants undertake the Pingo trail in Breckland country, a walk for purists with its dead-straight sections. Following a well-signed first half of the walk, the group soon became bored of the monotonously linear first 4.5km section. It was left to Pheasant Steve to cheer up the Pheasants by producing his frittata, which consisted of home-farmed eggs, cheese and chorizo.
The Peddars Way once again provided a section of this walk and reminded everyone how straight it can be. The ecologically rare pingos were located north of Thetford and not far from Caston. Leaving the unswerving section after the rest break, the next task was to make sure they avoided straying into MOD land and live-firing range. Heading towards Thompson Water and skirting below Thompson itself, the route became harder to follow and confusion set in when options in the route became present.
This allowed another opportunity for a sit-down and Pheasant huddle over shortbread provided by Stu. After much deliberation and a failed attempt to hack through the undergrowth, it was decided to retrace steps and follow the signs and ditch the OS guidance. Eventually, after following a sinuous, slightly hidden route, the team eventually arrived back safely at the end.
After finishing the route, it was then a short car journey to Caston and the Red Lion Pub. This resulted in numerous loops around the tiny hamlet in order to find parking. The cars were finally abandoned within sight of the pub, which was a quaint establishment offering a good selection of beers and snacks.
