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Orange Walk


(Average user rating1 unrated 1/5)

About Orange Walk

The Orange Walk can be started from St Helens Picnic Site or from Santon Downham and offers the walker a variety of habitats and many opportunities for wildlife watching. The walk passes through the Little Ouse Valley Forest Nature Reserve, crosses the river and takes the walker through the edge of Santon Downham village. Six interpretation boards along the walk explain features of interest to the historian as well as the naturalist. 1) Lychgate - general site information; 2) Little Ouse Meadows - information on the ecology of a rare and interesting habitat; 3) Santon Warren - heathland for the future; 4) Thetford Rare Birds - ornithology of the forest; 5) Blood Hill - prehistoric burial mound; 6) St Helen's Church and Holy Well, Santon.

From 5th Oct to 23rd Nov the orange walk have a short divertion because of work being carried out by Network Rail. Also, for the weekend of 14th and 15th November the whole of the orange walk will be closed to the public because of a Motorbike Enduro. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

How to get there:

Orange Walk can be started from Santon Downham in Thetford Forest Park. Santon Downham and Brandon are the nearest towns or villages.

From Brandon take the B1107 towards Thetford.

On the outskirts of Brandon, fork left signposted Santon Downham and Forest District Offices.

Follow this road through the village until you reach the church.

Turn left and park in the Forest District Offices car park.

OS Grid Reference: TL 810 851
For details of public transport visit http://www.transportdirect.info

What's on in Thetford Forest Park

March

May

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Santon Downham Facilities.
ToiletsInformationParkingRefreshments
Grade of trail:
Sensible footwareEasy
Trail waymarking:
Length of trail:
Five miles
Approximate time of trail:
Allow up to two and a half hours hours
Open or closed:
open
Click here to find out what else you can do in this forest.

Contact:
Reception

01842 816010
e-mail: enquiries.eanglia@forestry.gsi.gov.uk

User Comments

Name: Steve (1 Star)
23/Aug/2009
Areas nice but walk is VERY badly signposted. We didn't take a map as thought it would be labelled correctly. Oh how we were wrong. Theres posts where you don't need them, but where you do (like a crossroads) - nothing. we got lost and ended up missing a big part of the route out because of this. instead of having badly placed non helpful posts, why not have them at each junction with an arrow pointing where you need to go? I think this walk is a health and safety issue as you could get lost and never find your way back. I know this sounds extreme but it would be so simple to signpost it correctly but you've wasted your time with pointless excessive unhelpful orange-topped posts.

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What's of interest

Most of the waymarked walks throughout Thetford Forest Park are suitable for wheelchair access and pushchairs. Some tracks are quite sandy in places and may become waterlogged or muddy after prolonged periods of rain. A map showing the trail around Santon Downham is available from the Forest Office (office hours only) . You can also download it.