The Peddars Way is one of England's great forgotten long-distance walks — an ancient Roman road running arrow-straight for 46 miles from the Suffolk border to the Norfolk coast. It's quiet, uncrowded, and walks through a landscape that feels genuinely unchanged. This is the complete guide to walking it.
What is the Peddars Way?
The Peddars Way follows the course of a Roman road built around 60 AD, probably in the aftermath of Boudicca's revolt to allow rapid military movement through the East Anglian interior. For much of its length, the original agger (raised road surface) is still visible as a slight ridge in the fields.
It's a National Trail — one of England's 16 official long-distance routes — managed by Natural England. At Holme-next-the-Sea it joins the Norfolk Coast Path, which continues east along the entire North Norfolk coast. Together they form a 130-mile route from Suffolk to Cromer.
Unlike the Peddars Way's more famous cousin routes, you'll rarely share it with more than a handful of other walkers. On some sections you can walk for an entire day without seeing another soul. This is part of its considerable appeal.
The Route: Overview
The Way runs almost dead straight from Knettishall Heath Country Park in Suffolk (near Thetford) to Holme-next-the-Sea on the Norfolk coast. The straightness is Roman — they didn't deviate for hills, rivers or villages. The landscape transitions from Breckland heath and forest in the south, through rolling chalk farmland in the middle, to the open skies and coastal heath of North Norfolk at the finish.
Most walkers go south to north — starting at Knettishall Heath and finishing at the sea. This means you're always walking towards the coast, with the reward of the sea at journey's end. The wind also tends to be kinder walking north in spring and summer.
The Four Stages
The walk begins at the car park at Knettishall Heath, one of the finest fragments of Breckland heath left in England. The first miles pass through Thetford Forest — the largest lowland pine forest in Britain — before emerging onto open heath and farmland. The Roman straightness becomes apparent quickly. Castle Acre makes an excellent overnight stop — a remarkable Norman village with a ruined priory and castle, and a good pub (The Ostrich Inn).
The longest undisturbed stretch of original Roman road — the agger is clearly visible as a raised causeway across fields in several places. The landscape is chalk farmland with big skies and ancient hedgerows. This is the most "Roman" feeling section of the walk. Great Massingham has a beautiful village green with large duck ponds and The Dabbling Duck pub for the night.
The route climbs gently onto the chalk hills around Harpley — the highest ground on the walk — with views opening across the Wash on clear days. The descent to Ringstead passes through some of the finest chalk downland in Norfolk, rich with wildflowers in summer. The Gin Trap Inn at Ringstead is one of the finest pubs on the entire route.
The final stage descends from the chalk hills to the coast through Holme village, with the North Sea visible ahead for the last couple of miles. The Peddars Way ends at the beach at Holme-next-the-Sea — a beautiful, remote stretch of coast where you can walk into the waves and feel justifiably triumphant. The Norfolk Coast Path continues east from here to Cromer if you want to keep going.
Getting There and Back
Getting to the Start
The nearest train station to Knettishall Heath is Thetford (served by Greater Anglia from Norwich and Cambridge/London). From Thetford station it's a 6-mile taxi or bus ride to Knettishall. Several walking holiday companies also offer luggage transfer services.
Getting Home from the Finish
From Holme-next-the-Sea, take the Coasthopper bus to Hunstanton, then the bus or train back to your starting point. Alternatively, arrange a pickup — Holme is only 40 minutes from Norwich by car.
Accommodation
The Peddars Way passes through or near several good overnight stops. Unlike more crowded national trails, you rarely need to book far ahead except in peak summer:
- Night 1: Castle Acre — The Ostrich Inn, several B&Bs
- Night 2: Great Massingham or Harpley — The Dabbling Duck, local B&Bs
- Night 3: Ringstead or Hunstanton — The Gin Trap Inn (book ahead), Hunstanton has many options
Essential Gear
You don't need to walk the whole thing. Each stage works well as a day walk with a car shuttle or using the Coasthopper bus. Stage 4 from Ringstead to the sea is particularly recommended as a standalone day walk — parking at Ringstead and finishing at Holme, then getting the Coasthopper back to Hunstanton and a taxi to your car.
Why Walk the Peddars Way?
The Peddars Way isn't dramatic in the way of Hadrian's Wall or the South West Coast Path. There are no cliff edges or mountain passes. What it has instead is something rarer — a profound sense of age and continuity. You are walking the same road that Roman legionaries marched along two thousand years ago, through a landscape that has changed slowly and gently rather than dramatically.
It ends at the sea. That matters. The moment the path crests the final dune and you see the North Sea is one of the small but genuine rewards of walking in England.