Route: Beacon Hill
Area: North Norfolk
Date of walk: 30th November 2023
Walkers: Andrew and Gilly
Distance: 2.4 miles
Ascent: 150 feet
Weather: Sunny spells, very cold
Beacon Hill (also known as Roman Camp) is the highest spot in the whole of Norfolk and stands at the dizzying altitude of 344 feet above sea level. We’d arrived in Norfolk at lunchtime and with only a couple of daylight hours left this was a good choice for a short afternoon walk
We parked in one of the free parking spaces just off Sandy Lane, West Runton. After crossing the road we walked along a track and after a few yards arrived at another possible parking spot, the National Trust car park (free to members), opposite a caravan park. We walked to the nearby viewpoint of Beacon Hill with a view out to sea which was limited by trees. We then headed downhill and turned left to follow a path along the edge of the woodland. There were occasional sea views beyond the nearby town of Sheringham
We joined a path known as Calves Well Lane and at the end of it we climbed uphill briefly to reach another viewpoint at Stone Hill, which is a continuation of the Beacon Hill ridge. This marked the far point of the walk and from here we followed paths through the woodland back to the start. Note that there are numerous paths which criss cross the heathland and it’s easy to go astray
It was a pleasant walk, although we’d hoped for more extensive views over Norfolk given that we were walking over the highest ground in the county
Click on the icon below for the route map (subscribers to OS Maps can view detailed maps of the route, visualise it in aerial 3D, and download the GPX file. Non-subscribers will see a base map)
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National Trust information board at the start of the walk - we are on the highest ground in Norfolk, part of Cromer ridge which extends for nine miles
The site is still described by the National Trust and Ordnance Survey as a Roman Camp, however there is no evidence that this was ever the case. It’s thought that the term was coined in the 19th century by local horse-drawn cab drivers in order to make the area sound more appealing to tourists
There's no climbing involved, we're already on Beacon Hill. The views aren't as extensive as we'd anticipated
We follow a path downhill through woodland...
We turn left on reaching Calves Well Lane and enjoy good views out to sea, including this one of Beeston Bump, formed about 15,000 years ago during the last ice age
Looking across to Sheringham
We continue in the direction of Beeston Regis
The Beeston Bump again - the hill is also known as the lair of Black Shuck, the legendary devil dog that is an omen of death. When Arthur Conan Doyle walked here in 1901, while recovering from typhoid, he got the inspiration for The Hound Of The Baskervilles
We climb uphill on reaching Beeston Regis Heath, where nightjars, adders and lizards may be seen in the summer months
View of Sheringham from Stone Hill
We follow one of several paths which criss cross Beeston Regis Heath and Row Heath...
We follow this track back to the end of a pleasant short walk
Later that day, sunset in nearby Sheringham
