Chris Barker follows a route through the beautiful Waveney Valley
This delightful walk on the Suffolk/Norfolk border in the Waveney valley, the Otter Vale and Harleston town centre passes close to the picturesque Mill House and Weir.
Take a gravel lane to the right of the church with walls both sides. When the drive swings left carry straight on by a footpath sign, having a wall to your right. When the wall ceases carry straight on in the same direction on a green path. Turn right with the path and then left and then right. Just before coming to a road turn left on a path with a hedge to your right.
When you come to a road just aim for a footpath sign in front of you and pick up a path having a field to your left. At the field boundary carry on in the same direction down some steps into a wood. At a fork in the paths take the right and this will take you into a meadow. Carry on in the same direction with a hedge to your right.
Go through a gap to the right of a gate, turn right walking on a gravel drive then go to the right of a gate onto a road and turn right. At a T-junction of roads turn left and you will be faced by two sets of iron gates. Go through the right hand ones and then right having Mill House to your left. Cross a footbridge into a meadow and carry on in the same direction, having a ditch to your right. Go right over a footbridge into a meadow and then diagonally left across a meadow.
Pass through a kissing gate onto a road, turn right. At a T-junction of roads turn right. Just before Mendham Low Road turn left by a footpath sign then cross the A143 up some steps, over a stile and carry on straight ahead on a path across open fields. At the road turn left then right by a footpath sign, cross a road and carry on in the same direction. Turn left through staggered metal barriers on a Tarmac path, and through some more barriers.
Carry straight on out onto a road. You are now in Harleston. Turn left, ignoring the left hand turning to Halesworth and stick to the same road. Just after passing a lay-by to the left, turn left having a conifer hedge to your left.
Keep to the path, soon having a field to your right, go over a stile down steps, cross the A143 then turn right and immediately left. Go down a bank by a footpath sign. At a road turn right, a quick left by a footpath sign through a kissing gate, cross a meadow diagonally left and retrace your steps earlier on in the walk back to Mill House, through some iron gates onto a road and take the next right turn. Ignore the footpath to the left and the next left turn. When the road turns into a grass track carry on in the same direction. Go through a gate and turn left and after five or six yards turn left, having a ditch and trees to your right, emerging from the trees into a meadow. Carry on, keeping meadows to your right, eventually coming out onto a road. Turn left, just before a T-junction of roads turn right by a footpath sign on a path and retrace your steps back to the start of the walk.
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