Best walks to or from Kennett

Kennett Station to Newmarket Station

A walk through open countryside on the fringe of the Breckland, passing the attractive villages of Chippenham and Snailwell with their old chalk-rock ('clunch') buildings and the rare habitats of Chippenham Fen national nature reserve, before approaching Newmarket, the home of British horseracing.

17km. 5h.

Keep well clear of racehorses where the path runs alongside exercise tracks or through paddocks near Newmarket.

Highlights: Chippenham Fen (a National Nature Reserve where fen and breckland habitats merge, home to many rare species) and Newmarket.

Lunch: The villages of Chippenham and Snailwell offer good refreshment stops along the way.

Documented by Mid Anglia Rail Passengers Association.

Kennett Station to Bury St Edmunds Station

A long and rewarding cross-country walk, presented in two stages with a break point at Barrow village for those who prefer shorter rambles. From high ground near Desning there are long views towards the Fens, the route threading fields and pastures past the earthworks of ancient Denham Castle; the second half traverses the National Trust's Ickworth estate, with its rotunda house and Capability Brown parkland.

29km. 9h.

Highlights: Denham Castle (the surviving earthworks of a medieval motte-and-bailey castle), Ickworth Estate (a National Trust estate of 1,800 acres with a striking rotunda house and parkland partly laid out by Capability Brown), and Bury St Edmunds.

Lunch: Shops and pubs at Barrow, roughly the half-way point (buses from Barrow are infrequent, so check times and stops).

Documented by Mid Anglia Rail Passengers Association.

Dullingham Station to Kennett Station

A long walk following the ancient Icknield Way Path through countryside dominated by the horse-racing industry, between manicured paddocks and across high ground with views over the Kennett valley towards Dalham Hall. Passes the medieval packhorse bridge at the picturesque village of Moulton.

22km. 7h.

Highlights: Moulton Packhorse Bridge (a medieval flint packhorse bridge over the River Kennett in the picturesque village of Moulton).

Documented by Mid Anglia Rail Passengers Association.