RoutesHiking trails & RoutesUnited KingdomEnglandEast Of EnglandSuffolkSt EdmundsburyCulford
View of the Lake – Kings Forest – West Stow loop from West Stow
RoutesHiking trails & RoutesUnited KingdomEnglandEast Of EnglandSuffolkSt EdmundsburyCulford
View of the Lake – Kings Forest – West Stow loop from West Stow
Moderate
3
hikers
View of the Lake – Kings Forest – West Stow loop from West Stow
02:00
7.76km
40m
Hiking
Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels. The starting point of the route is right next to a parking lot.
Last updated: August 2, 2026
Waypoints
A
Start point
Parking
1
1.20 km
Iron Bridge, Culford Park
Highlight • Bridge
The Iron Bridge is a grade I listed early cast iron bridge crossing a tributary of the River Lark in grounds of Culford Park in the village of Culford near Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.
The bridge is of exceptional interest as one of the earliest bridges with an unmodified cast-iron structure to survive. Built for Charles Cornwallis, 2nd Marquess Cornwallis the owner of Culford Park in 1804, it is a unique example of a cast iron bridge built to the patent of Samuel Wyatt. The rib castings feature oval tubular sections and is the earliest known example with hollow ribs leading to the structure received a grade I listing on 15 May 1996.
The woods to the South West of the bridge is known as Iron Bridge Carr.
On 10 June 1800 Samuel Wyatt patented a new design for ...constructing bridges, warehouse, and other builds without the use of wood... which was published in the Repertory of Arts and Manufactures: Vol.14 in 1801.
The patent describes how to construct a bridge using:
...hollow pieces of cast iron in a longitudinal direction and plates or pipes of the same material, having sockets on them, to receive the ends or shoulders of the said pipes, tubes, or other hollow pieces, placed transversely; and extending from one side of the bridge to the other, so that when the required number of pipes, tubes, or other hollow pieces of cast-iron, and of transverse places, or pieces, are put together they form the arch, and so firmly fix, connect, and unite, all the parts, as not to require the aid of screws, bolts, cramps, or any wrought-iron fastenings whatever; but, for the sake of giving the joins a more equal bearing, it will be proper to run lead or cement into them.
The bridge at Culford follows this design with 5 cast iron voussoirs making up one segment arc which is repeated six times forming the 60 ft span connected with socketed joints. Arched plates between the ribs carry the infill up to roadway level with channelled granite abutments on either side. Masonry balustrades line the edge of the bridge 20 ft wide with carved marble urns at the ends.
The metal segments for the bridge were cast in 1804 by William Hawks and Son of Gateshead and weighed 80 tons, along with 2 tons of lead at a cost of £1,457. It's estimated that the additional cost of transportation, stonework, and construction gave a total of £10,000 for the installation of the bridge, approximately £1 million in 2019 prices.
Samuel Wyatt 's brother James was appointed in the 1790s to make modifications to Culford Hall which drew heavily on Samuel's work at Shugborough Hall so it is likely Samuel's bridge design was introduced at this point.
The infill of the bridge between the deck and road surface was examined in 1998 as was found to be made up of; a single layer of yellow bricks, 15cm of chalk, 40cm of hoggin, finished with 5cm of topsoil with slight different composition at the abutments. It is believed that this material dates from the original construction.
The bridge is of exceptional interest as one of the earliest bridges with an unmodified cast-iron structure to survive. Built for Charles Cornwallis, 2nd Marquess Cornwallis the owner of Culford Park in 1804, it is a unique example of a cast iron bridge built to the patent of Samuel Wyatt. The rib castings feature oval tubular sections and is the earliest known example with hollow ribs leading to the structure received a grade I listing on 15 May 1996.
The woods to the South West of the bridge is known as Iron Bridge Carr.
On 10 June 1800 Samuel Wyatt patented a new design for ...constructing bridges, warehouse, and other builds without the use of wood... which was published in the Repertory of Arts and Manufactures: Vol.14 in 1801.
The patent describes how to construct a bridge using:
...hollow pieces of cast iron in a longitudinal direction and plates or pipes of the same material, having sockets on them, to receive the ends or shoulders of the said pipes, tubes, or other hollow pieces, placed transversely; and extending from one side of the bridge to the other, so that when the required number of pipes, tubes, or other hollow pieces of cast-iron, and of transverse places, or pieces, are put together they form the arch, and so firmly fix, connect, and unite, all the parts, as not to require the aid of screws, bolts, cramps, or any wrought-iron fastenings whatever; but, for the sake of giving the joins a more equal bearing, it will be proper to run lead or cement into them.
The bridge at Culford follows this design with 5 cast iron voussoirs making up one segment arc which is repeated six times forming the 60 ft span connected with socketed joints. Arched plates between the ribs carry the infill up to roadway level with channelled granite abutments on either side. Masonry balustrades line the edge of the bridge 20 ft wide with carved marble urns at the ends.
The metal segments for the bridge were cast in 1804 by William Hawks and Son of Gateshead and weighed 80 tons, along with 2 tons of lead at a cost of £1,457. It's estimated that the additional cost of transportation, stonework, and construction gave a total of £10,000 for the installation of the bridge, approximately £1 million in 2019 prices.
Samuel Wyatt 's brother James was appointed in the 1790s to make modifications to Culford Hall which drew heavily on Samuel's work at Shugborough Hall so it is likely Samuel's bridge design was introduced at this point.
The infill of the bridge between the deck and road surface was examined in 1998 as was found to be made up of; a single layer of yellow bricks, 15cm of chalk, 40cm of hoggin, finished with 5cm of topsoil with slight different composition at the abutments. It is believed that this material dates from the original construction.
Tip by
2
1.25 km
Culford Hall
Highlight • Other
The present day Culford Hall is a listed historical building. It has been altered at different times in its history. The Hall is presently set within 480 acres of a beautiful Grade I listed park, designed by Sir Humphrey Repton.
The land in this area of Suffolk used to belong to the Abbey in Bury St Edmunds. Following the dissolution of the monasteries, in the reign on Henry VIII, the land was bought from the Crown by Christopher Coote in 1541. The estate later passed to Sir Nicholas Bacon, England’s first Chancellor of the Exchequer. In 1586 he had the old manor house, which stood on the site, demolished and built a 78-foot square Tudor style hall in red brick.
The estate subsequently passed, in 1660, to the Cornwallis family through marriage. The family transformed Culford into an 18th century mansion and in 1792 they employed Repton to draw up one of his famous ‘Red Books’ with a plan to landscape the park.
In 1823 Richard Benyon de Beauvoir bought Culford. The Benyon family managed the estate, and renovated the church in the grounds, before selling Culford in 1889 to the 5th Earl Cadogan.
The Cadogan family made many alterations to the Hall, including the addition of the north wing, designed by the architect William Young, which doubled the building in size. At that time the Culford estate extended to approximately 10,000 acres. This allowed the family to host many shooting parties, including, in December 1907, one which was attended by King Edward VII. The King’s Loo in Culford Hall was built especially for this visit and remains intact for visitors to see today!
On the death of the 6th Earl Cadogan, Culford Hall was put up for sale and subsequently bought by the Methodist Board of Education in 1935 to become the new site for its East Anglian School for Boys, which had previously been located in Bury St Edmunds.
In 1972 Culford became one of the UK’s first co-educational boarding and day schools, when the pupils from The East Anglian School for Girls joined the boys. The Cadogan family retain their links with Culford today. The Rt Hon Viscount Chelsea is the school’s Patron.
The land in this area of Suffolk used to belong to the Abbey in Bury St Edmunds. Following the dissolution of the monasteries, in the reign on Henry VIII, the land was bought from the Crown by Christopher Coote in 1541. The estate later passed to Sir Nicholas Bacon, England’s first Chancellor of the Exchequer. In 1586 he had the old manor house, which stood on the site, demolished and built a 78-foot square Tudor style hall in red brick.
The estate subsequently passed, in 1660, to the Cornwallis family through marriage. The family transformed Culford into an 18th century mansion and in 1792 they employed Repton to draw up one of his famous ‘Red Books’ with a plan to landscape the park.
In 1823 Richard Benyon de Beauvoir bought Culford. The Benyon family managed the estate, and renovated the church in the grounds, before selling Culford in 1889 to the 5th Earl Cadogan.
The Cadogan family made many alterations to the Hall, including the addition of the north wing, designed by the architect William Young, which doubled the building in size. At that time the Culford estate extended to approximately 10,000 acres. This allowed the family to host many shooting parties, including, in December 1907, one which was attended by King Edward VII. The King’s Loo in Culford Hall was built especially for this visit and remains intact for visitors to see today!
On the death of the 6th Earl Cadogan, Culford Hall was put up for sale and subsequently bought by the Methodist Board of Education in 1935 to become the new site for its East Anglian School for Boys, which had previously been located in Bury St Edmunds.
In 1972 Culford became one of the UK’s first co-educational boarding and day schools, when the pupils from The East Anglian School for Girls joined the boys. The Cadogan family retain their links with Culford today. The Rt Hon Viscount Chelsea is the school’s Patron.
Tip by
3
2.20 km
West Stow village
Highlight • Settlement
West Stow is a small village that is just down the road from the West Stow Anglo Saxon Village.
Tip by
4
2.26 km
St Mary's Parish Church, West Stow
Highlight • Historical Site
A Grade II* Listed Building
Parish church. C11, C14 and C15, extensively restored circa 1878 by the Rev. E.R. Benyon. Mainly rubble flint to nave and chancel, with freestone dressings: plaintiled roofs: traces of coursed flints in lower part of south wall of nave. 3 restored windows with reticulated tracery on south side of nave: 2 3-light C14 windows on north side with remains of crown glass, and one C13 lancet window with deep inner splay. C14 windows to chancel: 4-light east window with reticulated tracery. Diagonal buttresses to east end, and a stone string course to north and south walls of chancel, continued as a hood-mould over the tops of the windows and the priest's door. C15 south porch, with renewed timber roof: steep pitch, plaintiles: diagonal buttresses: knapped flint to side walls. Simple C14 south doorway, similar to the priest's door in chancel. The north doorway is the oldest surviving feature of the building: C11, with a plain tympanum, small volutes on the capitals and a heavy roll-moulding to arch. This doorway now gives access to the vestry, added in 1903 to commemorate the reign of Queen Victoria. Large west tower in 4 stages: mainly black knapped flint, with a chequer-work base of flint and freestone and a plain castellated parapet. The east wall is extended to north and south to form 2 angle buttresses: diagonal buttresses at west end, all buttresses faced with freestone and panels of knapped flint. A full height stair turret on the south side. 2-light windows in Decorated style to all 4 faces of the top stage. A similar west window to the 2nd stage has fragments of medieval glass in the top of the lights. 6 bells: the 15 cwt. tenor and the 2nd bell both dated 1631; the 3rd and 4th dated 1629; the 5th 1674, and the treble cast in 1849. The interior fittings and timber roofs all date from the C19 restoration and are in traditional East Anglian style. C14 chancel arch, and an elaborate angle piscina with credence shelf of the same date, crocketted and finialled.
Window-sill sedilia. Memorial stained glass windows of circa 1880. 8 traceried and painted panels from the lower part of the rood screen, removed during C19 restoration, are now in the Victoria and Albert Museum
Parish church. C11, C14 and C15, extensively restored circa 1878 by the Rev. E.R. Benyon. Mainly rubble flint to nave and chancel, with freestone dressings: plaintiled roofs: traces of coursed flints in lower part of south wall of nave. 3 restored windows with reticulated tracery on south side of nave: 2 3-light C14 windows on north side with remains of crown glass, and one C13 lancet window with deep inner splay. C14 windows to chancel: 4-light east window with reticulated tracery. Diagonal buttresses to east end, and a stone string course to north and south walls of chancel, continued as a hood-mould over the tops of the windows and the priest's door. C15 south porch, with renewed timber roof: steep pitch, plaintiles: diagonal buttresses: knapped flint to side walls. Simple C14 south doorway, similar to the priest's door in chancel. The north doorway is the oldest surviving feature of the building: C11, with a plain tympanum, small volutes on the capitals and a heavy roll-moulding to arch. This doorway now gives access to the vestry, added in 1903 to commemorate the reign of Queen Victoria. Large west tower in 4 stages: mainly black knapped flint, with a chequer-work base of flint and freestone and a plain castellated parapet. The east wall is extended to north and south to form 2 angle buttresses: diagonal buttresses at west end, all buttresses faced with freestone and panels of knapped flint. A full height stair turret on the south side. 2-light windows in Decorated style to all 4 faces of the top stage. A similar west window to the 2nd stage has fragments of medieval glass in the top of the lights. 6 bells: the 15 cwt. tenor and the 2nd bell both dated 1631; the 3rd and 4th dated 1629; the 5th 1674, and the treble cast in 1849. The interior fittings and timber roofs all date from the C19 restoration and are in traditional East Anglian style. C14 chancel arch, and an elaborate angle piscina with credence shelf of the same date, crocketted and finialled.
Window-sill sedilia. Memorial stained glass windows of circa 1880. 8 traceried and painted panels from the lower part of the rood screen, removed during C19 restoration, are now in the Victoria and Albert Museum
Tip by
5
3.33 km
Clough Staunch
Highlight • Bridge
Technically a footpath. A slightly off-camber damp trial made it a little precarious on my semi-slicks.
Tip by
6
4.19 km
View of the Lake
Highlight • Lake
7
4.95 km
Kings Forest – West Stow
Highlight • Forest
Located near Bury St Edmunds, King's Forest was named to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of King George V and Queen Mary
Along with being home to fallow deer, the chalky soil supports a prolific flower population including Wild Thyme, Bird's Foot Trefoil and numerous butterflies, such as Dingy Skipper and Brown Argus - a joy for any nature lover at anytime of the year.
Along with being home to fallow deer, the chalky soil supports a prolific flower population including Wild Thyme, Bird's Foot Trefoil and numerous butterflies, such as Dingy Skipper and Brown Argus - a joy for any nature lover at anytime of the year.
Tip by
8
5.22 km
West Stow Manor
Highlight • Historical Site
The manor of West Stow was leased to Sir John Croftes by the Abbey of Bury St Edmunds in 1526. Sir John was a substantial flockmaster, or sheep farmer, who would eventually purchase these lands from the Crown in 1540, after the Dissolution of Bury Abbey. He was most likely responsible for building the gatehouse. Sir John Croftes’ other distinction was that he was Master of the Horse to Mary Tudor, Dowager Queen of France and Duchess of Suffolk, whose main country residence was at nearby Westhorpe Hall. This may well account for Mary Tudor’s coat of arms being present, inlaid into the fabric of the gatehouse; although, in truth, nobody quite knows how it got there. One story is that it might have been taken during the violent demolition of Westhorpe Hall, rescued and placed in situ over the entrance to West Stow.
Inside the building, one of its finest features is a set of Elizabethan wall-paintings. These were discovered during nineteenth-century renovations in a small room on the second floor of the gatehouse. These depict, in naive form, a hunting scene and the Four Ages of Man: a young man out hunting, inscribed ‘This do I all the day’; a man embracing a woman – ‘Thus do I while I may’; a middle-aged man looking on – ‘Thus did I when I might’; and a bent old man, leaning on his stick, who says ‘Good Lord, will this world last ever’.
Inside the building, one of its finest features is a set of Elizabethan wall-paintings. These were discovered during nineteenth-century renovations in a small room on the second floor of the gatehouse. These depict, in naive form, a hunting scene and the Four Ages of Man: a young man out hunting, inscribed ‘This do I all the day’; a man embracing a woman – ‘Thus do I while I may’; a middle-aged man looking on – ‘Thus did I when I might’; and a bent old man, leaning on his stick, who says ‘Good Lord, will this world last ever’.
Tip by
B
7.76 km
End point
Parking
Way Types & Surfaces
Way Types
2.51 km
2.20 km
1.49 km
1.18 km
389 m
Surfaces
3.20 km
2.00 km
1.49 km
849 m
236 m
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Thursday 22 October
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