Castle Acre is a little gem of a place in West Norfolk and I can’t recommend it highly enough! Aside from being really special to me (it’s where my husband proposed and where my distant relatives lived for generations!), it is steeped in history with both castle and priory ruins, but also has some great walks as it is on both the Nar Valley Way and Peddars Way.
I think it’s great for kids! The castle ruins and car park are free and kids can run free there. You can take dogs there too.
We went for a short but beautiful walk, along the high street, down past the church and then turned left down South Acre Road. You can cut through the trees on the right for some great views of the priory ruins (or pay to go in for £8.70 adults, £5.20 over 5s – check website for most up-to-date details).
We re-joined the lane and followed it down to the most beautiful and lush river and a bridge that is great for pooh sticks! It was stunning! It was so green and lush, such a contrast to all the parched landscapes we’ve had recently after the hot weather.
For the journey back, there are numerous routes you can take. We re-traced our steps, but there’s a circular walk too (I haven’t checked the surfaces of this yet though)
The route we took is fine for pushchairs and toddlers but it is best to be mindful that the walk on South Acre Road has no pavement. There is minimal traffic, however.
Pretty much everywhere in Castle Acre is dog friendly. We had lunch in the pub which had a decent menu and the café is really nice too.
The postcode where we parked outside the pub is PE32 2AE. For the castle ruins, PE32 2XB.
