The walk through Diss was interesting with lots of old premises and in the centre, a large mere with its quota of ducks, what a great asset to a town.A delightful lane led out of town through Royden Fen with some fantastic cottages which would be a delight to live in. Meadows full of sheep, gorse covered heaths and thatched cottages made for great walking. Yet another church demanded attention. St. Mary at Wortham. St. Mary has the largest round tower in England dating from Saxon times, 10 metres across. Round towers seem to be an East Anglian speciality. Inside the pews are worth a look, their bench ends are carved into various figures illustrating apparently the 104th psalm, dating from the 1890s.

Open fields and ditches seemed an ideal habitat for cowslipsSheep and lambs were everywhere though none of the typical Suffolk breed. This one, no 3, had a multicoloured dream coat…A wonderful stretch through Redgrave Fen reserve took us to the watershed between the Waveney and the Ouse. You can hardly believe that these sluggish streams become great rivers. We then passed large pig farms and even larger industrial poultry farms [factories].  A well-preserved windmill at Thelnetham also demanded some close attention but unfortunately not operating today.

The dark clouds blowing in produced a heavy shower before we reached our excellent B&B at Hopton. The local pub, The Vine, served some great ales and cooked us a fantastic meal. Thanks. These little rural inns need all the support and mention they can get.