Wherrymans Walk

6th September 2008
Great Yarmouth to Norwich (route details below)

As well as marshals at set points there will be three boats acting as mobile marshal points on the river [also providing a means of providing assistance on parts of the route difficult to reach by road] and two ‘roving’ marshals on hand on the road to help solve any problems should they arise.
 
Drivers and transport will be available to help ensure that nobody is left stranded at the end of their section.
 
The day will end with a pub meal and celebration for everybody who has taken part.

In aid of: 50% EAAA 50% another local charity
For more information please contact Silas Siliprandi 01362 820742/ 0776140605

Sections 1 to 4 are run three times each [by three separate teams of runners each] to give us the overall mileage we need to replicate the original Buckingham Palace to Norwich Cathedral run.
 
Section 1  [roughly 10 miles from Yarmouth to Reedham Ferry by our route] starts at Yarmouth [in the Asda car park with their kind permission to use their car park as a marshal point] and follows the route of the Wherryman Way exactly round the Northern shore of Breydon Water, passing the Berney Arms at about the half way point.  There is a brief road diversion off the ‘official’ route at the extreme Reedham end to avoid work going on on the River Bank.  This section ends at Reedham Ferry, with kind permission of the pub to use their car-park as a marshal point.
 
Section 2  [roughly 10 miles by our route] starts at the southern side of Reedham Ferry and follows the Wherryman Way route [largely on minor roads in this part] to Loddon, emerging by the Church and then down the High Street to cross the river.  The Wherryman Way then heads back to the northern bank of the River Chet, where Gales’ Cruisers have kindly allowed us a marshal point in their camping ground.  From this point the route follows the riverbank itself.  When the River Chet re-joins the River Yare, the runners will have done over 8 miles, but are only about 2/3 of a mile in a straight line from their start point at Reedham Ferry!  The route continues along the bank of the River Yare to end at the head of Hardley Dike.
 
Section 3  [roughly 10 miles by our route] begins at the head of Hardley Dike.  The original Wherryman Way route followed the river upstream from this point to Langley Dike, but this entire section is temporarily diverted.  Our survey shewed that the ‘official’ diversion was too rough for safe running, so we have made our own simple diversion by the obvious minor road route from the head of Hardley Dike to the head of Langley Dike where the run re-joins the Wherryman Way route proper again.  The route then heads back to the river at The Beauchamp Arms [where we have kind permission to have a Marshal Point], the Wherryman Way then follows the River to Rockland Broad, emerging onto the road at Rockland St Mary.  After a brief stretch on the road the route then goes by farm-track and footpath to Surlingham Wood and the Ted Ellis Nature Reserve.  After another short interval on the road the Wherryman Way zigs back to the river at Coldham Hall, then via bridleway and road to the finish point for this section at ‘The Ferry House’ Surlingham [who have also kindly allowed us space for a marshal point].
 
Section 4  [Just under 9 miles by our route].  The run [and here the participants aiming to complete the whole section are joined by runners and walkers aiming to make a 5 mile contribution to the relay] starts off from ’The Ferry House’ heading upstream along the river bank, skirting a tributary of the River Yare by going up to Surlingham Church and back to the river again immediately after.  The river route then passes on past the ‘Woods End’ pub [with its statue of ‘Billy Bluelight’] and continues briefly on the road before turning north on a bridleway that takes the runners and walkers uphill to a path that then runs downhill again to the concrete utility road that runs through the sewage farm.  The route then passes through the sewage farm itself [watch for speed records being set on this part of the route], under the A47, along the river to emerge at Whitlingham Broad.  The ‘5 milers’ drop off here at a marshal point by the visitor centre [they may well be a bit more tired that they thought as it is actually just over 5 ½ miles….].  The runners carry on along Whitlingham Lane, past the ski centre and on to cross the river just before the football ground.  The last part of this section follows along the front of the football ground, onto Koblenz Avenue and so to the railway station.
 
Section 5  The final short section is for ALL participants, runners, walkers, mini bus drivers, boat pilots, everybody.  It will be a mass amble to the Cathedral, led by James Zarei, where it is hoped that the entire contingent will be met by the Mayor of Norwich, the Sheriff of the County and other Civic Dignitaries.