This guide is to help you to find the sixteen public footpaths and bridleways of Stanton, places where you have the right to pass over private land, as well as country lanes which are public rights of way. This is a shortened version of the pocket sized guide available from the Post Office in the village or the Tourist Information Centre in Bury St Edmunds. Stanton is fortunate in having seven and a half miles of footpaths and bridleways and another three miles of country lanes.

This short guide contains a map and sufficient information to locate the paths. If you prefer to use an Ordnance Survey map the guide gives map references.

Footpath No. 1. RUPP. From Barningham Road (TL966753) to Slate Hall (TL955759). Length 0.75 miles. East end is nearly a mile from the main road, the A143, along Barningham Road. West end is midway between Home Farm and Slate Hall near overhead cables. This is a rather bleak path over arable land but has wide views and is suitable as a bridleway.

Footpath No. 2. RUPP. Known as Chair lane. From Barningham Road (TL964739) to Stanton Chair (TL957742) Length 750 Yards. East end opposite Duke Street, West end opposite Little Chair Farm. Signposted. A delightful leafy lane.

Footpath No. 3. FOOTPATH. From Bardwell Road (TL957739) to Stanton Chair (TL957742). Length 200 yards. South end on north of Bardwell Road 700 yards from the A143. Runs along east side of “Lowlands”. North end 50 yards west of Chair Lane along west side of deep gully. This is an ancient short cut.

Footpath No. 4. RUPP. From George Lane (TL969741) to Field Lane (TL976747). Length 1100 yards. West end starts at grass triangle 400 yards along George Lane from George Hill. The legal right of way goes via New Hall but an official diversion has been agreed by the farmer. It follows the headland along the north side of the hedge and finally crosses a sleeper bridge into Field Lane half a mile from the A143. Suitable as a bridleway except for the sleeper bridge

Footpath No. 5. FOOTPATH. Old maps show a footpath running straight across a field nearly opposite All Saints Church in Old Bury Road (TL965735) to the A143 opposite Barningham Road (TL964737). It was legally diverted along the outside of the Chase estate. Length 350 yards. A pleasant walk planted with trees by the Parish Council.

Footpath No. 6. RUPP. From Bury Lane (TL961729) to the A143 (TL958730). Length 300 yards. The east end is nearly opposite Doctors Hall in Bury Lane & the west end is 250 yards south of the Rose and Crown Inn on the A143.

Footpath No. 7. RUPP. From Upthorpe Road (TL970733) to the bridge over the Grundle (No. 8) (TL970727) Length half a mile. Known as Potters Lane, it starts as a roadway along the west boundary of Blackbourne Middle School and ends at the Grundle. The bridge over the Grundle leads to Park Farm Drive. This is a very popular short walk, and suitable as a bridleway.

Footpath No. 8. FOOTPATH. From the Street (TL967731) to Posters Lane (No. 13) (TL976 714). Length is 1.25 miles. It is one of the longer walks and a fairly strenuous one. The first section is called the Grundle. Towards the south eastern end of the Grundle the path crosses a new wooden bridge onto the “island”.Keeping the Grundle on your left the footpath continues to the edge of the wood then turn right along the track with the wood on the right until you turn left alongside a ditch and the edge of a field until it reaches a wooded section over a sleeper bridge

Footpath No. 9. RUPP. From Wash Lane (See No.10) (TL977725) to Readings Lane (TL985717) Length 0.75 of a mile. The path runs southeast from Wash lane along the north east side of a deep ditch. It then crosses the ditch by a railway-sleeper bridge into a wooded section, which continues to the road to Walsham, called Readings Lane. It is suitable for horses as far as, but not over, the sleeper bridge. It is not accessible to horses at either end.

Footpath No. 10. RUPP. Continuation of Wash Lane (TL976 725) to the end of the Grundle, No.8, (TL974 723). Length 300 yards. Wash Lane is a dirt road to the south of Upthorpe Road nearly a mile from the village. Footpath No. 10 starts where the lane bends to the south west and continues to No. 8. This is a sort of leafy lane that was common 50 years ago. Suitable as a bridleway but only as far as the junction with No. 8.

Footpath No. 11. Footpath. From Wash Lane (TL976725) to Upthorpe Road (TL977728) Length 300 yards. Starts north from Wash Lane, 50 yards west of Kings Lane (No. 9). Start on east side of a shallow ditch, cross to the west side at dogleg. Ends on Upthorpe Road at a broken stile opposite to the gate to No.15. This little path is easy to walk and can be incorporated into a circular walk.

Footpaths Nos. 12 & 13. RUPP’s. From Potash Farm (TL985716) to Wyken Hall (TL 963718) length 1.5 miles. These two Footpaths form one continuous path, which runs along the Stanton Parish boundary. The shortest circular walk from the village centre incorporating these two paths is about 4.5 miles in length.

Footpath No. 14. Footpath. From Duke Street just north of A143 (TL967738) to George Lane (TL969741) Length 600 yards. The original right of way, known as Maids Way, dated back at least to the 14th century, but the path has been legally diverted and the old line on O.S. maps must not be walked This is typical arable land walking.

Footpath No. 15. Footpath. From Upthorpe Road (TL977 728) across Grove Lane, to A143 TL975738) Length 0.75 of a mile. The path enters a meadow through an iron gate beside a small green on the north side of Upthorpe Road about 0.75 miles from the village This is an easy pleasant walk and forms a useful link in long or short circular routes.

Footpath No. 16. Footpath. Starts on the east side of Readings Lane (TL986719) and leads into Walsham-le Willows.

COUNTRY LANES

Field Lane starts north from the A143 and follows the Stanton/Hepworth boundary to Barningham Road nearly opposite No. 1, linking with No.4 about half way along. Part of it is, in fact, a RUPP in the parish of Hepworth.

George Lane also goes from the A143 to Barningham Road, but much nearer the village centre, and links up with Nos. 4 & 14. No 4 goes from George Lane to Field Lane.

Bury Lane starts opposite the Cock Inn in the Street and goes nearly to Alecocks Grave on the A143, passing No.6. The south west end runs along the edge of a bluebell wood.

Wash Lane starts in Upthorpe (see No. 10) and links up with paths 9, 10 and 11. As its name suggests it is, more often than not, very wet underfoot.