Where to stay on the Peddars Way
Accommodation on the Peddars Way is spread between villages along and just off the 46-mile route. If you're walking the trail over several days, where you stay will help determine the length of each day's walk.
The main overnight areas include Great Cressingham, Castle Acre, Great Massingham and Ringstead, with accommodation near Thetford useful before starting at Knettishall Heath.
Staying in these villages is also part of experiencing the Peddars Way. Rather than passing through the landscape in a single day, a multi-day walk brings you into the pubs, inns, villages and small communities along the route.
Before starting: Knettishall Heath and Thetford
The Peddars Way begins at Knettishall Heath on the Norfolk-Suffolk border. There is no accommodation at the trailhead itself.
Grange Farm House, in Euston, is around 3 miles / 5 km from Knettishall Heath and provides a useful place to stay before beginning the walk. Thetford railway station is approximately 15 minutes away by taxi.
If you're arriving by train, staying nearby the night before allows you to travel to Knettishall Heath in the morning and begin walking without combining your journey to Norfolk with the first day's walk.
Great Cressingham
Great Cressingham is one of the first practical overnight areas after leaving Knettishall Heath.
The Olde Windmill Inn provides accommodation and food in the village, making Great Cressingham a possible first overnight stop when dividing the route into several walking days.
Castle Acre
Castle Acre sits directly on the Peddars Way and is one of the principal villages along the trail.
The Ostrich is a historic inn in the centre of the village, providing rooms and food close to the route.
The village is also worth allowing time to explore. The Peddars Way passes the remains of Castle Acre Castle and close to Castle Acre Priory, an extensive surviving Cluniac priory beside the River Nar.
Great Massingham
Great Massingham lies around a mile from the Peddars Way and provides another possible overnight stop.
The Dabbling Duck is a country pub in the centre of the village offering rooms and food.
Because Great Massingham sits away from the trail itself, walkers should allow for the additional distance when planning their day's walk.
Ringstead
Ringstead provides a useful final overnight area before reaching the Norfolk coast.
The Gin Trap Inn is a country inn in the village offering accommodation and food.
From Ringstead, the Peddars Way continues north towards Holme-next-the-Sea, where the trail reaches the coast and meets the Norfolk Coast Path.
Staying at the end of the Peddars Way
Holme-next-the-Sea marks the northern end of the Peddars Way.
Accommodation can also be found around Holme-next-the-Sea, Old Hunstanton, Thornham and the surrounding Norfolk Coast if you want to stay after completing the trail rather than travelling home immediately.
The meeting of the Peddars Way and Norfolk Coast Path also makes it possible to continue walking east along the coast.
Planning overnight stops
Accommodation is relatively limited along parts of the Peddars Way, so it is worth deciding where you want to stay before fixing your daily distances.
Our Peddars Way Complete Journey divides the full route into five walking days, beginning with an arrival night near Thetford and using overnight stops around Great Cressingham, Castle Acre, Great Massingham and Ringstead.
If you don't want to walk the complete trail, our Walking from Great Massingham break provides a shorter stay based around one place along the route. Walking Breaks can be used to explore sections of the Peddars Way and the surrounding countryside without undertaking the entire 46-mile trail.
Both are published as planning resources for independent travel, allowing you to choose and book your own accommodation and organise the walk around your own plans.
Choosing where to stay
The Peddars Way does not have a single set of overnight stops. Where you stay depends on how far you want to walk each day, the accommodation available and how much time you want to spend exploring the villages and places along the route.
Staying close to the trail can keep daily distances straightforward, while choosing villages such as Castle Acre or Great Massingham can make the overnight stop part of the journey itself.
Planning accommodation first can therefore be a useful way to shape the walk, with each overnight stop creating the framework for the following day's route.
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