A quieter National Trail
The Peddars Way runs for 46 miles / 74 km from Knettishall Heath on the Suffolk–Norfolk border to Holme-next-the-Sea on the Norfolk coast.
Unlike walking routes that pass through major visitor destinations or densely populated areas, much of the Peddars Way crosses rural countryside.
Long sections run between villages, through farmland, woodland and the open landscapes of Breckland and west Norfolk.
As a result, long sections of the trail can be relatively quiet.
How many people use the Peddars Way?
Published National Trails material has previously estimated that around 14,000 people walk or cycle on the Peddars Way each year.
That figure should be treated as an indication of the scale of use rather than a current annual count. Trail use also includes people walking individual sections as well as those completing the full route.
What matters when planning a walk is that those users are spread across a 46-mile linear trail and throughout the year.
The number of people encountered on any particular section can therefore vary considerably.
Where other walkers are more likely to be found
Use of the trail is not evenly distributed.
Places such as Castle Acre, the countryside around the villages along the route and the approach to the Norfolk coast can also attract local walkers and visitors who are not completing the full Peddars Way.
Elsewhere, particularly on longer rural sections between settlements, there may be fewer people on the trail.
Season, weather, weekends and holidays can all affect how busy individual sections are.
A trail through rural Norfolk
The relative quiet of the Peddars Way reflects the geography of the route.
After leaving Knettishall Heath, the trail travels north through a largely rural part of East Anglia, passing Great Cressingham, Castle Acre, Great Massingham and Ringstead before reaching the coast.
There are settlements and places to stay along and around the route, but much of the walking takes place between them.
For anyone planning the trail, this makes accommodation, food, water and daily distances more important considerations than the number of other walkers likely to be encountered.
Reaching the Norfolk coast
At Holme-next-the-Sea, the character of the route changes.
The Peddars Way reaches the Norfolk Coast and connects with the Norfolk Coast Path, opening up the possibility of continuing east through a more heavily visited coastal landscape.
For walkers completing the Peddars Way, Holme-next-the-Sea marks the end of the 46-mile trail.
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