Wildlife Along the Peddars Way

From Breckland to the coast

The Peddars Way begins at Knettishall Heath, where heathland, grassland and woodland form part of the wider Brecks landscape.

From here, the trail travels north through predominantly agricultural countryside before reaching the coastal habitats around Holme-next-the-Sea.

That change in landscape also means a change in the wildlife and habitats encountered along the route.

Heathland and woodland

Around Knettishall Heath and the southern end of the trail, dry heathland, woodland and forest edges provide habitat for a range of birds, mammals and insects.

Deer can be encountered around woodland and field margins, while the open Brecks landscape supports species associated with heathland and dry grassland.

The mix of habitats here is distinct from the agricultural landscape encountered further north.

Through rural Norfolk

Much of the middle of the Peddars Way passes through farmland, hedgerows, small areas of woodland and the countryside surrounding villages including Great Cressingham, Castle Acre, Great Massingham and Ringstead.

Hares, deer and common farmland birds can be encountered along these sections, while birds of prey including buzzards and kestrels can often be seen over more open country.

What is seen will vary considerably with season, weather and time of day.

Wildlife at the Norfolk coast

The largest change comes as the Peddars Way approaches Holme-next-the-Sea and the Norfolk Coast National Landscape.

Inland farmland gives way to dunes, saltmarsh, freshwater pools and coastal grassland.

Holme Dunes Nature Reserve, close to the end of the trail, is an important site for coastal and migratory birds. The surrounding Norfolk coast is also part of a much larger network of protected habitats extending east along the Norfolk Coast Path.

For walkers continuing along the Norfolk Coast Path, the route passes through further coastal habitats and nature reserves.

A route through changing habitats

The Peddars Way is not primarily a wildlife trail, but its 46 miles connect several distinctly different environments.

Starting among the heathland and woodland of the Brecks and finishing among the coastal habitats around Holme, the trail provides a cross-section of the landscapes and habitats of western Norfolk.