Discover rural farming heritage and high society scandal amid the quiet country lanes around Bircham. This cycle route is an easy 6.5 miles beginning at Great Bircham Windmill.

Built in 1846 by miller George Humphrey, in the 1920s the mill became derelict. Happily it’s back in working order, beautifully restored by the current owners. Over 100 years ago Norfolk was dotted with over 300 mills, grinding corn by harnessing the power of the wind. As such, rising from the heart of rolling farmland, this elegant structure is both a historic monument and a lesson in creating clean energy for the future.

Set on a gentle hill, All Saint’s Church, Bircham Newton is one of the smaller churches in Norfolk. The modest interior is a calm space, yet on the south wall you’ll find reference to a passionate love affair that once scandalised the nation. John James Stephen Ward was one of ten children born to Horatia Nelson, Admiral Lord Nelson’s illegitimate daughter by his lover Lady Emma Hamilton. The little boy died in 1829, aged only two, remembered by a dedication in this simple, beautiful space.

At St Mary’s Church in Great Bircham, where there are headstones for both RAF and German servicemen killed in action, you’ll find the first Cross of Sacrifice erected after World War Two. It was unveiled by King George V in July 1946 and the same design, by Sir Reginald Blomfield, is echoed in war cemeteries across the Commonwealth.