Ian Runs

With the weather reflecting a stereotypical British summer in the week prior to parkrunday (cloudy), I decided against attending one of the remaining seafront events this week. With a small island of unattended events in Norwich still, I couldn't fight the temptation to make that island smaller, and so Sloughbottom was to be this week's event! The area Sloughbottom parkrun (pronounced "slow-bottom" by the locals) is held in Sloughbottom Park, and the adjacent greenspace and former railway line in Norwich. The park is a recreation ground, and was created in 1929 as part of the council's efforts to kick-start the local economy at the same time as Eaton Park, which hosts Norwich parkrun . The former railway line which makes up part of the course is now known as Marriott's Way, a 24 mile trail path which follows the path of the original railway lines from Norwich to Aylsham. The trail is named after the former Chief Engineer and Manager of one of the f...

With the weather predicted to turn wet on parkrunday, I decided to venture slightly inland this week, with Blickling parkrun located in an ideal position and the forecast rain not set to arrive until the afternoon. The area Blickling parkrun takes place on the grounds of the Blickling Estate, north of Norwich. The Blickling Estate, including Blickling Hall, and the surrounding grounds, are owned and managed by the National Trust, having been built and operated as a stately home since its original construction. Anne Boleyn was reportedly born on the estate, although before the construction of the current hall begun. The course The parkrun route follows just under two laps of the Mausoleum walk - one of several walks signposted by the National Trust. The route is primarily run on gravel paths, with the finish on grass, and takes in one long but gentle hill each lap. Several pay-and-display car parks are located around the edge of the estate, although the main visitor car ...

With warm, sunny weather expected, I decided to visit the beach this week, at Lowestoft parkrun. The area Lowestoft parkrun takes place at the seafront along South Beach, Lowestoft. The town of Lowestoft is the most easterly settlement in Great Britain, and was historically built around the fishing industry. As the fishing industry has become less profitable over the years, the town's industry has shifted towards renewable energy. The parkrun event itself is held in the southern half of the town, and takes in both the beachfront, as well as the cliffs which are common along the eastern coastline. The course Like many beach-side events, Lowestoft parkrun is just under two out-and-back laps of the seafront, with one big climb up the cliff-face at one end. The route is mostly flat, but the climb up the cliff is quite steep, and lasts for around 30 meters, making this an unlikely PB course! There are multiple public toilets along the route, and many pay-and-display car...

This week I had the opportunity to attend another event that would contribute towards the Fibonacci sequence challenge, with Haverhill parkrun running its 144th event! The area Haverhill parkrun takes place in Haverhill, a small market town southeast of Cambridge. The town has seen significant expansion since the 1950s, with the town designated as a place for London residents to resettle after the war. The course The course follows just over three laps around the perimeter of Puddlebrook Playing fields in the south-west of the town. The course is run entirely on grass, with no significant elevation to speak of. The event has limited facilities, with no access to toilets, and limited parking available at Green Apples Day Nursery at the entrance to the industrial estate south of the playing fields. There is a cafe nearby however, for post-run refreshments. The run There was much fan-fare this week as runners celebrated the Queen's Jubilee. Runners were asked to w...

Last week I ran at South Woodham Ferrers parkrun, and subsequentally realised that I had been making some good progress visiting the cluster of events in Essex, however, this good work made me realise that I haven't really made much progress visiting the cluster of events directly in the vicinity of Norwich, and so today I decided to change that by visiting Catton parkrun! The area Located in the north of Norwich, Catton Park (alongside Catton Hall itself) is the remains of the former Catton Hall estate, which was originally developed in the 1780s. The estate was in active use until the outbreak of World War 2, when the land was used for farming, and was broken up and sold for residential development after the war. Today, the park is actively managed as a country park, while Catton Hall has been converted into apartments, and its immediate grounds are not accessible to the public. The course Catton's course initially follows a loop around the perimeter of the park,...

For no better reason than having attended an event in the north of the East of England last week, I decided to attend an event in the south of the East of England this week. I have been slowly working through the cluster of events in Essex, and so I decided to continue that progress this week by attending South Woodham Ferrers parkrun. The area The town of South Woodham Ferrers is a relatively new settlement, located a short distance from Chelmsford in Essex. Most of the buildings in the area have been constructed within the last 50 years, but this hasn't prevented the area developing a strong sense of community, with most residents reporting that they wouldn't choose to live anywhere else. The town is located on the River Crouch, a relatively short distance upstream from Burnham on Crouch where I ran Burnham on Crouch parkrun several weeks ago. To the south of the town lies Marsh Farm Country Park, and Marsh Farm Animal Adventure Park, which is the location of South W...