Great Ryburgh Common is an area of 29 acres or thereabouts of mostly wet woodland and including a small heath, which is available for public access.
It can be reached from Great Ryburgh by leaving Fakenham Road via Highfield Lane, at the western end of the village. Highfield Lane (the metalled roadway) comes to an end alongside Highfield Farm and continues as a track (a public footpath) for a kilometre to the Starmoor Wood.
At the entrance to the wood you will see the notice shown in the photograph. The parking of cars is permitted on the concrete hard standing at the beginning of the track, provided it is not in use for the purposes of the farm. You will see from the notice that there is a public path across the Common itself. The path is frequently wet and muddy and in the summer there are briars, nettles and fallen trees.You should be prepared for this!
The Common is held in trust for the village by the Parish Council. It is exceptional in that it has not been disturbed for a great many years and is a remnant of flooded woodland with many “pingos” (a land form left by the last ice age), unusual plants ( in particular a columnar sedge), fungi, an area of reed bed. It is classified as a site of special scientific interest.
The Common is let to the adjoining farmer, Mr John Savory, to maintain it to environmental standards prescribed by Natural England.
RWG has no actual involvement in the Common or its management and the details that are given on this site are intended for the information of interested persons. The Common is managed for the Parish Council by its nominated trustees and any questions can be raised with mike_rundle@icloud.com who is one of the current trustees.
Dated : December 2024