Sedgeford - Valley Village

Essential Intel

This Trail is not suitable for wheelchairs or pushchairs. The route uses narrow roads with little or no pavements, including some sections with no pavement at all.

For six weeks each summer, the archaeological digs in Sedgeford are open to the public.

The final return to the start point is along a road with no pavement and can be exceptionally busy, so take great care as your investigation draws to a close.

Navigating The Route

This is a circular Detective Mystery around Sedgeford Valley Village, with Detectives helping DCI Eve Ningall investigate the suspicious death of archaeologist Luke E. Here at a dig in Sedgeford and follow the trail of evidence to work out whodunnit.

The investigation covers 1.7 miles and should take around 2 hours to complete. You'll begin at the King William IV Country Inn and Restaurant, follow village roads through Sedgeford, investigate the area around the war memorial, continue towards Magazine Cottage and SHARP, pass through the church grounds, then work your way towards the green at Clue 15 before returning to the start.

The ground underfoot is generally good throughout, but this case is not suitable for wheelchairs or pushchairs. There are hills, narrow roads with little or no pavements, and some sections have no pavement at all.

Take great care when walking along or crossing the roads, particularly the main road through the village. Some side roads have no pavements, traffic may be unsighted from the right near the war memorial, and the main road is busy in places.

Getting There

By car: Start your investigation at the car park of the King William IV Country Inn and Restaurant (PE36 5LU). Suitable parking for your squad car is available at the start point in the King William IV Country Inn and Restaurant car park (PE36 5LU).

By public transport: Make your way to the car park of the King William IV Country Inn and Restaurant (PE36 5LU) to begin the case. The route is circular and finishes back at the start point.

Need the Loo?

Plan ahead, Detectives - there are no public toilets along the way.

Bring Your Furry Sidekicks

Four-legged Detectives can join the investigation, but keep them closely supervised throughout. 🐾

The route uses roads with little or no pavements, including some sections with no pavement at all, so leads are sensible around traffic, crossings and the busier main road through the village.

Food & Drink Stops

Evidence-gathering can be hungry work, so it helps that the King William IV Country Inn and Restaurant is at the start and end of the route.

You can also pack supplies and enjoy a picnic on the green at Clue 15, giving your detective squad a chance to pause before the final stretch of the case.

Want to Make a Day of It?

SHARP: Sedgeford Historical & Archaeological Project

Further down the road is SHARP, which you can find for six weeks of the summer each year. Founded in 1996, it was set up to investigate the entire range of human settlement and land-use in a typical north-west Norfolk parish. Notable finds have included over 300 skeletons in an Anglo-Saxon cemetery, a hoard of Iron-Age Gallo-Belgic gold staters, and a gold Iron-Age torc now on display in the British Museum - plenty of real archaeological intrigue to go with your fictional case.

Sedgeford's Ancient Roads

Sedgeford is crossed by two ancient roads, giving the village far deeper tracks than any suspect could leave behind. The prehistoric Icknield Way is part of four paths stretching from Lyme Regis to Hunstanton, while the Roman-period Peddars Way runs from Knettishall Heath to Holme-next-the-Sea.

Magazine Cottage

About half a mile along the road, Magazine Cottage appears on the left-hand side. It was built in the 17th century as a gunpowder store during the Civil War, and is rumoured to have had a secret passageway from the house to the coast - exactly the sort of detail to set young Detectives whispering theories.