Church Gate, Castle Acre.

THe Church of St James the Great is next door, a stop on the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compstella

On our second night we ate at The Ostrich where we had good beer, excellent service and food. They have a very good website too. But let's not forget the Albert Victor which is the poor cousin of the rich Ostrich but very worth a visit. If funds are scarce you'll get good value from Albert ...

Next day again up the straight road towards Holme - this time taking a 2 mile breakout to The William IV at Sedgeford for a roast beef lunch - tasty indeed but slooow in coming.

As the road nears the coast it loses its way a little and twists and bends too, but the moment of spying the sea on the horizon is worthwhile.

The sun cuts hard shadows from gold light as starlings and honking greylags swirl and drift above corn stubble, twisting and falling like shreds of silk in wind. Dropping sideways the squadrons, tired after a mission, undercarriage down, drop to skim the corn and rest ungainly as ducks on a pale yellow pond.

And so we came towards Holme. First a dark horizon then the pale church tower and, dipping and soaring, rainbow kites on the edge of the world. The way narrowed amid wild young trees and faltered bending and turning away from its Roman straightness as if lost, losing energy as it neared the end.

Then suddenly a helter skelter road cut harshly across and 12 inch square posts stood guard at the beginning of the end.