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✦ Historic site

Cowell Stone

✦ Ancient woodland

📷 Hugh Venables · Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0

Plan your visit

BirdsWildlifeHeritage
Public accessDogs welcome

Getting here

52.65517, 0.61131

Open directionsv
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Best for

7 activities

Bird watching

Very strong match

Free

Birds — Great Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Skylark +58 more · last seen 2025; Deciduous woodland — woodpeckers, warblers and woodland birds

Wildlife

Strong match

Free

Birds — Great Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Skylark +58 more · last seen 2025; Deciduous woodland priority habitat

Heritage

Strong match

Free

Historic site with public access

Foraging

Strong match

Varies

Plants — Hawthorn, Common Nettle, Common Sorrel +20 more foraging species; Deciduous woodland — fungi, berries and wild garlic

Insect spotting

Strong match

Free

Insects — Small White, Green-veined White, Meadow Brown +65 more · last seen 2025

Seasonal nature

Strong match

Free

Plants — Common Feather-moss, Rough-stalked Feather-moss, Bracken +218 more · last seen 2025

Trails nearby

Within roughly 5 km
🚶

Walking

▾

11 signed routes nearby · 1 public path nearby

Signed route nearbyPublic paths
The BrecksWalking route▾
Named route
Swaefas WayWalking route▾
Named routeLocal walking route
Nar Valley WayWalking route54 km▾

Kings Lynn to Gressenhall

Named routeLength 54 kmRegional walking route
Castle Acre Circular (Long)Walking route6.5 km▾
Named routeLength 6.5 kmRound tripLocal walking route
Peddars WayWalking route74 km▾
Named routeLength 74 kmNational walking route
🚴

Cycling

▾

3 signed routes nearby

Signed route nearby
King's Lynn-SwaffhamCycling route▾
Named routeRef Gold (5)Local cycle route
Brecks Cycling Discovery RouteCycling route▾
Named routeRegional cycle route
Rebellion WayCycling route373 km▾
Named routeRef RebelLength 373 kmRound tripRegional cycle route
🚵

Mountain biking

▾

1 signed route nearby

Signed route nearby
Peddars Way Cycle RouteMountain bike route83.6 km▾

The Peddars Way with suggested detours to avoid footpath-only sections.

Named routeLength 83.6 kmNational Cycle Network
🐴

Horse riding

▾

5 public paths nearby

Public paths
Fincham Drovebridleway · 492 m▾
Public pathbridlewayLength 492 mPath type: track
Fincham Droverestricted byway · 156 m▾
Public pathrestricted bywayLength 156 mPath type: track
Fincham Droverestricted byway · 1.3 km▾
Public pathrestricted bywayLength 1.3 kmPath type: track

About this historic site

Cowell Stone is an ancient historic site. As an ancient woodland, it has been continuously wooded since at least 1600 AD — a rare and irreplaceable habitat rich in biodiversity and historical character.

Wildlife to spot

Photos

22 photos from nearby open sources

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Cowell Stone

📷 Hugh Venables · Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0

Cowell Stone

1 / 22

Visiting this spring

Seasonal nature notes and what to look for now

▾
  • 🌸Ancient woodlands are famous for bluebell carpets in April and May — one of Britain's most spectacular wildflower displays
  • 🐦Prime nesting season — listen for woodpecker drumming, warbler song and the first cuckoos from April
  • 🦌Roe deer are active before the leaf canopy closes in — dawn and dusk are best
✦ Ancient✓ Public access🐶 Dogs

Good to know

  • 🐕Dogs welcome
  • 🌿Ancient woodland — rare wildlife habitat

Weather for this location

Next 14 days

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Nearby places

Useful places within 5 km

✦NARFORD HALLHistoric site3.9 km→✦Devil's Dyke, Beechamwell and Barton Bendish. Section 1km in length West of Smeeth WoodHistoric site2.5 km→🌱All Saint's ChurchUrban park4 km→✦Saint John's Church (remains)Historic site4.5 km→⛪St Mary's ChurchReligious grounds4.5 km→⛪St Margarets ChurchReligious grounds4.6 km→