Historical walks by Paston character
Choose a member of the Paston family to guide you around our heritage walks.
Each walk has an audio guide featuring a Paston character telling their chapter of the Paston story, with much of the dialogue taken from the Paston letters.
The walks are listed below in chronological order of their chapter in the Paston timeline. An alternative is to dip in and out of the story as you like, or by preferred location.
Paston
Join Agnes Paston on a scenic countryside walk and learn how her husband, Good Judge William Paston (pictured), contributed to the family's rise from simple medieval farmers to Tudor aristocracy. Agnes reminisces about her quarrels with the villagers. The origins of the Paston story start here but also continue throughout the generations. View a digital reconstruction of the Tudor Paston Hall. Find out about Lady Katherine Paston at her magnificent 17th century tomb. As the second most prolific Paston letter writer, it is surprising that her story has been largely untold until now.
Bacton
Join Agnes Paston on a peaceful walk along country lanes and the sands of Bacton beach to find the ruins of Bromholm Priory. View the splendour of the priory, once a major pilgrim destination, as it once was, and hear the monks chant, with our 3D digital reconstruction. Learn about the grand funeral parade for John Paston from London to the priory. Though remember to take Agne's advice about how to avoid kidnap for ransom along the coastal path. You can combine this history trail with a meditation walk. You can also enjoy a ramble in the woods, once owned by the Pastons.
Mautby
Walk along lanes with wayside flowers and take in views of the ruined Caister Castle, as you encounter the story of the first 'woman of letters'. This walk focuses on the formidable Margaret Mautby Paston - the self-named 'Captainess' of the Paston family. From land and tenant management, political networking, arranging marriages, women's reading habits and practical measures to defend against sieges and advancing armies, as well as shopping lists, dealing with her children's quarrels, and loving letters to her husband, your understanding of women's role in the Middle Ages may be challenged on this walk.
Gresham
Join Margaret Paston on a peaceful walk around Gresham village. Described by our walkers as the 'most magical of the landscapes', experience Norfolk's outstanding beauty while listening to a rather dramatic story. Bought by Good Judge William from Geoffrey Chaucer's grandson, Thomas, the castle came under siege after William's death. His son, John Paston I, fought for legal entitlement in the London courts, while his wife took up the poleaxe to defend the home and tenant lands. Margaret tells her story of the 1449 siege, in some of the most famous and vivid passages of the Paston Letters. Experience this story while you view our 3D reconstruction of the medieval castle and Stuart mansion.
Norwich
On this walk around the medieval city of Norwich, Margery Brews Paston will entertain you with family dramas. She will help you understand what plants to use to avoid the plague, take you to the spot where the first ever Valentine's letter was delivered (and you can hear it read) and share all the spectacle about the Queen's visit. Her husband, John Paston III, will also accompany you on the walk and share insights into the Pastons' enterprising life in the city during the Wars of the Roses. Enjoy a 3D digital flyover over 15th century Norwich. Experiment creating your own stepping stone trail, using the city landscape.
North Walsham
On this walk around the medieval market town, stand in the spot where the great 1381 Peasants' Revolt ended. Discover Norfolk's prominent role in the wool trade, which left legacies in the buildings and lifestyle of the town. Learn about the generosity of Sir William Paston in founding Paston College (that still operates to this day) in the face of the town's greatest tragedy. Explore the visual spectacles of heraldry on this walk, with opportunities for children and adults to learn more about this craft, which tells us much about identity in the 1600s. Enjoy a visual 'letters in the landscape' activity.
_11zon.png)
Oxnead
On this walk around the hidden gem of Oxnead (near Alysham), learn about adaptations to the manor home throughout the centuries with our digital reconstruction. Be among the first to learn about the later Pastons. The Church tombs tell many stories. On the podcast, Rebecca Paston will entertain you with stories of her husband Robert's alchemy experiments. Robert was the third most prolific letter writer in the family, and devised a cryptic code in his letters to his wife. Discover family dramas during the perilous English Restoration period and all about a royal visit from Charles II.
Blofield
Discover a previously untold story from the archives. Join Edward Paston on a walk around the picturesque village of Blofield. Take sensory steps while listening to hisTudor musical interests, hearing about Edward's archaeological digs, and feasting the senses in the Church's herbal garden. Edward shares what it is like to live during a time of religious tension and how he had a major part in preserving the sacred music of the great Tudor composers William Byrd and Thomas Tallis. On your walk, find out about the hidden lyrics.