Lynford Arboretum — Attraction in Breckland District

Our first time here after moving to live near by. A wonderful collection of walks around the lakes or through the arboretum. Signs give information about the area and trees. There is a toilet(just one) which is wonderfully clean and has a well laid out changing table. It was large enough for a wheelchair. There is a sweet cafe selling delicious brownies and drinks with plenty of seating. The walks are not well sign posted and so you may find yourself on a longer walk than anticipated. We followed the signs from the cafe and ended up walking for just over an hour. Many of the walks are paths which would be suitable for mobility scooters and wheel chairs, although some areas are more over grown. Throughout the walks there are plenty of benches and picnic tables. The walks are interesting and diverse with changing wildlife as the flora changes. The walks go through woodland, around river and ponds and skirt the hall/hotel. The woodland was loud with different birdsong, butterfly and dragonfly. On our walk we came upon two Highland cows which were loose. We encouraged them carefully off the path, but it could be scary to those with young children. We found the dog agility course which is spread along the blue walk. One of our dogs joined in, but the other was far too interested in the squirrels. From the car park if you walk in the other direction there is a large lake. Half is public where you can swim, paddle or play and the other half is left for wildlife only. This is signposted on the information boards. The water other than the very edge is deep and only suitable for confident swimmers. However it is perfect for those who enjoy open water (wild) swimming. Some areas of the lake have reeds and weeds and so limit water sports to avoid becoming tangled. There are no life buoys or safety equipment. There are no life guards. You would enter the water at your own risk. Lessons on stand-up paddle boarding can be booked. We arrived just after 8.00 and left around 11.00. There was plenty of parking as we arrived, however as we were leaving all spaces were taken and there were many cars arriving so would suggest an early start on a weekend or bank holiday. I think this will become one of our favourite spots for...

I've been twice recently to Lynford and it's a lovely place - but the first time was a bit rocky... I've not walked down to the lake (left side of the road).

I visited with my Mum. She's disabled and a wheelchair user (but does have a scooter on occasions). I decided we would have a little walk and a coffee at the hut on the way back from a trip out. It had disabled spaces, the parking is free and I thought that was a sign it was disabled friendly. No - it's really not. The pathways are ballast stone and are not hardcore making it extremely hard to push someone and very unsettling for the disabled individual. The trees were lovely and the walk we did (small walk to the water tower and back) was pretty. Her scooter may have been better but the arboretum side was not for wheelchair users.

I visited last weekend with my children and they loved it. We walked again the same area and further on and around. It was very pretty, lots of trees to tick off in the eye spy book and it wasn't too busy for them to run around. The colours are so nice this time of year.

The cafe is good - Gluten free cakes, nice tea, what's not to like!!

I think overall it needs maybe a few more signs (trail signs seem to suggest routes/ view points/sculptures that are no longer there) and the pathways should be given some attention for...

This an impulse trip taken on Saturday to cheer up my wife, who is being treated for a chronic medical issue. Although we only took a short walk so that she did not become over tired, I saw how happy she became looking across the lake. People were swimming, paddle boarding and just enjoying nature, fresh air and warmth.

The Arboretum is a wonderful visit, with beautiful trees, Flora and Fauna to enjoy on any of the trails that are offered to suit most capabilities of family or personal relaxation.

After feeling revived by nature, you can relax at the Shepherd's Baa, a delightful friendly stopping point. Not only is the welcome first class, they offer a huge selection of cakes, snacks and a wide variety of freshly made drinks: Coffee varieties, fruit drinks, refreshers, post work out reviver and the most superbly presented milk shakes. Oh before I forget they also offer Coke Floats. It is all served by friendly, patient staff, from a clean and bright shepherd's hut, with plenty of al-fresco seating.

The Lynford Arboretum is FREE to enter and park and well...