Physical Character

The ‘green lane’ track known as Pratts Loke leaves Hemsby Road at TG463182. It is about 20 feet wide between the hedges. At the beginning there are well established hedges each side with hawthorn, elder and sycamore but these are not continuous. Some hedges have obviously been removed although some stretches remain and some well established trees of oak and poplar are found. The track is at more or less the level of the adjoining land. Part of the track is bordered on the west side by an area of derelict buildings where there was at one time a mushroom farm. Next to this it is bordered by the fences of gardens of a modern housing development.

The end of the track, as it reaches Somerton Road at TG456187, has become a surfaced road as it used by heavy farm vehicles taking produce to the barns alongside the track.

Historical Ecology

This is a very ancient track that is shown on Faden’s Map. It is also shown on the Enclosure Map of 1812 but is not numbered which must indicate that it was already well recognised. In mediaeval times it must have been a very important route from the farms on the north side of the village to the mill on the site at TG464182. There must have been a mill on that site for many centuries with Pratts Loke being a well (xxxxxxxx Text missing)