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INTRODUCTION

Scots pines at sunset at Bawdsey on the Suffolk Coast Path (SCP, Stage 8)

The sky seems enormous here, especially on a bright, early summer’s day, and the sea beyond the shingle almost endless. Apart from the gleeful cries of children playing on the beach, the aural landscape is one of soughing waves and the gentle scrape of stones, a few mewing gulls and the piping of oystercatchers. Less than a mile inland, both scenery and soundscape are markedly different – vast expanses of heather, warbling blackcaps in the bushes, and a skylark clattering on high; the warm air is redolent with the coconut scent of yellow gorse that seems to be everywhere. This is the Suffolk coast, and it seems hard to imagine that somewhere quite so tranquil is just a couple of hours’ drive away from London.

The big skies, clean air and wide open scenery of the Suffolk coast has long attracted visitors – holiday makers certainly, but also writers, artists and musicians. The Suffolk coast’s association with the creative arts is longstanding, and its attraction is immediately obvious – close enough to the urban centres of southern England for a relatively easy commute, yet with sufficient unspoiled backwater charm for creativity to flourish.

It is not hard to see the appeal – east of the A12, the trunk road that more or less carves off this section of the East Anglian coast, there is a distinct impression that many of the excesses of modern life have passed the region by. The small towns and villages that punctuate the coastline and immediate hinterland are by and large quiet, unspoiled places that, while developed as low-key resorts in recent years, still refect the maritime heritage for which this coast was famous before coastal erosion took its toll.

The county of Suffolk lies at the heart of East Anglia, in eastern England, sandwiched between the counties of Norfolk to the north, Essex to the south and Cambridgeshire to the west. The county town is Ipswich, by far the biggest urban centre in the county, while other important towns include Bury St Edmunds to the west and Lowestoft to the north. Much of the county is dominated by agriculture, especially arable farming, but the coastal region featured in this book has a wider diversity of scenery – with reedbeds, heath, saltmarsh, shingle beaches, estuaries and even cliffs all contributing to the variety. There is also woodland, both remnants of ancient deciduous forests and large modern plantations. Such a variety of landscapes means a wealth of wildlife habitat, and so it is little wonder that the area is home to many scarce species of bird, plant and insect.

This region can be broadly divided into three types of landscape – coast, estuary and heathland, or Sandlings, as they are locally known – and the three long-distance walks described in this guide are each focused on one of these landscape types. All three have plenty to offer visitors in terms of scenery, wildlife and historic interest, and the footpaths, bridleways and quiet lanes found here make for excellent walking.three long-distance walks described in this guide are each focused on one of these landscape types. All three have plenty to offer visitors in terms of scenery, wildlife and historic interest, and the footpaths, bridleways and quiet lanes found here make for excellent walking.

Sandlings heath and conifer plantations at dunwich Forest (SW, Stage 7)

Almost all the walks in this guide fall within the boundaries of the Suffolk Coast & Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), which stretches south from Kessingland in the north of the county to the Stour estuary in the south. The whole area – both coast and heaths – is now one of 46 Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, having received AONB status in 1970, a designation that recognises, and protects, the area’s unique landscape.

THE AONB

The Suffolk Coast & Heaths AONB was created in March 1970, has a population of roughly 23,500 within its border, and covers 403km2 of coastal Suffolk from the Stour estuary at the eastern fringe of Ipswich to Kessingland in the north. This AONB is recognised as one of the most important areas for wildlife in the UK and boasts three National Nature Reserves, the flagship RSPB reserve at Minsmere, several SSSI (Sites of Special Scientific Interest) and wetland sites of national and international importance.

As with any AONB, a balance needs to be struck between the need for conservation of its unique landscape features and its role as an area of both agricultural and recreational use. The Suffolk Coast & Heaths Partnership that manages activities within the AONB is made up of 26 organisations that include local councils and wildlife groups; farming, business, tourism and historical interests; and the Suffolk Coast & Heaths AONB Team, based at Melton, just outside Woodbridge, which acts as a champion for the AONB, coordinating the work of the Partnership and promoting the area’s conservation.

Three Long-Distance Walks

The three long-distance walks described in this guide are the Suffolk Coast Path, the Stour and Orwell Walk and the Sandlings Walk. The first two follow the coast as closely as possible, while the third follows an alternative route through the sandy heaths that lie a little way inland.

The Suffolk Coast Path (sometimes referred to as the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Path) and the Stour and Orwell Walk are connected at Felixstowe to provide about 100 miles (160km) of continuous, largely coastal walking – although there are also some inland stretches that are needed to detour around the many estuaries that are a marked feature of this coastline. When combined with these, the Sandlings Walk, which meanders mostly inland for nearly 60 miles (96km) between Ipswich and Southwold, offers the possibility of a complete circular tour of the Suffolk coastal region for those with sufficient curiosity, time and energy. All three walks have their merits, and all can easily be completed in manageable stages or even cherry-picked as day walks for sections that hold particular appeal.

Fingerpost and footpath through reedbeds close to Southwold (SCP, Stage 3)

None of the routes described in this book is especially demanding – all are suitable for newcomers to long-distance walking and all can be done by anyone with a reasonable level of fitness. All the routes are clearly way-marked and involve easy walking on the flat, although some stretches along shingle and sand will inevitably be more tiring, as will muddy paths after wet weather. Facilities are plentiful, and the routes are described in convenient stages with accommodation usually available nearby at the end of the day.

The Suffolk Coast Path

The Suffolk Coast Path stretches along the coast between Lowestoft in the north and Landguard Fort, close to Felixstowe, in the south, a total distance of 55–60 miles (89–97km), depending on whether beach walking or inland options are followed. The path can be walked in either direction, but has been described north to south here in order to link up with a south to north traverse of the Sandlings Walk. With the exception of the first stage from Lowestoft, this walk lies completely within the Suffolk Coast and Heaths AONB and mostly stays close to the coast. However, coastal erosion in recent years, and the threat of further damage in the future, has necessitated some minor inland diversions in places.

Although the Suffolk Coast Path can be walked at any time of year, the last stage (Stage 8) requires the use of a river ferry between Bawdsey and Felixstowe Ferry, which operates daily only between May and September, and at weekends from Easter weekend to May, and also in October. The optional Orford Loop section on this route (see Stage 6) also makes use of a ferry, between Orford and Butley, which again is seasonal, although this can be avoided by making a longer detour.

The Suffolk Coast Path is described here in eight convenient stages, some of which can be combined, according to fitness levels and time available. Not far from the finish point there is a connecting link to the Stour and Orwell Walk, which makes a very natural extension for those wishing to walk further. To walk the complete Suffolk Coast Path route will probably take the average walker between five and seven days – though if you want to build in a rest day somewhere, both Southwold and Aldeburgh, close to Thorpeness, make very pleasant places to take a break.

The Stour and Orwell Walk

The start (or finish if you are walking south to north) of the Stour and Orwell Walk is connected to the Suffolk Coast Path via a link between the junction of Sea Road/Beach Station Road, Felixstowe and Cordy’s Lane, Trimley St Mary. The Stour and Orwell Walk threads around the estuaries of the Stour and Orwell rivers to finish at Cattawade, close to the Essex border. This 40-mile (65km) route takes in both the north and south shores of the River Orwell and the north shore of the River Stour. Although much of the way is beside the water, there are inland sections, too, which add to the variety.

In Stage 2, two options are offered for crossing the River Orwell – either a mile-long walk across the busy Orwell Bridge (not to everyone’s taste) or the longer ‘Ipswich Loop’ that passes through central Ipswich, mostly by means of urban parks, and avoids crossing the bridge.

This whole route can be completed over a period of four days, or even three long days for fitter walkers. The route may also be shortened considerably by making use of the seasonal Landguard Fort to Shotley Gate ferry service, which effectively cuts out the Orwell section of the walk (Stages 1–3 and part of Stage 4).

The Sandlings Walk

The third route, the Sandlings Walk (60 miles/96km), thoroughly explores the heathland region that lies immediately inland from the Suffolk coast. Beginning at one of two possible starting points in Ipswich, the route passes through Martlesham Heath before following the River Deben estuary up to the pleasant riverside town of Woodbridge. From here it meanders through several tracts of Sandlings Heath and extensive forest plantations before finally arriving at the delightfully old-fashioned resort of Southwold, an excellent place to recuperate. Although almost entirely inland, there is a short coastal section close to Sizewell that is shared with the Suffolk Coast Path. Otherwise, this route offers a different perspective on the hinterland of the Suffolk coast and ideally complements the coastal route.

Walkways lead to sailing boats moored on the banks of the river Blyth near Southwold (SCP, Stage 3 and SW, Stage 7)

With the exception of the first stage, between Ipswich and Woodbridge, the route of the Sandlings Walk lies entirely within the confines of the Suffolk Coast & Heaths AONB. To walk the complete length, it is best to allow around five days in total. As well as combining well with the Suffolk Coast Path, the Sandlings Walk could also easily be linked with the first two stages of the Stour and Orwell Walk by taking the Ipswich Loop option of the latter, and then setting out from Ipswich on the first stage of the Sandlings Walk from there to Woodbridge. If this option were chosen, Woodbridge would be ideally placed for a rest day before continuing the Sandlings Walk north. Woodbridge might also be a useful base for completing the next two stages (Stages 2–4) of the Sandlings Walk, as there is little accommodation between Woodbridge and Snape.

Geology

In geological terms, this is a relatively young landscape that has some of the youngest rocks in Britain. Underlying the surface geology of the coastal region is chalk, the remnants of a former sea bed from 70–100 million years ago. On top of this is London Clay, laid down around 50 million years ago, and this in turn is overlain in the northern part of the AONB by a cream through to red–coloured sandy limestone, rich in phosphate, called ‘crag’ that was deposited between 1.6 and 3.5 million years ago. Of the various types of crag found here, Coralline Crag is exclusive to Suffolk.

The coastal landscape seen today is very much influenced by the last ice age – the ice sheets of the last glacial period reached as far south as the Suffolk coast, diverting rivers in their wake and depositing the sands and gravels that characterise the nutrient–poor heaths of the coastal landscape.

History of the Landscape

The coast

The coast is dominated by two landscape features – shingle beaches and soft, crumbling cliffs. Shingle beaches composed of shelves of small round stones eroded by the action of a dynamic sea are a common feature all the way along this coastline, and even give their name to one settlement south of Aldeburgh – Shingle Street. The cliffs – here composed of soft, quickly eroded crag – are seen to best advantage at Dunwich, where the constant and visible crumbling is very much on display.

Stepping out on the shingle beach at Dunwich (SCP, Stages 3 and 4)

There were several thriving ports along this coastline in medieval times, mostly notably at Dunwich, one of East Anglia’s largest settlements at the time, but also at Southwold and Walberswick. Ongoing coastal erosion in the form of longshore drift meant that the harbours eventually became silted up and, following centuries of booming trade, the maritime business fell into decline, as did the tradition of ship building. (Coastal erosion is still very much a concern, and because of this sections of the Suffolk Coast Path and the Stour and Orwell Walk have been altered and rerouted considerably in recent years to compensate.)

As a reminder of Britain’s maritime tradition, and of the threat of invasion during the period of the Napoleonic Wars, several Martello towers, small defensive forts, can be found along the coast south of Aldeburgh – the northern extremity of a continuous chain of 103 similar structures that stretches all the way down to Sussex.

Some Suffolk coastal towns, such as Southwold and Aldeburgh, underwent a renaissance in the Victorian and Edwardian period, when they were developed as fashionable resorts for wealthy urbanites. In line with this development, the resort village of Thorpeness, north of Aldeburgh, was created more or less from scratch during the Edwardian period. The coastline underwent further changes during World War II, when pillboxes and gun emplacements were established along the shoreline for defensive purposes, and the curious concrete pagodas at the formerly top-secret base on the Orford Ness peninsula were constructed for weapons testing.

The Sandlings

Inland from the coast, a vast area of heath known locally as the Sandlings once stretched between Ipswich and Lowestoft. Much of this has now gone under the plough or been afforested, but there are still considerable fragments that have been conserved, with their characteristic covering of bell heather and gorse bushes and their rich birdlife.

Settlers first arrived here in the Neolithic period, attracted by light soils that were far easier to work than the heavy clay soils of central Suffolk to the west. Forests were cleared to create land for crops and the grazing of livestock, a process that continued through the Bronze and Iron Age periods. The light, sandy soil of the region ensured that forest was not able to easily re-establish itself, and the now-familiar heaths of the Sandlings developed as a result.

The beach at Pakefield, looking north towards lowestoft (SCP, Stage 1)

Some idea of the importance and relative prosperity of the Sandlings region in the Anglo-Saxon period may be judged from the treasure found at Sutton Hoo, close to present day Woodbridge. Later, in the 14th and 15th centuries, the wealth created by wool production, resulting from enclosure and grazing of the heaths, financed the building of many fine and notable medieval churches, including those at Blythburgh, Southwold and Kessingland. However, this extensive grazing for wool production caused serious problems of soil infertility in subsequent centuries.

Large areas of heath were enclosed, ploughed and fertilised during the 18th and 19th centuries, and much of the Sandlings region was given over either to game-keeping or arable farming, or afforested with large coniferous plantations.

Forests

All three major forests within the confines of the AONB – Rendlesham, Tunstall and Dunwich – were established by the Forestry Commission in the 1920s on relatively infertile tracts of Sandlings heath. These were all quite badly damaged by the Great Storm of 1987, but widespread clearance and replanting has taken place since. As well as these modern plantations there are also some fragments of ancient woodland with a mix of broad-leaved species.

Estuaries

Estuaries are another notable feature along this stretch of Suffolk coast – with the estuary of the River Blyth separating the former fishing ports of Southwold and Walberswick; the estuary of the River Alde running inland from Aldeburgh to Snape; the estuary of the River Deben at Woodbridge; the Orwell estuary leading to Ipswich; and, to the south, the Stour estuary that marks the southern limit of the AONB and, indeed, the county of Suffolk. Although not as busy with maritime trade as they once were, each of these estuaries still has its own character, and all five are popular places for boating.

Since the medieval period, marshland close to the estuaries has been drained and protected by food walls to create additional farmland. Arable crops tend to predominate, but there has also been a trend towards raising pigs outdoors in fields in recent years, while cattle often graze the wetter meadows.

The low-tide mud flats of the estuaries are important havens for wildlife, especially wildfowl and wading birds, as are the reedbeds and marshes that fringe them. Although valuable for birds and sailors, they are sometimes less convenient for walkers wishing to stay close to the shoreline, as their presence necessitates a certain amount of lengthy detouring away from the coast or the use of some of the ferries that ply the coast.

Wildlife and Flowers

Both the coastal strip and the inland Sandlings provide specialised habitat for a range of plants, birds, butterflies and insects – the coast has saltmarsh, shingle ridges, cliffs, reedbeds and grazing marsh; the Sandlings offers heaths, commercial forest and ancient woodland, as well as arable fields and hedgerows.

Eroded cliffs along the River Stour at Sutton Ness (S&OW)

The Suffolk coast is well known for its bird-watching potential, and the RSPB reserve at Minsmere, with its scrapes, reedbeds, pools and woodland, has long been considered one of the best birding locations in the country. Breeding specialities here include avocets, bitterns and bearded tits, and each year a number of rarities turn up on migration, along with vast numbers of waders and wildfowl. Marsh harriers are relatively easy to spot as they quarter the reedbeds for prey. Lapwings breed on the wet grazing marshes, sand martins nest in holes in seaside cliffs, and little terns and ringed plovers lay their eggs in the open on stretches of shingle. Elsewhere, stonechats and rare Dartford warblers find a refuge in extensive gorse-covered areas such as Dunwich Heath.

On the shingle beaches, specialist maritime plants such as sea campion, sea holly, sea pea, yellow-horned poppy and sea kale all manage to find a toe-hold, while flowering sea lavender creates a pleasing purple carpet alongside the estuaries. Pockets of broad-leaved woodland with oak, ash and hazel, remnants of the ancient wild wood that once covered the county, provide another haven for wildlife, with shade-loving flowers such as bluebells, wood anemone, red campion and early purple orchid all thriving. In addition, the woodland offers a home to relatively scarce birds including warblers, woodlark and nightingales and woodland butterfly species such as white admiral, purple hairstreak and speckled wood.

The large conifer forests, such as those at Tunstall and Rendlesham, have a more limited flora, but still provide an important habitat for some species of bird and animal, notably muntjac and fallow deer. Since 1987, when the great October storm destroyed large areas of conifer plantation, tree planting has generally been carried out in a more environmentally sensitive manner, with more variety as well as the provision of grassy rides and open glades for wildlife.

Farmland within the AONB is less rich in wildlife than other habitats, but nevertheless provides a home for plant species such as poppy, common mallow and alexanders, as well as bird species including skylark, corn bunting and yellow hammer, and mammals such as brown hare.

The Royal Hospital School, with its impressively tall clock tower (S&O, Stage 5)

The heathland habitat of the Sandlings is home to many birds, as well as interesting butterflies such as grayling and silver-studded blue, reptiles including the common lizard and adder, and plants such as bell heather, ling (common heather), heath bed-straw, heath speedwell and harebell. One species, the antlion, a scarce and rather strange insect, is found in the UK only in the Sandlings region – most known colonies lie within a restricted area of the Minsmere RSPB reserve. The European antlion (Euroleon nostras) is actually the larval stage of a species of lacewing. It earns its name by digging pit traps in sandy soil and lying in wait at the bottom for other insects, ants or spiders to fall in. It then grabs its prey and sucks the fluid from it through its hollow jaw projections.

Culture and Heritage

The slow pace of life and clean air of the Suffolk coast has long attracted writers, artists and musicians. JM Barrie, author of Peter Pan (1904), was a regular visitor to Thorpeness, and its artificial boating lake, The Meare, has many landings named after places in the story. The small former fishing village of Walberswick became the adopted home of Philip Wilson Steer and a circle of English Impressionists in the 1890s, and the Scottish architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh came to live and paint watercolours here in 1914. The writer George Orwell, of Animal Farm (1945) and Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949) fame, once lived and taught in nearby Southwold.

A little further south, Aldeburgh was famously the adopted home of composer Benjamin Britten and his partner Peter Pears; the Aldeburgh Festival, instigated by Britten in 1948, remains an important event in the cultural calendar. The Suffolk coast informed much of Britten’s work – the opera Peter Grimes, with its libretto based upon the poems of the Aldeburgh poet George Crabbe, tells the tragic tale of a local fisherman. ‘The Scallop’, a large steel sculpture in the form of a shell by the Suffolk artist Maggi Hambling, stands on the beach at Aldeburgh and bears a quote from Peter Grimes – ‘I hear those voices that will not be drowned’ – as a tribute to the composer.

Woodbridge, too, has had artistic connections – Edward Fitzgerald, the eccentric translator of Omar Khayyam, befriended local fishermen here and spent much of his spare time on sailing expeditions in the area. Arthur Ransome, of Swallows and Amazons fame, was another famous author who came to live locally, at Broke Hall Farm at Levington on the Orwell estuary, where he wrote We Didn’t Mean to Go to Sea, about an accidental sailing voyage on the North Sea.

Getting There and Back

The main towns at the start and end points of these walks – Lowestoft, Ipswich, Woodbridge and Felixstowe – are all well connected to London and the rest of the country by train and bus services, as is Manningtree, close to Cattawade, on the Stour and Orwell Walk. For information on train times call National Rail Enquiries on 03457 484950 or look on the internet – www.nationalrail.co.uk. For coach and rail transport to Suffolk from London and elsewhere, contact National Express (08717 818181) or visit their website – www.nationalexpress.com. The East Suffolk Railway Line (www.eastsuffolkline.com) has regular rail services between Lowestoft and Ipswich that stop at stations fairly close to the coast, such as Saxmundham, Darsham and Woodbridge, and there is also a useful branch line between Ipswich and Felixstowe. Of the 12 stations between Lowestoft and Ipswich, and the five between Ipswich and Felixstowe, only Ipswich and Lowestoft are staffed, but tickets may be bought on board the train. There is adequate car parking at all the stations.

Lowestoft, at the northern end of the Suffolk Coast Path, is Britain’s most easterly town (SCP, Stage 1)

Small towns such as Southwold and Aldeburgh on the Suffolk Coast Path have reasonable bus connections to the walks’ start and end points, but smaller places such as Dunwich, Chillesford, Snape and Chelmondiston have only infrequent bus services, and timetables need to be studied carefully in order to make the most of connections at the beginning and end of each stage.

Connecting Communites (0345 606 6171) is a transport service to help people travel around Suffolk who might not have access to a regular bus service. Some local bus services, including the Suffolk Links Wilford Coastal Accessible Transport Service (www.cats-paws.co.uk; 0845 604 1802) between Woodbridge and the coast, are demand responsive services that need to be booked in advance the day before. The website www.suffolkonboard.com is a helpful tool for finding rural bus services in Suffolk. Another very useful facility for planning purposes is Traveline East Anglia (www.travelineeastanglia.org.uk; 0871 200 2233), which has links to timetables and route maps on its website.

By car, the Suffolk coast is easily reached from the rest of the country by taking the A12 between Ipswich and Lowestoft and turning off for the coast at the appropriate point. There are generally adequate car-parking facilities along the Suffolk coast, although the town car parks at Southwold and Aldeburgh can sometimes be full in high season.

Ferries

Several stages of the walks involve the use of ferries – timetables should be checked beforehand, as the ferries are seasonal and do not run year-round.

On the Suffolk Coast Path the extension to the alternative Orford Loop (see Stage 6) makes use of the Butley rowing-boat ferry, which runs from Easter Saturday to the end of October. Stage 8 of the Suffolk Coast Path requires the use of the Deben ferry across the river from Bawdsey Quay to Felixstowe Ferry. It carries foot passengers and bicycles and usually operates daily between May and September from 10am to 6pm, and at weekends from Easter weekend to May and also in October from 10am to 5pm (£2 single and £3 return at the time of writing). At other times there may be a river taxi service (07709 411511 – ferryman, or 01394 282173 – boatyard).

The Landguard Fort to Harwich and Shotley Gate ferry service is used on the alternative shorter version (Stages 4 and 5 only) of the Stour and Orwell Walk. This runs 9.30am–5.30pm every day from 25 March to 30 September; it also runs on sunny days in October and between 26 December and 1 January (www.harwichharbourferry.com; 07919 911440). The early and late sailings need to be pre-booked. It costs £5 for adults.

Southwold Pier, Britain’s only 21st-century pier, was opened in 2001 (SCP, Stage 2)

When to Go

The busiest months on the Suffolk coast are July and August, especially during the English school holiday period. Services and amenities can become stretched at this time, especially in popular resorts such as Southwold and Aldeburgh. Overall, probably the most pleasant months to walk are May, June and September, although April and October both have their merits if the weather is good. Late spring is the best time to see wild flowers, and September is the ideal month for migrating birds, although late April and May are probably better for seeing (and hearing) migrant warblers including nightingales. Characteristic shingle flora such as sea pea and yellow-horned poppy are at their flowering peak in July and August.

For walkers hiking the entire length of the Suffolk Coast Path, the main seasonal limitation is the need to use the ferry service between Bawdsey and Felixstowe (Stage 8). This operates only at Easter weekend, and then between May and October. At other times of the year it is necessary to make a very long detour around the River Deben estuary. Similarly, anyone wishing to make use of the Butley ferry on the Orford Loop alternative (Stage 6 of the Suffolk Coast Path) must undertake this section between Easter and the end of September, when the ferry is running.

None of the routes in this book is so long that it makes the limited daylight hours of winter an issue. Walking coastal Suffolk in winter has, in fact, its own, perhaps rather bleak, charm. The Stour and Orwell Walk especially is rewarding during the winter months, as both estuaries are home to large numbers of wildfowl and waders at this time of year.

What to Take

Suffolk coastal weather is generally mild, with little snow in winter and a cooling breeze in summer. As with any route, walkers should check weather forecasts before setting out to determine whether wet-weather clothing is required for that day. Substantial boots and appropriate clothing should be worn, and a small, comfortable day-pack containing additional clothing, waterproofs, map, food, drink and a camera should be carried.

In summer, insect repellent is a good idea as midges may be a nuisance along some stretches of coastline; mosquitoes can also be a minor problem in some areas of woodland. On brighter days sun cream may be necessary, as walkers are often unaware of getting burned because of the cooling effect of a sea breeze. A sun hat is also advisable.

Food and Accommodation

Food is often available at pubs and cafés close to the start and end points of many walk stages, although, as there are one or two exceptions to the rule, it is always a good idea to carry a supply of food and drink and ‘emergency rations’ in case of delay or exceptional circumstances. Places where refreshments are available are listed in the box at the start of each walk stage.

Fishing boats and bathers on the beach at Dunwich (SCP, Stage 4)

For those wishing to walk these routes in their entirety, stopping overnight along the way, there is plenty of accommodation available at the larger towns such as Lowestoft, Ipswich, Woodbridge and Felixstowe, as well as a good number of hotels and B&Bs at resorts including Southwold, Walberswick and Aldeburgh, although these tend to be in great demand in high summer and it is wise to book well ahead. The smaller villages, where some stages start or finish, tend to have far less choice on offer – suggestions are given in the box at the start of each stage. Most of the tourist information centres listed in Appendix B can help find accommodation and assist with booking, as well as provide timetables of local transport.

Waymarks and Access

All the routes are generally well signed and clearly waymarked. The Suffolk Coast Path is marked with a yellow arrow on a blue disc. The alternative route in Stages 6–7, the Orford Loop, is signed ‘Suffolk Coast Path: Orford Loop’, and the Butley ferry variation of the Loop is signed ‘Suffolk Coast Path: Orford Loop via Ferry’. The Stour and Orwell Walk is waymarked with a yellow arrow on a grey disc and the legend ‘Stour and Orwell Walk’. The Suffolk Coast Path/Stour and Orwell Walk Link is waymarked with a yellow arrow on a purple disc and the legend ‘Suffolk Coast Path/Stour and Orwell Walk Link’. The Sandlings Walk is marked with a rectangular plaque that has an arrow and a stylised nightjar symbol. Some older signposts have the same nightjar symbol etched into the wood. The text indicates where the way is unclear or signs may be hard to spot.

Safety

There are only a couple of serious dangers that walkers need to be aware of. Being cut off by the sea at high tide is a potential hazard along a few stretches of the coastal route, and it is essential that tide tables are checked carefully beforehand if the intention is to take the beach-walking option. These can be found online at www.tidetimes.org.uk or obtained from local tourist information centres.

Another potential danger is that of walking along narrow country roads where there is no pavement. The routes described in this book avoid that situation wherever possible, and in some cases fairly considerable detours are followed as a result of this. Nevertheless, there are some stages that involve a degree of road walking, and the wearing of bright outer layers in order to be seen is advisable.

Maps

Three Ordnance Survey Landranger maps (1:50,000 scale) and four Ordnance Survey Explorer (1:25,000 scale) cover the routes.

OS Landranger

 134 Norwich & The Broads

 156 Saxmundham, Aldeburgh & Southwold

 169 Ipswich & The Naze

OS Explorer

 OL40 The Broads

 231 Southwold & Bungay

 212 Woodbridge & Saxmundham

 197 Ipswich, Felixstowe & Harwich

Using This Guide

The three long-distance walks in this guide have been broken down into manageable stages chosen for their convenient length (5–12 miles/8–19km) and, where possible, the availability of transport and facilities at, or close to, the beginning and end of each stage. These are merely guidelines, however; the suggested stages may be added together – or further divided – according to personal requirements. Suggestions have been made in the text where two stages may be combined in a single day for more energetic walkers.

At the start of each stage is a box summarising information about the route. Grid references have been given to accurately locate the start and end point of each stage – read the ‘eastings’ (the numbers horizontally across the map) first, followed by the ‘northings’ (the numbers listed vertically).

The timings given in the box are based on the speed of a walker of average fitness. The weather is unlikely to have much impact on the time taken to walk these routes, although a strong wind will no doubt slow things down slightly.

Tidal considerations are also mentioned in the box where appropriate. There are one or two sections along the Suffolk Coast Path where a high tide may prevent further advance and hold walkers up for a short period of perhaps ½hr to 1hr. Alternative inland routes are offered that can be used when it is high tide at the coast.

Each stage has an accompanying Ordnance Survey map extract that should be adequate to provide an overview of the route, but is not intended as a substitute for the relevant OS map itself, which walkers should also take with them. The routes described here are all covered by the OS 1:50,000 Landranger series, although – should more detail and route information be required – the OS 1:25,000 Explorer equivalent can be utilised instead; the relevant maps are listed in the box at the start of each walk stage.

In the description of each stage of the route, key features that appear on the OS map are shown in bold type to help with navigation.

The Meare and the House in the Clouds in Thorpeness (SCP, Stage 5)