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Suffolk Coast and Heath Walks

3 long-distance routes in the AONB: the Suffolk Coast Path, the Stour and Orwell Walk and the Sandlings Walk

ISBN

9781852848705

Availability

Published

16 Feb 2017

Reprinted

10 Sept 2021

Edition

Second

Pages

176

Size

17.20 x 11.60 x 1.10cm

Weight

200g

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Guidebook to 3 long-distance routes exploring the varied landscapes of the Suffolk Coast and Heaths AONB. The Suffolk Coast Path covers 55 to 60 miles from Lowestoft to Felixstowe. The Stour and Orwell Walk is 40 miles from Felixstowe to Cattawade near Manningtree, while the Sandlings Walk is 59 miles from Ipswich to Southwold.

Seasons

all the routes can be walked at any time of year; summer is the busiest time and accommodation may be hard to find during the Aldeburgh Festival in June; spring and autumn are best for watching birds; winter has its own charm when you may find that you have the place to yourself

Centres

Lowestoft, Southwold, Felixstowe and Ipswich

Difficulty

all of these coast and heath walks are easy for those of moderate fitness; no special ability or equipment is necessary and the only challenge comes from attempting to complete the long-distance routes in succession as a multi-day itinerary

Must See

Suffolk Coast & Heaths AONB; once-great sea ports like Southwold, Dunwich and Aldeburgh; a landscape characterised by estuaries, marshes, dunes, sand and shingle beaches; unique scenery and wildlife

ISBN

9781852848705

Availability

Published

16 Feb 2017

Reprinted

10 Sept 2021

Edition

Second

Pages

176

Size

17.20 x 11.60 x 1.10cm

Weight

200g

Overview

Guidebook to 3 long-distance walking routes exploring the varied landscapes of the Suffolk Coast and Heaths AONB. The walks described in this book - the Suffolk Coast Path, the Stour and Orwell Walk and the Sandlings Walk - link together to provide a comprehensive and varied circuit of the entire Suffolk Heritage Coast. All routes can be walked year-round and are suitable for walkers of every ability.

The Suffolk Coast Path (presented in 8 stages) stretches along the coast between Lowestoft and Landguard Fort, close to Felixstowe in the south, a total distance of 60 miles (97km) depending on whether beach walking or inland options are followed
The Stour and Orwell Walk (presented in 5 stages) continues where the Suffolk Coast Path ends, starting at Landguard Point and threading for 40 miles (64km) around the estuaries of the Stour and Orwell rivers to finish at Cattawade, close to the Essex border
The Sandlings Walk (59 miles/94.5km) is presented in 7 stages and explores the heathland region that lies immediately inland from the Suffolk coast. The majority of the route lies entirely within the confines of the Suffolk Coast and Heaths AONB
Step-by-step descriptions for each walk accompanied by 1:50,000 OS mapping
Information on local points of interest and comprehensive planning information

Table of Contents

CONTENTS

OS map key

Overview map

Foreword by Simon Amstutz

Introduction

Three Long-Distance Walks

Geology

History of the Landscape

Wildlife and Flowers

Culture and Heritage

Getting There and Back

Ferries

When to Go

What to Take

Food and Accommodation

Waymarks and Access

Safety

Maps

Using This Guide

THE SUFFOLK COAST PATH

Stage 1 Lowestoft to Covehithe

Stage 2 Covehithe to Southwold

Stage 3 Southwold to Dunwich

Stage 4 Dunwich to Thorpeness

Stage 5 Thorpeness to Snape Maltings

Stage 6 Snape Maltings to Chillesford

Stage 7 Chillesford to Shingle Street

Stage 8 Shingle Street to Landguard Fort, Felixstowe

Suffolk Coast Path/Stour and Orwell Walk Link

THE STOUR AND ORWELL WALK

Stage 1 Trimley St Mary to Nacton

Stage 2 Nacton to Orwell Bridge, Ipswich

Stage 3 Orwell Bridge, Ipswich to Pin Mill

Stage 4 Pin Mill to Lower Holbrook

Stage 5 Lower Holbrook to Cattawade

THE SANDLINGS WALK

Stage 1 Ipswich to Woodbridge via Martlesham Heath

Stage 2 Woodbridge to Upper Hollesley Common

Stage 3 Upper Hollesley Common to Butley via Rendlesham Forest

Stage 4 Butley to Snape Maltings via Tunstall Forest

Stage 5 Snape Maltings to Thorpeness

Stage 6 Thorpeness to Dunwich Heath

Stage 7 Dunwich Heath to Southwold

Appendix A Route Summary Table

Appendix B Useful Contacts

Appendix C Further Reading

Updates

August 2019

Route Updates

UPDATE Thanks to Janet Davies for the following suggestion:

For those wishing to catch a bus in Thorpeness.
To avoid walking to Thorpeness along the quite busy B1353 road, instead at the gatekeeper's cottage take a right hand path and keep right walking beside the south side of the golf course and the Meare towards Thorpeness. This path passes the golf clubhouse and hotel and then becomes a lane, passing the House in the Clouds and the Post Mill, which are good points of interest. Follow this lane into Thorpeness and, on reaching the junction with the road, turn left. Walk up the road towards the Almshouses and The Dolphin. The bus stops are opposite and outside the Almshouses.
If you return to Thorpeness the next day to start Stage 6 - retrace your steps along this path to the gatekeeper's cottage and then follow the waymarks and directions as set out in the guide.

Doing this doesn't miss any section of the Sandlings Walk and is approximately the same distance as walking to Thorpeness along the B1353.

The Sandlings Walk - Update October 2017

Thanks to Colin Park for these observations

Stage 2. Text is fine but map on page 130 is shown slightly wrong. Between TM287503 – TM290501 the path stays along the riverside embankment and does not go via Melton Station as shown. Also between TM292500 – TM294501 the path goes via the boardwalk north of the A1152 and does not go via the A1152 and Common Lane as shown on the map.

Stage 3. Although the text is fine the map on page 135 is slightly wrong around Tangham House. Between TM352480 and TM354484 the signed path goes north through woods prior to getting to Tangham House then east passing a toilet block and through car park to reach north/south lane. The correct route from here is TM359492 then north via TM359495 then west northwest to TM358495 - not direct in a straight line as shown on the map.

Stage 6. Text is OK but the maps on pages 150/152 are shown slightly wrong. From the coast through Goose Hill, the signed route from TM475645 goes inland to cross a footbridge at TM473644 then hugs the southern edge of the Goose Hill plantation via TM468645 to TM466646 - it does not go via the track passing the 9-metre trig point. (Note the latest OS 1:25,000 map shows this incorrectly too.)

Reviews

All three are described as suitable for newcomers to long-distance walking.

This is the second edition of this pocket-sized Cicerone guide to three connected long-distance paths in the Suffolk Coast & Heaths AONB, namely the Suffolk Coast Path (60 or 55 miles), the Stour and Orwell Walk (40 miles) and the Sandlings Walk (60 miles).

All three are described as suitable for newcomers to long-distance walking. The Suffolk Coast Path runs between Lowestoft in the north and Landguard Fort, close to Felixstowe, in the south. With the exception of first stage, it lies completely within the Suffolk Coast & Heaths AONB. Both inland and coastal variants are included.

The Stour and Orwell Walk threads around the estuaries of the Stour and Orwell rivers from Felixstowe to Cattawade, close to the Essex border. The route can be shortened by making use of the Landguard Fort to Shotley Gate ferry.

The Sandlings Walk explores the heath land region immediately inland from the Suffolk coast. It runs from lpswich to Southwold via Martlesham Heath, the River Deben estuary and Sandlings Heath. With the exception of the first stage, the route also lies entirely within the AONB.

Each trail is divided into 5-12 mile stages which are summarised in an Appendix. Routes are drawn on Ordnance Survey strip maps without obscuring path details. Route descriptions do not always face their maps; there are no on-map descriptions other than the routes themselves. Binding may be more durable than that of other guidebooks. The paper appears to be water-resistant. A good feature of this guide is its advice and information regarding tides and seasonal ferries, as well as public transport. The book's page on the Cicerone website includes an Updates tab.

lain Connell

Laurence Mitchell Cicerone author MITCHELL

By Laurence Mitchell

Originally from the West Midlands, Laurence Mitchell has been based in East Anglia for longer than he cares to remember. He worked as a geography teacher for many years before finally reinventing himself as a freelance travel writer and photographer. Laurence is especially interested in off-the-beaten-track destinations like the Balkans, Central Asia and the Caucasus region and has written guidebooks to Serbia, Belgrade and Kyrgyzstan as well as his own backyard of Norfolk and Suffolk, which he enjoys just as much as anywhere else. He is a member of the Outdoor Writers and Photographers Guild.

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