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)
THE SUFFOLK COAST PATH
Lowestoft to Felixstowe (55–60 miles/89–97km)
The Suffolk Coast Path marker on a Sailors' Path waymark post near Snape (SCP, Stage 5)
STAGE 1
Lowestoft to Covehithe
| Start | Lowestoft, East Point Pavilion (TM 547 925) |
| Finish | Covehithe, St Andrew’s Church (TM 523 818) |
| Distance | 9 miles (14.5km) by inland route; 7 miles (11km) by beach route |
| Time | 3–4hrs by inland route; 2½–3hrs by beach route |
| Maps | OS Landranger 134, 156; OS Explorer OL40, 231 |
| Refreshments | Lowestoft (pubs, cafés); Kessingland (pub); Wrentham (pub) |
| Transport | Lowestoft has a frequent train service to Norwich andIpswich, both of which have good connections to London. First Bus X2 and X22 service connects Lowestoft with Beccles andNorwich, while Anglia Bus 61 service links the town with Southwold, passing through Wrentham, the closestavailable transport to the finish point at Covehithe. |
| Accommodation | Lowestoft (hotels, B&Bs); Kessingland (B&Bs) |
| Note | Tide tables should be consulted before setting out (www.tidetimes.org.uk or TIC Lowestoft). For walkers following the beach route the most critical point on this stretch is at Pakefield, where a high tide might reach right up to the cliffs and impede further progress. There is an escape route here onto private land at a holiday park. |
This first stage of the Suffolk Coast Path might be considered the least engaging part of the entire route, although it is not without its points of interest.
There is a choice of beach or inland route, and this will be largely determined by the tide – at low or mid-tide it is preferable to stick to the beach between Lowestoft and Kessingland, while at high tide it is advisable to use the inland route that follows a busy main road for part of the way. Energetic walkers might wish to combine this walk with Stage 2 in order to complete the stretch between Lowestoft and Southwold in a single day. If choosing to do this, be conscious of the state of the tide, especially for the last 2–3 miles into Southwold past Easton Bavents cliffs, as there are no inland escape routes south of Easton Broad.
Before setting out from Lowestoft promenade it might be worth making a short diversion northwards to Lowestoft Ness, the most easterly point in the British Isles. Hidden away behind an industrial estate in the shadow of the country’s largest wind turbine, Lowestoft Ness is marked with a piece of informational art known as the Euroscope. This large compass-like structure shows the bearings and mileage to various points in the British Isles and Europe. The British mainland’s most northerly point, Dunnet Head, is 465 miles from here, and The Lizard, the most southerly, is 352 miles distant.
Starting from the tourist information centre at East Point Pavilion next to Lowestoft harbour turn right and walk south
