Suffolk Tourist Guide - Articles
Walking in Suffolk
Feel out of practice? or feeling fit? Everyone’s catered for when it comes to walking in Suffolk. The county is remarkable for its quantity of well throught-through public footpaths. These are enjoyed by locals and tourists alike. And the information about them could not be more helpful – leaflets or downloadable maps, descriptions of the walks, notes about the landmarks you will pass, and distance you’ll traverse measured in minutes and miles.
One excellent source of information for Walking in Suffolk can be found on John Harris's website Walking in Suffolk
This is a first class website providing up-to-date information and maps on walks in Suffolk so we thoroughly recommend that you check it out.
Many of the trails in Suffolk are easy walking, partly because Suffolk is infamously flat! So ramblers with disabilities can get about and enjoy our countryside reasonably easily. The best organisation to contact for information on accessible trails and group hikes are the Disabled Ramblers. From their website "We are a group of like-minded disabled people who enjoy being in the countryside, and who get about using paths and trails of all kinds. We are truly 'ramblers', although very few of us can walk more than a few yards! Our membership consists mainly of mobility disabled people and we get about mainly through use of a wide variety of mobility aids, ranging from electrically powered pavement buggies, scooters, powerchairs and, in some cases, manually propelled wheelchairs. We organise rambles of varying difficulty from easy to challenging all over England and Wales, and, along with our volunteers, spouses and friends, each event provides recreation and challenge to suit every taste. " Click on the link above to access their website for more details.
You can find car parks close to the start points of the walks. No need to worry about getting lost. Landowners, farmers, town councils and Suffolk walkers have co-operated with upkeep and clear signage. There are short and circular routes (perhaps so that you can arrive back at the village pub you started from?). Or you can choose more ambitious journeys, even ones stretching the county for true hikers, and many walks start and finish at railway stations for the convenience of those wishing to leave car behind.
Walking in Suffolk is miraculous. It is about changing landscapes and those fascinating wide, wide, skies. You will travel over farmland, disused railway tracks, woodlands, nature reserves, meadows, heather, higher ground and into valleys, past mills, ponds, lakes, churches, and into parkland. Or you can take a coastal tour, encompassing sea, creeks, marshland and cliffs, taking in beaches and harbours, perhaps around Southwold. Family walking in Suffolk can start from the picnic sites of Gripping Valley, or pick up lovely trails around villages such as Lavenham.
The Brecks are one of the great natural areas of Britain spanning 370 sq. miles/940 sq. kilometres across Norfolk and Suffolk in the heart of the East of England – one of the driest parts of Britain. The Brecks is steeped in human history stretching back to the Stone Age. A Neolithic Flint mine (The Brecks is the flint capital of the UK), Medieval rabbit farming and 19th Century landed Estates are amongst the many clues to human settlement to be found in The Brecks. This is a landscape which remains full of historical and ecological interest. The Brecks is a landscape of tranquil forest, open heathland and agricultural land, and is home to many unique or distinctive birds, plants and animals. Catch a glimpse of the Stone Curlew at Weeting Heath or spot roaming deer in the Forest – but there is much more. 6 new Heathlands have recently been recreated and restored. Find out more about walking in The Brecks by clicking here.
Walking in Suffolk with others can be a treat too as they can guide you. In Suffolk there are a range of Walking Groups, the best known of course being the Ramblers Association. Depending on where you'll be staying below is a list of contacts for local Ramblers
For Sudbury area - contact Sudbury Ramblers Association
For Lavenham area - contact Lavenham Rambling Club on 01787 248128
For Bury St Edmunds - Bury St Edmunds Ramblers
For Newmarket - Newmarket Ramblers
For Clare - contact The Footpath Strollers on 01787 277464. They meet once a fortnight on alternate Mondays at 10.30am. For gentle walks in and around Clare.
For Stowmarket - Stowmarket Ramblers
For Ipswich - Ipswich and District Ramblers
For the Suffolk Coast - Suffolk Coast and Heath
Dogs are allowed on Rambles too, providing they are kept on a lead and walk at the back of the group. So bring mutley!
Another excellent organisation providing a range of walking excursions for women only is Walking Women - finally they are coming to Suffolk and have two organised Walks in Suffolk this year. The first one in Spring is already booked but if you click on the link above you'll see the Autumn Walk which is around Dunwich and promises to be great fun.
For a gentler pace and a shorter trail with a Farm cafe at the end of it, see our article on Farm Shops and Farmers Markets as many of the Farm Shops have free farm trails that take you through the fields and livestock sheds. Suitable for all ages and lots of fun! Farm Shops and Farmers Markets
One excellent source of information for Walking in Suffolk can be found on John Harris's website Walking in Suffolk
This is a first class website providing up-to-date information and maps on walks in Suffolk so we thoroughly recommend that you check it out.
Many of the trails in Suffolk are easy walking, partly because Suffolk is infamously flat! So ramblers with disabilities can get about and enjoy our countryside reasonably easily. The best organisation to contact for information on accessible trails and group hikes are the Disabled Ramblers. From their website "We are a group of like-minded disabled people who enjoy being in the countryside, and who get about using paths and trails of all kinds. We are truly 'ramblers', although very few of us can walk more than a few yards! Our membership consists mainly of mobility disabled people and we get about mainly through use of a wide variety of mobility aids, ranging from electrically powered pavement buggies, scooters, powerchairs and, in some cases, manually propelled wheelchairs. We organise rambles of varying difficulty from easy to challenging all over England and Wales, and, along with our volunteers, spouses and friends, each event provides recreation and challenge to suit every taste. " Click on the link above to access their website for more details.
You can find car parks close to the start points of the walks. No need to worry about getting lost. Landowners, farmers, town councils and Suffolk walkers have co-operated with upkeep and clear signage. There are short and circular routes (perhaps so that you can arrive back at the village pub you started from?). Or you can choose more ambitious journeys, even ones stretching the county for true hikers, and many walks start and finish at railway stations for the convenience of those wishing to leave car behind.
Walking in Suffolk is miraculous. It is about changing landscapes and those fascinating wide, wide, skies. You will travel over farmland, disused railway tracks, woodlands, nature reserves, meadows, heather, higher ground and into valleys, past mills, ponds, lakes, churches, and into parkland. Or you can take a coastal tour, encompassing sea, creeks, marshland and cliffs, taking in beaches and harbours, perhaps around Southwold. Family walking in Suffolk can start from the picnic sites of Gripping Valley, or pick up lovely trails around villages such as Lavenham.
The Brecks are one of the great natural areas of Britain spanning 370 sq. miles/940 sq. kilometres across Norfolk and Suffolk in the heart of the East of England – one of the driest parts of Britain. The Brecks is steeped in human history stretching back to the Stone Age. A Neolithic Flint mine (The Brecks is the flint capital of the UK), Medieval rabbit farming and 19th Century landed Estates are amongst the many clues to human settlement to be found in The Brecks. This is a landscape which remains full of historical and ecological interest. The Brecks is a landscape of tranquil forest, open heathland and agricultural land, and is home to many unique or distinctive birds, plants and animals. Catch a glimpse of the Stone Curlew at Weeting Heath or spot roaming deer in the Forest – but there is much more. 6 new Heathlands have recently been recreated and restored. Find out more about walking in The Brecks by clicking here.
Walking in Suffolk with others can be a treat too as they can guide you. In Suffolk there are a range of Walking Groups, the best known of course being the Ramblers Association. Depending on where you'll be staying below is a list of contacts for local Ramblers
For Sudbury area - contact Sudbury Ramblers Association
For Lavenham area - contact Lavenham Rambling Club on 01787 248128
For Bury St Edmunds - Bury St Edmunds Ramblers
For Newmarket - Newmarket Ramblers
For Clare - contact The Footpath Strollers on 01787 277464. They meet once a fortnight on alternate Mondays at 10.30am. For gentle walks in and around Clare.
For Stowmarket - Stowmarket Ramblers
For Ipswich - Ipswich and District Ramblers
For the Suffolk Coast - Suffolk Coast and Heath
Dogs are allowed on Rambles too, providing they are kept on a lead and walk at the back of the group. So bring mutley!
Another excellent organisation providing a range of walking excursions for women only is Walking Women - finally they are coming to Suffolk and have two organised Walks in Suffolk this year. The first one in Spring is already booked but if you click on the link above you'll see the Autumn Walk which is around Dunwich and promises to be great fun.
For a gentler pace and a shorter trail with a Farm cafe at the end of it, see our article on Farm Shops and Farmers Markets as many of the Farm Shops have free farm trails that take you through the fields and livestock sheds. Suitable for all ages and lots of fun! Farm Shops and Farmers Markets