The Great Outdoors of the Suffolk Coast and Heaths
The Suffolk Coastal area is a fantastic place for walking and just being in the great outdoors. The beautiful, unspoilt scenery is something to behold and the views over the wetlands and over the sea are breath-taking.
Sunny strolls
There are many beautiful walks that you can take in Suffolk, in peaceful countryside and following the coastline. The majority are helpfully signposted as it’s a popular past time in this part of the world. The ‘Angels and Pinnacles’ walks are a lovely collection of trails that take in some of Suffolk’s most beautiful churches. The Southwold cluster of trails take in monuments across Southwold, Walberswick, Blythburgh and Westleton, it’s fascinating to see the mighty church towers across the area that once acted as landmarks for ships out at sea.It’s great to be able to return to a lovely Suffolk pub after you’ve been out trekking around the Suffolk Coastal Area. There are two circular walks that start from the White Horse in Westleton, one of them is significantly shorter than the other. The longer version is mainly heathland on paths and tracks and through woodlands; it loops around Westleton and Dunwich meaning you could visit either the Westleton Crown or the Dunwich Ship at the end of your walk, or indeed, both!
Walk on the wild side
RSPB Minsmere offer a wide selection of routes across their reserve, so people of all walking abilities can enjoy their surroundings and enjoy the walk. The Island Mere track is beautiful, passing through the delicate woodlands out onto the beach. You must listen out for nightingales in the springtime and look out for Marsh Harriers on this particular route. The Bittern Hide offers stunning views across the reed beds and surrounding countryside. This is a wonderful place to truly feel at one with nature.Managed by the National Trust, Dunwich Heath is a haven for so many different types of wildlife. The heath is a beautiful place to visit throughout the year, it’s peaceful and serene. In the summer the heath’s wild flowers are in full bloom creating a completely magnificent landscape. You must not miss out on coming to this wonderful place if you’re a lover of the great outdoors and a stroll around the heath can return you to The Ship for a nice cold drink.During the school holidays, Dunwich Heath offers loads of great activities for children such as den building and geocaching. This is fantastic for the young ones because it allows them to get up close and personal with the nature that they’re surrounded by on holiday in Suffolk. Rangers also lead walks and bug hunting sessions which is great fun. Keep an eye on our events calendar for seasonal events throughout the year!
On yer bike!
There’s a fantastic Suffolk Coastal Cycle Route that’s circular from Dunwich to Felixstowe and back again. This totals 88 miles and is ideal for full weekend tour. For the less advanced cyclists amongst you, you can pick up the trail wherever you want along the route and cycle as far as you feel comfortable. The majority of the route passes through Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty so the views as you travel are truly stunning. Off road routes through woodlands and forest can be taken along the way, the opportunity to shorten the trail as you go is great, it’s a completely flexible day out.
