Woodbridge - The Great Outdoors
You really can’t come to Suffolk without having a walk around our beautiful countryside, admiring our vast skies. There are routes to suit all ability and age of walkers; from gentle strolls to energetic treks.
Stroll by the sea
Woodbridge is just a short drive away from the Suffolk coastline and it’s here that you can pick up the Suffolk Coastal Path. This is a long distance walking track that starts in Felixstowe and trails all the way up the east coast to Lowestoft. It’s a perfect route passing through wetlands, ancient heaths, shingle beaches and historic towns and villages. The route is perfect and adaptable as you are able to pick up the trail at any point and walk as much, or as little, as suits you; the scenery along the way is truly breath taking.
Roaming the rivers
Woodbridge is well known in the area for having some great walking opportunities. Many routes from the town start at the train station and lead along the river wall. The Deben falls within the Suffolk Coasts and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the birdlife here is protected, the views of the estuary, untouched, are stunning from these routes. Around 4 miles south of Woodbridge, Waldringfield offers some incredibly picturesque riverside walks. A popular trail is only 3 to 4 miles long and both starts and finishes at the village’s Maybush Inn. From this walk you can appreciate the river’s wildlife from a different angle, further up the river from Woodbridge. The river itself is a great habitat for breeding and migrant birds and the salt marshes support 70 species of nesting bird!
I like to ride my bicycle
The parkland around the archaeological site of Sutton Hoo is a fascinating place for a walk. The beautiful estate has marked out walking routes so you can easily enjoy the undulating landscape and the incredible views of the Deben and beyond.For the keen cyclists among you, there are many routes straight from Woodbridge itself that you can take, for all cyclists. A shorter loop can take you from Woodbridge station to the nearby Martlesham and back round. Alternatively for the more experienced, you can cycle all the way out to Waldringfield and beyond to Newbourne or Hemley, through the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. An excellent day out by all accounts, especially when there are such fantastic pubs in the nearby villages that you can head to after a long morning of taking in your surroundings by bike.
A walk on the wild side
Havergate Island is sandwiched between the shingle spit of Orford Ness and mainland Suffolk, it is Suffolk’s one and only island. This RSPB reserve is one of the best places in England to witness the spectacle of brown hare’s boxing! It’s an incredible place to view the springtime display of ‘mad march hares’ as well as migrant birds, egrets and avocets. Havergate Island is a must visit for any wildlife lover and if you wish to visit, don’t forget to pre-book the boat trip so you don’t miss out.Captain’s Wood in Sudbourne, near Orford, offers the most beautiful displays of bluebells you will ever see. This peaceful piece of woodland is over 60 hectare and is home to ancient trees, barn owls, bats, deer and so many different species of wildflower. Captain’s Wood is open all year round to take a relaxing stroll through and is only a 5 to 10 minute drive from our Orford, Blaxhall and Snape cottages!Foxburrow Farm in Melton is run by the Suffolk Wildlife Trust and is a fantastic place to take children. It’s an educational, working farm with stretches of woodland, orchards, ponds, meadows and a wildlife garden! The farm offers some excellent activities such as den building, forest skills, bug hunting and vegetable growing workshops, keeping young people in touch and interested in the environment that we live in.
