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Sizewell Circular Walks |
Difficulty 8 miles - 4 hour — a long afternoons walk, but with refreshment stops at the Coastguard Cottages and the Eels Foot in Eastbridge
The Vulcan Arms, go over the stile opposite the pub car park and cut across the field towards the power station and the sea front car park. From here steps lead you down onto the coastal footpath. Proceed northwards past the power station where information boards detail the conservation and wildlife aspects of the coastal area. Continue along the coastal footpath towards the white Coastguard Cottages that are visible in the distance. You will pass Minsmere sluice and Minsmere Bird Reserve, where hides allow you viewing access of the wetlands. At the far end of the Bird Reserve the footpath climbs up to the Coastguard cottages where refreshments are available as well as a public viewing room with telescope and binoculars.
From the Coastguard Cottages take the track that leads to the public toilets and continue on past these. Keep to this track across Dunwich Heath and through the woodland. When you come to a road, go straight over and onto a farm track that leads you over arable farmland. This eventually leads into more woodland and onto a road at a sharp bend. Walk straight on up the road and follow the road all the way into Eastbridge. Keep on the same road out of Eastbridge until you find a track on the left marked with a Public Footpath sign. Take this track, bearing to the right at a pair of rundown cottages. Follow the track through until you reach the Car Park for the Kenton Hills nature trail. Go into the car park, and at the Eastbridge end you will find a footpath that leads you into the woods. After 30 metres turn right and follow the blue markers located alongside the footpath until you come to a sign directing you to The Sizewell Belts. Walk down here, past a small pond, over a stile and across the pasture. The path then leads you up a steep bank and onto Leiston Common. Looking directly across the common you will see a small marker post located in the centre of the common. If you walk in a straight line towards and beyond this marker you will come to another stile. Go over this stile, turn left onto the next footpath which will lead you down through a thicket and onto Sandy Lane. Cross over Sandy Lane and follow the farm track up over the hill, past the woods on the left until the track bears round to the right. As it does so, you should see a gate on the left with a stile next to it. Proceed over the stile and along the lane until it junctions with a second Sandy Lane. Turn right and the lane will bring you out on the road, 200 yards from the pub.
Dunwich Heath nature reserve, now owned by the national trust, is a remnant of the wild open countryside called The Sandlings which once covered this coast. This hilly landscape covered in heather and gorse is very untypical of Suffolk and is also home to rare wildlife.
Minsmere Nature Reserve was unwittingly created as a result of flooding for defence during WWII. It offers two visitor trails (2 miles each) and eight hides to give views of a wealth of wildlife, together with a tearoom and shop. The centre and trails are open daily from 9am to 9pm or dusk if earlier. (Adults £3.50; Concessions £2.50; Children 50p).
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