Route: Southwold
Area: Suffolk
Date of walk: 15th August 2014
Walkers: Andrew and Gilly
Distance: 7.2 miles
Weather: Sunny with a couple of showers
We were in Suffolk this weekend (the first time I’ve been here I’m ashamed to admit, though it won’t be the last) in order to celebrate the marriage of our nephew David to Sarah. We set off from home early so as to be able to fit in a walk the day before the wedding, and parked in the public car park at the north end of Southwold
We walked along the seafront past beach huts which cost the same as houses in some parts of the country and at the far end of the town we headed inland and took the ‘ferry’ (the Suffolk word for a rowing boat) across the River Blyth. This was great fun, and once over the river we walked along the beach, heading inland through Walberswick and then back into Southwold
Having walked past Southwold Pier at the start of the walk our curiousity had been piqued so we decided to revisit it and explore its attractions in greater depth – in particular the unique Under The Pier Show – completely potty but hilarious
What a great introduction to this lovely county this had been
Click on the icon below for the route map (subscribers to OS Maps can view detailed maps of the route, visualise it in aerial 3D, and download the GPX file. Non-subscribers will see a base map)
Scroll down – or click on any photo to enlarge it and you can then view as a slideshow
Beach huts along the seafront of Southwold as we walk towards the pier
Southwold Pier
We walked past the Pier, but would return to visit it at the end of the walk
Further along the seafront
We leave the seafront at this point
Gun Hill
Leaving Southwold
Walking towards Walberswick on the Suffolk Coast Path
Looking across the River Blyth
We wait for the ferry to arrive……
……here it comes
Crossing the River Blyth
We rejoin the Suffolk Coast Path
We walk along the beach for about half a mile
And then head inland across the marshes
Crossing the Dunwich River
Looking back over the marshes
Approaching Walberswick
St Andrew’s Church Walberswick
Walking across Walberswick Common
The River Blyth again - this time we can cross it via a bridge
Walking back towards Southwold
Arriving back at the beach huts
We’d walked past the pier at the start of our walk, and had enough time left to explore its attractions
We visited the Under The Pier Show, a mad arcade of home made machines
End of the pier
