August 2019 Suffolk Dog Walk
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Suffolk dog wAlkS Jayne Lindill enjoys a stroll with her Labrador, Harry Hide ‘n’ stick A quiet country walk at Trimley near Felixstowe provides fun off the lead any time of year t’s always wonderful to find you’re coming from all directions above: Old heads up now and then for a a walk that lets Harry roam other than Felixstowe), go over woodlands grand view of the surrounding off the lead (usual road safety the railway crossing at Trimley provide year countryside sweeping down to round shelter and and Countryside Code rules Station and follow the road the River Orwell, with glimpses I shade apply, of course), and when it’s (Cordy’s Lane) for about half a of the river itself in the far practically on the doorstep it has mile until you get to Searsons right: The giant distance and the giant cranes of to be one of our favourites. This Farm. This is the car park cranes of ThePort the Port of Felixstowe. Man and lovely country stroll is about for visiting Trimley Marshes of Felixstowe pop nature in harmony, at least. four miles (or eight Harry miles) Reserve (another three miles up into view every The Trimley Estate is farmed now and then around the Trimley Estate, easy on foot) which is managed by local growers and those walking, with superb views and by Suffolk Wildlife Trust. from further afield, and it’s excellent chances of spotting It’s a pleasant, early summer always interesting to see the some interesting wildlife, even morning when we jump out ever-changing menu of crops with a bouncy Lab for company. of the car and begin the walk, in the huge fields, many of To find it, make your way to taking the track right in front which find their way to our Trimley St Mary, just outside of us with the farm and barns supermarkets. This year there Felixstowe. As you go through (business park) on our left. is the usual barley, wheat and the village along the main road, We follow our nose along the sugar beet, but there are also turn into Station Road (right if track, remembering to put our potatoes, peas, aromatic onions 50 Suffolk: August 2019 Suffolk dog wAlk and emerald parsley. Talk about five a imitation of the gundog he purports to day. After about a third of a mile we find be, his head in the undergrowth every How far? a public footpath waymarker (and a red few yards, in the hope of flushing a dog-waste bin) on the right and follow it pheasant or two. Overhead, I hear a along the field edge for about 500 feet. mewing cry that tells me buzzards have Distance: Approx 4 One of the many advantages of this arrived and, sure enough, there is a pair miles/6.5km walk is that there are several options for soaring right above me. It’s a wonderful making it longer or shorter, depending sight that I never tire of watching. Time: About 90 minutes on your stamina and your dog. Walk a We press on, climbing gently as we pass little further and you’ll pick up the route a huge reservoir on our left, a fairly new Parking: Searson’s Farm, to Trimley Marshes which forms a longer feature in this landscape. Constructed in Cordy’s Lane, Trimley, circular walk. Suffolk Wildlife Trust 2016 to provide much needed irrigation IP11 0UD requests that dogs are on a lead as you for the abundant arable crops in this sandy pass through the actual reserve, to protect location, it’s also proving an attraction Map: google.com/maps resident and migrating birds, so Harry and for a variety of birds. Sort of overspill /@51.9763418,1.3119465, I stick to the shorter route in the interests for the Trimley Marshes Reserve. 17.75z of freedom and maximum exercise. We reach Keeper’s Cottage, this time Trimley Marshes walk Harry puts his nose the ground and of year secluded behind a lush, verdant suffolkwildlifetrust. scampers ahead, enjoying the whiff of the screen of lilac and buddleja. The path org/sites/default/ wildlife and, no doubt, countless other goes to the left and into the woods, where files/2018-08/Trimley%20 canines who have been this way recently. Harry immediately begins his search for circular%20walk%20 We reach the next public footpath sign the perfect stick. The woods are shady Leaflet.pd and follow it round to the right, taking and cool in summer, and provide shelter the path between two fields. Essentially, from the worst of the weather in winter. Terrain: Tracks, field we’re doubling back on ourselves but it’s Year round they are alive with birds edges, public footpaths, all part of a circular walk and anyway, (including pheasants) and squirrels, fairly flat like most dogs, Harry’s good at running and you’re likely to spot muntjac and around in circles, retracing his steps. fallow deer browsing the undergrowth. Local vet: Whitworth From here, over to the left, I can see As the path snakes its way towards Station Rd, Trimley St sailing boats on the Orwell, little white Grimstone Hall, Harry enjoys his usual Mary, IP11 0UB triangles that look, for all the world, like game of hide ‘n’ stick. This involves T: 01394 271112 they’re tacking through distant fields. him dropping the stick in a not always The path takes us up to some woods, convenient spot (ouch, those nettles), Ts and Ps: Dog friendly through a gap and around a metal hiding in the undergrowth and waiting pubs, The Mariners in barrier, where we follow the route up until I throw said stick as far ahead as Trimley St Mary, Half Moon to Keeper’s Cottage. Harry does his best possible, at which point he races to retrieve in Walton. Suffolk: August 2019 51 Suffolk dog wAlk in association witH letHeringHam mill cottages Cooling off... it. Life is so simple, when you’re a dog. Past a pond, we emerge onto the track that wends its way around Grimstone Hall, taking care to watch out for very occasional local traffic as we briefly join Grimstone Hall track. Here I’m treated to a dazzling display of swallows, and swifts, swooping and soaring above the barley, grazing on the wing. There have been a few changes to Letheringham Mill this walk in recent months, as work has been carried out to dual the railway line between Trimley and Levington, We’re very excited about dog walks our own dogs, Teddy and Amber, providing greater capacity for traffic to in the Suffolk magazine. In fact, and this year Amber’s daughter, and from the Port of Felixstowe. Most of here at Letheringham Mill we’re Lola joined our pack. Amber and the crossings have now been closed and mad about all things dog and are Lola are Australian Labradoodles now we find ourselves on a new, temporary looking forward to sharing with you who attract attention and hugs path alongside the line as we head back the places (mostly dog friendly) from people wherever they go. in the direction of Trimley Station. and things we love about Suffolk. When guests arrive at The Mill we There’s a lively thicket of trees to our Historic Letheringham Mill, near always point them in the direction right, where hundreds of rabbits have Framlingham and Woodbridge, of our fabulous local pub, Easton constructed an enormous warren, and offers four self-catering, pet friendly White Horse, and suggest walks evidence of badgers tunnelling close to holiday cottages, all five-star using our newly designed cottage the railway line, blissfully unaware of the gold awarded. As winners of handbooks, with a complete A-Z of machinery laying new rail tracks above the Visit England Dog Friendly places we recommend. We love to them. I’m always amazed at nature’s Business of the Year, we ensure keep guests (many of whom return ability to adapt to, and even ignore, the our guests have a luxurious, again and again) up to date with changes we humans foist upon it. extremely dog friendly stay. things happening in the county and At the, now closed, Gaymer’s Lane Living with us at The Mill are places we love. This month, we’re crossing the path turns sharp right suggesting they head off to Sizewell alongside Keeper’s Lane. It’s lined with Beach, a dog-friendly beach at this blackberry bushes and wild flowers, time of year, and reward themselves busy with bees, butterflies and chasers. after a walk with something I give Harry a drink of water but he delicious from the Sizewell beach abandons it to respond to the klaxon café. Heading back we also suggest call of a pheasant. He’s hard-wired. an afternoon in Framlingham, a We arrive, once again, at Keeper’s visit to the castle and a spot of Cottage, follow the path in front of it gift shopping at Ruby Tyger. and continue straight ahead as Keeper’s Track becomes a cool, tree-lined tunnel. See you soon! Harry slows to a casual trot, realising Jacqui Fairey and Richard Gooding that walkies have almost come to end. Reaching Cordy’s Lane, I put him back on Letheringham Water Mill, Hall Road, the lead for the few yards to the car park, Letheringham, Woodbridge IP13 7RE for safety and to avoid an unscheduled dip Idyllic, luxury, riverside in the, er, fragrant farm pond. Another boutique holiday cottages lovely walk with my best friend – and one Amber and Ted invite you to stay at www.letheringhammill.co.uk we’ll soon be back to do, all over again.