Halesworth New Reach Trail

The New Reach is a section of waterway that passes through the Lane and the town centre. 2 with the silting of Southwold centre of Halesworth. It once formed part of the Blyth Navigation, There were once commercial harbour, that sounded the death which ran for seven miles from Halesworth to the port of buildings here, and looking knell for the Blyth Navigation, Southwold. The Navigation was constructed in the middle of the towards River Lane you can see when heavy haulage moved from 1700s, following the course of the River Blyth. Sections were canals to railways which were straightened and dredged, new lengths dug parallel to the river, where there was a cut to take faster and more efficient. Go banks strengthened, and five new locks were built. The wherries to George Maltings, construction was financed by businessmen who wanted to which have now been converted through the gate and join the all- develop commercial traffic in and out of the growing industrial to housing. The steps from the weather track. After 100m, go HALESWORTH and market town of Halesworth. towpath into the Reach were through another gate on your left installed for canoeists in 1992. and pass under a small railway NEW REACH THE TRAIL This spot also marks the arch (no. 462) which opens onto beginning of the Millennium Blyth Meadow where cows graze START AT THE WOODEN between the New Reach and the TRAIL Green, some 50 acres of open in summer. The Reach is on your FOOTBRIDGE BY BLYTH MEWS Town River which itself forms space that was acquired by a left and re-joins the Town River. part of the River Blyth. The gates local trust in 2000. The all- There is no visible towpath from 1 The Town Quay of the lock have been removed, An easy weather track leads to a railway this point. Follow the course of The new houses you can see from but the brick walls, base and sill level crossing at Mells and is used the river until you reach a walk of the bridge form part of the (where the river overflows into by cyclists and walkers all year fingerpost and stile. This is the Langley’s Quay development. the Reach when the water level round. site of Halesworth Lock. about This goes through to Quay Street rises) can still be seen. The lock CONTINUE ALONG TOWPATH and is on the site of the original was built in 1837, and enabled one mile Walking along the towpath with 5 Halesworth Lock , built in Town Quay, opened in 1761. wherries to sail up river to Patrick the railway embankment on your 1760, is an early example of Wherries (large wooden sailing Stead’s maltings in Bridge Street. left (don’t forget to wave) you English canal engineering. All barges of up to 35 tons) once In the 1800s, growing demand will see a ditch on the opposite that remains today are the unloaded cargoes of coal, timber from the London breweries for bank that is fed by spring water, original brick walls and some and other heavy goods here, and Suffolk’s celebrated pale malt led which in turn feeds the New timber posts. The lock was used in return took malt and grain to the building of several new and Reach. After 100m you approach to raise the wherries onto the down to Southwold harbour for bigger maltings in the town. 3 White Bridge , which carries a New Reach section and the river onward transit to London. The These maltings were in turn track from the waterway up to looped around the lock. The loop large basin where the wherries heated by coal also brought by Holton Road. The track passes was filled in and the river moored was on the east side of water from Southwold harbour. straightened in WWII to provide the quay which housed grain under two bridges, one of which more farmland but you can still bins, a lime kiln, coal stores, and a FOLLOW THE COURSE OF THE carried the Southwold Railway make out its course. There were coke oven, as well as office and WATERWAY FROM THE LOCK that ran from Halesworth to four more locks between here other buildings. The basin was Here you can join the beginning Southwold until 1929. The sluice and Southwold, now sadly gone, filled in and in 2010 the few of the towpath. The bend in the under White Bridge maintains but it is still possible to follow the remaining buildings demolished Reach marks the entrance to the the water level of the New Reach river on foot to Blythburgh and to make way for new homes, original quay basin. The at about 2-4 ft. At times of high Southwold. After the New Reach although several impressive waterway silts up here when the rainfall, the Reach comes over the fell into disuse towards the end of Georgian tradesmen’s houses still river overflows the lock, and towpath and floods the the 1800s, it continued to be face the original entrance on forms a bank of sandy soil. The neighbouring water meadows on used for pleasure boating and as Quay Street. Environment Agency dredges the the Millennium Green. Below the New Reach every few years for bridge there is a wooden bench a local amenity. Today the New Reach is maintained by a group Patrick Stead Lock flood prevention. Continuing on where you can see the sluice and of local volunteers and remains Beneath the bridge where you the towpath, with a willow hedge in summer admire the water lilies. an important feature of the town. are standing are the remains of on the opposite bank, you pass CONTINUE ALONG TOWPATH And here our trail ends. Re-trace the lock, which marks the the Town Park and skateboard You are now approaching a your footsteps to take you back beginning of the trail. The lock area on your right and then arrive railway bridge 4 . It was this to the Town Park. formed a navigable barrier at a footpath that leads to River railway (opened 1854), together The wildlife of the New Reach HALESWORTH A summer walk along the New Reach will offer the chance to see a variety of wildlife. The patch of water lilies beside White Bridge NEW REACH is an impressive sight and attracts a variety of dragonflies and damselflies. You can also spot the more modest flowering water- TRAIL plantain, water forget-me-not and branched bur-reed. A number of invertebrates - such as backskimmers, pond skaters and the great diving beetle - live under and on the water. In the evening, you may be rewarded with the colourful sight of glow worms on the far bank. These small creatures share the New Reach with larger animals such as pike, water vole, kingfishers (watch out for a flash of blue) and grey wagtails, who nest under the bridges during the spring. If you’re very lucky you might see an otter. Patrick Stead: local businessman and benefactor In 1821 Patrick Stead, a Yarmouth maltster, bought his first maltings in Halesworth and later built several more. Other businessmen followed his example and the town became a prosperous malting centre, largely due to the quality of the local water and barley. Stead became a River Commissioner in the 1830s and built a new lock and extended the Town Quay and basin to bring in the coal and other supplies for his expanding business. He eventually supplied Trumans brewery and others with malt from his new m o c . steam maltings on the quay, but in 1849 could see that the canal e v i t a e was failing, sold up, and retired to Scotland. His family fortune was r c d r a eventually bequeathed to the town of Halesworth and was used to t s u m build the hospital that today bears his name. For more information, go to: w w w www.millenniumgreen.halesworth.net : n g i s www.halesworthmuseum.org.uk e D.

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