magazine winter 2010 magazine winter 2010 Central Central England 15/11/2010 11:10 07 Shingle Street, Suffolk 08 Woolhope, l Distance 16km/10 miles l time 5hrs l type Coastal l Distance 10km/6¼ miles l time 3½hrs l type Hills

NavigatioN FitNess NavigatioN FitNess 1 level 1 1/2 level 1/2 2 level 2 2 level 2

plan your walk plan your walk

HeReFoRDsHiRe l l saxmundham sUFFoLK

Woodbridge WooLHoPe l

Ballingham l ipswich sHiNgLe stReet Perrystone

l Hill l troP troP

Netherton Felixstowe st owens Cross l l l l Harwich l Ross-on-Wye

Where: out-and-back Where: Circular walk walk from shingle street from Woolhope via to Bawdsey Quay. Marcle Hill and hy: FIoNa BarL PhotograPhy: Start/end: shingle oNa BarL FI PhotograPhy: sollers Hope. street car park The 80km/50-mile Suffolk Coast entrance to the alde estuary Start/end: Woolhope Contrary to what its name may varied circular route is the fine (tM369431). Path – which runs from Felixstowe leading up to orford and village hall car park suggest, the Woolhope Dome is views from the Marcle Ridge. terrain: grassy in the south to lowestoft in the aldeburgh, shingle street is an (so611358). not some large arch-roofed embankment path, north – is one of three long- isolated hamlet facing the North terrain: gently rolling building but instead refers to an 1. Start From the car park, turn shingle beach and quiet distance paths in the Suffolk sea comprising just a row of hills, with fields, area of hills and folds to the east L down the road and L again country lanes. Beach Coast & Heaths AONB, a relatively houses and cottages behind a woodland, valleys, and south-east of Hereford, along a footpath to the church to section between Bawdsey remote and tranquil area where huge expanse of shingle beach. including stretch along resulting from the underlying go through the churchyard. st and the quay is easier you can walk all day and meet at its southern end is a Martello Marcle Ridge. geology of Silurian limestone. In george’s Church dates from 1157 to walk when the tide is hardly a soul. This path connects tower, one of a number that are MapS: os explorer 189; the centre of the dome of hills lies and the distinctive lychgate, low and there’s some with another of the lDPs at dotted along the suffolk Landranger 149. Woolhope, a quiet, attractive known by its anglo-saxon name firmer sand exposed. Felixstowe, the Stour and Orwell coastline. a chain of these was GettinG there: Bus 453 village with a 12th-century church ‘the skallenge’, dates from 1581. MapS: os explorer 197; Walk, while the third path is the built in the early-19th century in between Hereford and and two excellent pubs. Three at the road, turn L and then Landranger 169. Sandlings Walk which links the response to Napoleon’s threat of Woolhope – several long-distance paths pass close to keep ahead, ignoring the roads GettinG there: Mainline remaining fragments of beautiful invasion. With walls 3m thick, services each day Mon–sat Woolhope: the Three Choirs Way, L and R and following the sign for trains go to Woodbridge, Sandlings Heath. The landscape is they could withstand (not bank holidays). Herefordshire Trail and Wye valley /Ledbury. then take bus service 71: a mixture of shingle beaches, cannonballs and return fire from Mainline trains stop Walk. In spite of this, the area is Woodbridge – Hollesley crumbling cliffs, marshes, guns positioned on the roof. at Hereford undeservedly little known by 2. Just before the Butchers arms, – orford (✆ 0871 200 2233, estuaries, heathland, forests and today they remain either derelict (✆ 0871 200 2233, many walkers. Considerably turn R and follow the lane which www.traveline.org.uk). farmland. The area handsomely or converted to homes – a www.traveline.org.uk). quieter than the more famous becomes a track climbing up eatinG & drinkinG: repays a leisurely exploration on distinct feature in this flat eatinG & drinkinG: the nearby Malverns and Forest of towards Beans Butts Wood. at a Boathouse Café, foot. This walk covers the first panoramic landscape of sea and Crown inn, Woolhope Dean, it’s well worth exploring on gate you leave the trees to the Quay, Bawdsey few miles of the Coast Path at its beach and grassy marshlands. (✆ 01432 860468, foot along its many footpaths and continue in the open across fields. (✆ 07900 811826, www. southern end north of Felixstowe, From the car park it’s simply a www.crowninnwoolhope. bridleways. There are a few Look out for a very overgrown boathousecafe.co.uk) – one of the most atmospheric and matter of following the Coast co.uk); the Butchers way-marked circular walks in the lime kiln on your L in the field. at open March to November. historically interesting stretches of Path signs, keeping the sea on arms, Woolhope Woolhope Dome area, as well as the end of the field, cross a stile

shepherd & Dog, Hollesley the coast. your L. the white Coastguard (✆ 01432 860281, www. leaflets produced (and available) and continue down the path to a ✆

( 01394 411855). butchersarmswoolhope.com). ▲ ▲ Cottages – which you pass first, locally describing a number of valley and up the other side to 1. Start situated at the just beyond the car park – are a others. The highlight of this reach the road at Hooper’s oak. ▼ ▼ 51-52 WALK29 CENTRAL ROUTEMASTER.indd 1 51-52 WALK29CENTRAL ROUTEMASTER.indd 2 Ordnance Surveymapping©Crowncopyright.AM34/08 Ordnance Surveymapping©Crowncopyright.AM34/08 continued... continued...

Sleeping: The Studio, Sleeping: 4 & 5 Dappledown, Woolhope Map not to scale. Coastguard Cottages, Representation of START (✆ 01432 860015, OS Landranger MAP 149 Shingle Street (✆ 01502 FINISH www.cottageguide.co.uk/ 1:50,000 722717, www.suffolk- dappledown-studio) START www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk secrets.co.uk) – ideally 1 – lovely self-catering FINISH 2 situated self-catering apartment for two; 1 cottages, beach on the hotel and B&Bs in doorstep, very peaceful. Fownhope, which is a few 3 Further afield, hotels and miles away, and there is a B&Bs in Woodbridge – wider choice in and contact TIC (see below). around Hereford. ViSitor information: ViSitor information: Woodbridge TIC (✆ 01394 Hereford TIC 382240, www.visitsuffolk. (✆ 01432 260621, www. com); or visit www. visitherefordshire.co.uk). bawdseyradar.org.uk. guidebookS: The guidebookS: Pathfinder 2 Herefordshire Trail by Guide – Suffolk Walks by Hereford Ramblers, John Brooks, revised by ISBN 1901184730; Dennis & Jan Kelsall Our Favourite (£10.95, Crimson, ISBN Herefordshire Walks 9780711715974); 50 Walks by Hereford Ramblers, in Suffolk by Tony Kelly ISBN 0951199595 (both (£9.99, AA Publishing, ISBN available from Hereford 9780749562946). Ramblers – see below). local ramblerS group: local ramblerS Suffolk Ramblers 3 groupS: Hereford (✆ 01787 248079, www. Ramblers (✆ 01432 264374) suffolkramblers.org.uk). and Ross-on-Wye Ramblers (✆ 01989 565687) – visit www.herefordshire landmark sight, visible from far ramblers.org.uk. along the coast. On reaching the Martello tower, head inland Map not to scale. slightly to join a path along the Representation of 5 OS Landranger MAP 169 embankment, continuing in a 1:50,000 3. You are now on the Marcle Hill southerly direction. You’ll pass www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk Ridge and looking back should be 4 two more Martello towers able to make out Hay Bluff and before reaching the car park at the Black Mountains in the East Lane, Bawdsey. turn R. Before you reach has been a ferry crossing here for distance. Turn R along the road for Bawdsey Quay you’ll pass hundreds of years. A daily service about a kilometre, continuing on 2. The large concrete gun Bawdsey Manor, built by Sir operates at present from April to the ridge-top path – which is also looking out for more old lime kilns Wulviva’s Hope, Wulviva being battery here and observation Cuthbert Quilter in the late September, and weekends in part of the Herefordshire Trail. on the edge of Lyndalls Wood. the sister of of tower nearby date back to 1800s. The Manor was sold to October. The end of the Coast There are superb views from here Beyond the wood, take a path Coventry fame.) World War II. A short distance the Air Ministry in 1936 when it Path is c.1.5km/1 mile further on towards Ledbury and the Malvern on the R towards Whittlebury beyond the car park is another became the first operational from Felixstowe Ferry, but this Hills in the west; May Hill is also Farm, cross the road and continue 5. Just past the church, turn R and Martello tower. Because of Radar Station after radar was walk turns round here at the clearly visible. As you head towards on the valley path to Sollers follow the footpath north along a coastal erosion the Coast Path developed here in 1936-7. Quay. The return route is simply the mast there are paths on both Hope church – it’s well worth valley eventually reaching a lane. has been diverted inland at this Without radar the Battle of a matter of retracing your sides of the hedge, but you’ll need popping into for its interesting Turn L to Croose Farm and R at the point. Follow the lane and bear L Britain would have been lost in footsteps, with different views to to be on the L-hand side once past history and association with Dick fork. Then take the first path on at the first junction and L again. 1940 – and perhaps World War II be enjoyed. For variety you could the mast as you drop down to Whittington. The word ‘Hope’ the L back to Woolhope. On About 500m further on, look out with it. The Manor is now walk the shingle beach from East reach a crossing track. appears in quite a few place entering the orchard, it’s easiest to for a gate on your L and turn Alexanders International School. Lane, Bawdsey, back to the start names in Herefordshire and follow the edge of it round to the down the signed track back to – but bear in mind it requires 15/11/2010 11:11 4. There are more fine views from means a small valley. (Woolhope R to find the exit stile. the coast. A few steps lead you 3. Bawdsey Quay is found at the rather more exertion! this point. Turn R down the track, is thought to derive from Route devised by Fiona Barltrop down to the beach where you mouth of the River Deben. There Route devised by Fiona Barltrop