New walks open up in Felixstowe

WALKERS can combine a trip by train with a stroll in the beautiful countryside of the Felixstowe area thanks to a new project.

To help promote the 12-mile Felixstowe-Ipswich rail line a new walks leaflet has been launched - encouraging people to ditch their cars and travel by train and enjoy exercise, too.

The leaflet features walks which start and finish from Trimley and Felixstowe stations and take in the Rivers Orwell and Deben, a nature reserve, breathtaking countryside and the seaside town.

Roger Wolfe, of the Ramblers' Association Suffolk Area, designed the variety of walk routes of between four and ten miles long.

He mapped all the routes, walked them and then wrote the instructions, noting key points and features people should look for - though it is sensible for all walkers to use an OS map alongside the leaflet.

Mr Wolfe said: “These walks feature some of the best estuarine viewpoints in East Anglia.

“There are some breathtaking views and wonderful wildlife to see - absolutely superb and the birdwatching is outstanding.

“There is such a lot to see and so much variety in such a compact area.

“We are hoping lots of people will come by train to visit the area and enjoy these walks, not just from the local area but much further afield, too.”

The routes use tracks, paths and quiet lanes and are all in good condition.

Felixstowe mayor Mike Deacon, who launched the leaflet at Felixstowe station, said: “It's a lovely idea and the walks are superb. It will certainly help people to really enjoy this beautiful area.”

The leaflet has been produced by the East Suffolk Line Community Rail Partnership, a joint project between county, district, town and parish councils, and National Express East Anglia.

John Brodribb, chairman of the rail partnership, said: “All of the walks are easily accessible from trains on the Felixstowe branch, so you can use your walking boots to cut your carbon footprint. They are a great way to keep fit and see some of the best of Suffolk's scenery.”

The leaflet is available at libraries, stations and Tourist Information Centres, and can be downloaded from www.EastSuffolkLineWalks.co.uk

WALKING enthusiast RICHARD CORNWELL puts on his walking boots and rucksack to try out some of the leaflet's routes.

FROM beautiful stretches of seafront to the eerie peace of dead-flat marshes, from tree-lined country lanes to field tracks where foxes and hares scamper across your path.

The Felixstowe area has some of the loveliest countryside and superb views - and for those of us who live there, it's right on our doorstep.

Most people who head for the seaside want to see the sea, and several of the walks from Felixstowe station in the leaflet include a brisk walk along the front from Bent Hill to Clifflands at Old Felixstowe, and from there to the Ferry.

The “blue route” is just four miles - a nice stroll for anyone wanting to get a feel for Felixstowe, heading out via The Grove, Hyems Lane and along Ferry Road with its stunning views across to the Deben, and back along the clifftops to the main seafront and up into the town centre.

For those wanting to explore further the trip to Ferry is well worth the effort.

The walk along the Kingsfleet is magical, with swans and herons landing, cornfields amber in summer with swifts and swallows overhead, and the tips of yachts' masts on the distant Deben.

Further paths will take you upriver to lonely Falkenham Creek with fine views across to Ramsholt and back through the countryside to Felixstowe or on to Trimley via cross field paths.

From Trimley station there is an excellent seven mile walk - the “red route” on the leaflet - through some of the most rural parts of the twin villages down to Loompit Lake, along the river to the Suffolk Wildlife Trust Trimley Marshes reserve with its abundance of birdlife, back up to Fagbury Cliff and its views over the Port of Felixstowe, and on to the station.

Hop on a train, get your walking boots on - and see some parts of the Felixstowe peninsula you might never otherwise visit.

Tell us your favourite walks - write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN, or e-mail EveningStarLetters@eveningstar.co.uk