June Walks Giveaway: Walberswick, Suffolk

This walk is reproduced from our popular walking book 'Suffolk Year Round Walks'

📥 To download this walk and take it with you, click here!

WALBERSWICK, SUFFOLK

Distance: 5.5 miles 

WALK HIGHLIGHTS

Walberswick is a delightful seaside village. Starting at the coast in the village the walk follows the River Blyth inland with views over to Southwold harbour. Few visitors walk further than the Bailey bridge thus allowing uninterrupted views over the Bulcamp Marshes with its wonderful variety of birds. Leaving the water to pass the derelict Tinker’s House, the walk leads to Walberswick Common. Here paths of close cropped grass wind through the characteristic gorse and heather of the undulating heath to reach the edge of the village and follow the Coast Path back to the start. 

HOW TO GET THERE & PARKING 

From Ipswich, take the A12 north. Turn right on the B1387 and follow signs to Walberswick. If approaching from the north on the A12, in Blythburgh turn left on the B1125. Turn left onto the B1387, following the signs to Walberswick. Drive to the end of the road where the River Blyth divides Walberswick from Southwold. There is a pay and display car park on the right. Sat Nav: IP18 6TJ. 

THE WALK 

1. Walk back up the lane from the car park, turning right at a footpath sign. This path leads to the river where the ferry crosses to Southwold. Walk left to follow the river upstream. The raised path makes a good place to see the bustling Southwold bank of the river and the quiet grazing marshes to your left.

2. Cross over the footpath that leads to the Bailey bridge and continue to walk forward beside the river.

3. After the wide expanse of Blythburgh Pond becomes easily visible the path turns away from the water through a kissing gate and a small meadow. Cross a further meadow to the next padlocked gate where the path turns right to go through a kissing gate beside the deserted Tinker’s House. Walk past the house through the small copse and exit over a stile. Walk forward on the farm track with Tinker’s House behind you.

4. Continue along this track until you come to a footpath waymark. Turn left to cross a field and at the end of the field climb the stile to walk onto Walberswick Common beside an information board.

5. Walk through a gap between two stone embankments and turn left through a wooden gate with an information board beyond. Do not follow the Sandlings Walk but take the footpath to the right of this. Walk past a playing field and then ignore two bridleways on the left. Instead continue forward and then right to join a lane leading through some houses and then to the church.

6. Cross the road and follow the byway sign beside a phone box. At the next road turn left and, just before the junction, turn right at a byway sign down Stocks Lane that soon becomes a charming walk between two overgrown hedges. Ignore the footpath on the left and continue until you reach the Suffolk Coast Path.

7. Turn left to follow these signs and head back towards the car park along the sea wall with its broad gravel track on the top. Pass the black beach huts and look out for a wooden bridge on the left.

8. Walk over this and into a small car park. Cross the car park and walk over a metal bridge spanning a channel of water. At the end of the bridge, go down the steps and walk beside the water with it on your right.

9. Turn left and walk into the car park where the walk started. 

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