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Between Felixstowe and Lowestoft there is over 40 miles of unspoilt coast of shingle, sand, marsh, heath and soft cliffs forming a broad sweep of coast line interrupted at intervals by estuaries. The coastal edge of Suffolk is the place to find peace and quiet, wide open spaces, walking, sailing, bird watching and bracing sea breezes. Shingle Street fits that description, it is part of the parish of Hollesley and its name describes the place quite well. Try and pick a calm clear day for this walk, the wind from the North Sea can be quite strong here. We start this walk from the small rough car parking area at the side of the road, just before the Coast Guard Station. Take the footpath north, on the raised sea wall to the left and alongside the road for a short distance. This raised grassy path is easy to follow throughout most of the walk although a little rough in places. For this first section there is a grassy path to the right on the shingle bed if preferred. You are now on the Suffolk Coast & Heaths Path, stretching for 50 miles from Felixstowe to Lowestoft, mainly through the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the Suffolk Heritage Coast. To the right can be seen the ever shifting banks of shingle which protect the land from the tides coming into Hollesley Bay. The wide channel between the shore and the outer shingle bank of Orfordness is the entrance to the River Ore, providing navigation to Orford and on to Aldeburgh, 12 miles to the north. The outline of Orford Castle can be picked out on the horizon ahead. Follow the path on the sea wall round to the left away from the shore to reach the road. The route continues on the other side of the road, at a ladder stile behind the round concrete World War I pillbox standing guard behind a bush. Follow the path on the raised embankment between hawthorn bushes, keeping to the top of the embankment as it meanders across the flat landscape. The tower of Hollesley Church can be seen across the fields to the right. At the back of Oxley Dairy climb the ladder stile to resume the path along the embankment, continuing on to another stile at the southern end of the route. The round Martello Towers were built between 1809 and 1812 as a defence against possible invasion by Napoleon, their walls are up to 15 feet thick to withstand incoming cannonballs. The guns were positioned on the roof to repel the invading enemy. Some 29 were built on the East Anglian coast between St. Osyth in Essex and Aldeburgh and only 17 remain, either derelict or converted to houses. Follow the path round to the left at the junction of paths, now close to the Martello Tower, ignoring the footbridge over to the right which is a footpath route to Alderton village if required. At the end of the path on the embankment turn right by a footpath sign and through a wooden gate, giving access to a path out to the road at Shingle Street. Turn right along the road for a short distance and then left alongside the last white house to the edge of the shingle. Turn left along the front of the houses along a grassy path with the sea over to the right. The first houses in Shingle Street were built here in 1810, the villagers then worked as fishermen and river pilots. At the start of World War II, Shingle Street was evacuated and the fishing boats destroyed. Shingle Street did not recover as a fishing village. During the last war, the Lifeboat Inn, which stood in the gap between the first and second groups of houses on the left by the telephone kiosk, was blown up by a bouncing bomb experiment. Continue to the end of the row of buildings, the last one is the coastguard lookout and from here it is a short distance back to the car park where the walk started. InformationLocation: Shingle Street is 16 miles east of IpswichStart: Informal car park Ordnance Survey map reference TM 369431 Length: 3 miles Conditions: Grassy seawall path and shingle, rough and long grass in places, 3 stiles How to get there: - Public Transport: For details telephone Suffolk County Council's Public Transport TraveLine - 0870 6082608 Road Route: A12 north to Woodbridge, A1152 to Melton, B1083 to Sutton, turn off left to Hollesley. At village follow signs to Shingle Street along Rectory Road Car Parking: Informal roadside parking where available Refreshments: None (nearest at Hollesley - pub and shop) Public Toilets: None (nearest at Woodbridge, Bawdsey or Orford) Map: Ordnance Survey Explorer sheet 197 Ipswich, Felixstowe and Harwich Information: Suffolk Coast and Heaths Path pack of route description cards £4.00 +75p p&p from Suffolk Coast & Heaths Unit tel/fax 01394 384948 http://www.suffolkcoastandheaths.org
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