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In 1987 the village of Tattingstone was cut in half by the Alton Water reservoir and the two halves are now connected by the Lemons Hill Bridge. This walk consists of two loops connected at the bridge and provides walkers with variations of route to suit your needs. Whatever time of the year you visit Alton Water, there is always an abundance of wildlife to see and therefore dogs should be kept on a lead in order to avoid any disturbance, especially to the birds on the water. The reservoir is named after a settlement now under the water, all that remains of Alton is the water mill that was moved to the Museum of East Anglian Life at Stowmarket. The water is treated at the plant below the dam at Holbrook and is supplied to over 20,000 people in the south east of Suffolk. Walk across the bridge in the direction of the church and, at the end, turn off left on the footpath and cycleway within the boundary fence. Continue on this path until you reach a large oak tree on the left with bark missing from the trunk. Turn off right and follow the grassy path alongside a wire fence, then continuing straight on past a footpath/bridleway sign, to leave the reservoir boundary and head towards the village. At the road, walk straight on past Lodge Cottages, around the bends ahead, past Badgers Bend Cottage and the Primary School to reach the village sign opposite St. Mary's Church. Turn right to pass the village hall, walking downhill past Chedworth Place, the former St. Mary's Hospital, rebuilt for domestic dwellings but originally built in 1766 as a workhouse. As you walk down the hill look out for a small gate in the bushes on the right, now a small nature reserve, but all that remains of the workhouse paupers graveyard. Before reaching the Lemons Hill Bridge turn left by a large pine tree and follow the path around the reservoir. Keep on this wide grassy path inside the reservoir boundary fence eventually passing close to Cragpit Farm and on to reach Cragpit Cottages where the old route of the A137 terminates at the reservoir fence. If the water is low a causeway across to the other side can be seen, defining the route that once carried the Ipswich to Manningtree main road traffic up White Horse Hill on the other side of the valley. Continue through a small grass area and on, following the wide mown path inside the boundary fence until you reach the A137 road. This road was built as part of the reservoir works and is known as the Tattingstone by-pass. Turn right along the wide grass path mown in the roadside verge between the road and the fence. This end of the reservoir is a nature reserve, there are views across the water and usually plenty of birds to observe. On the other side of the road, just beyond the driveway marked Hubbard's Hall, is the reservoir's main water inlet point. Water is pumped in here through pipe lines from the River Gipping at Sproughton and boreholes at Bucklesham, flowing under the road and into the reservoir. When you reach a gap in the fence on the right, leave the path along the road verge and follow the path to the right between the reservoir fence and the edge of the water. At the second path on the left by a no fishing sign, turn left over a shallow 'vee' stile and walk up over Winnipeg Meadow, a conservation area, to reach an oak tree on the other side. Follow the path through the bushes and then left along a track to reach the top of White Horse Hill. Turn right past the carved white horse sign, reputed to have come from the White Horse in Ipswich where Mr. Pickwick was a guest. Follow the old route of the A137 down the hill, past all the cottages and re-enter the reservoir through another 'vee' stile by the gate at the bottom, taking the left fork in the path ahead. Continue along the wide mown path within the reservoir boundaries, passing the back gardens of houses at Lemons Hill on the left, and on to reach a 'vee' stile at Lemons Hill Bridge, opposite the start of the walk at the car park entrance. InformationLocation: Tattingstone is 6 miles south west of Ipswich, just off the A137 roadStart: Lemons Hill Bridge, Ordnance Survey map reference TM 137377 Length: 3½ miles Conditions: Wide grassy paths and road, muddy when wet, a few easy 'vee' stiles How to get there: - Public transport: For details telephone Suffolk County Council's Public Transport Information traveline - 0870 608 2 608 Road Route: From Ipswich Wherstead Road follow A137, turn left to Tattingstone, turn left at White Horse pub to the reservoir car park, from other directions take the road opposite the church in the centre of the village Car Parking: Alton Reservoir car park at Lemons Hill Bridge, Tattingstone Village Hall when not in use, or roadside in the village Refreshments: White Horse and Wheatsheaf (A137) pubs Public Toilets: None, nearest at Alton Water Visitor Centre, Stutton Information: Alton Water Visitor Centre, Stutton Map: Ordnance Survey Explorer sheet 197 Ipswich, Felixstowe & Harwich Internet Information: - Alton Water - http://www.bbc.co.uk/suffolk/nature/alton_water/reservoir.shtml Workhouse history - http://www.workhouses.org.uk/index.html?Samford/Samford.shtml Suffolk Country Walks - http://www.anderton.btinternet.co.uk
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