Starting at a single row of cottages known as Shingle Street, you'll head up the coast to the river mouth at Orford Haven before cutting inland through fields and along well-signposted tracks and lanes back to the start.

Why it's special
From the Martello tower that marks your starting point, built to protect England from invasion during the Napoleonic wars, to some well-preserved second world war pillbox defences, this walk has an impressive military pedigree. Just up the coast is Orford Ness, where the first experiments with radar were conducted in the 1930s, while Shingle Street itself has been the subject of fevered speculation ever since it was evacuated in 1940. Conspiracies include rumours of a German landing and a shoreline littered with burning bodies, schemes to protect the coastline with an impenetrable barrage of flames and the testing of experimental chemical bombs. Four dead German airmen were certainly washed up on the beach, and weapons testing did result in the Lifeboat Inn being blown up. As for the rest, the conspiracy theories rumble on.

Find the whole walk here
https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2009/jun/08/shingle-street-walking-guide-suffolk

How to get there
By car
From Ipswich, take the A12 towards Woodbridge, then the A1152 towards Melton. Take the second exit at the roundabout after the river, towards Hollesley, then follow signs to Shingle Street.

By public transport
Take the Ipswich-to-Lowestoft train and get off at Melton, but it's an 11km walk to the start, mostly on minor roads with no pavement.

#beach #coast #coastal #suffolk #uk #england #britain #walk

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Compare 1026 Vacation Homes in Woodbridge with updated reviews, rates, and availability.

"Pictures are deceiving and wasn’t clean upon arrival. There were a number of issues during the stay but the location was nice."

"We came to Suffolk to do some family tree research and Orford was a great place to stay. Although there wasn't dedicated parking, there was always plenty of space in the market square. The village itself is a lovely place to stay, with plenty of places to walk and explore. The cottage was clean and comfortable, and well equipped. "

AED 816 total

includes taxes & fees

4 Jun - 5 Jun

"Perfect stay. Had everything we needed. Would highly recommend. Lots of nice little touhces."

AED 8,553 total

includes taxes & fees

5 Jun - 6 Jun

AED 936 total

includes taxes & fees

8 Jun - 9 Jun

"Perfect for what we wanted for a couple of nights "

"we had an amazomg time staying at the farmhouse, house is exactly as desbribed and the games barn was an amazing addition and kept us entertained "

"Lovely cottage very child friendly"

AED 3,160 total

includes taxes & fees

9 Jun - 10 Jun

"This Farmhouse has an abundance of outdoor space and a small games room adjacent to the property. There is a long breakfast table, which easily accommodated 5 adults and 3 children and close by a tv, games & books for entertainment. Two separate lounges downstairs one has a tv (with Netflix) and the other lounge is for reading. There is a modern outdoor table and chairs perfect for having an evening meal. It is one of the most well equipped properties we have stayed in and has an EV charger (via...

"Clean, well-equipped and plenty of space for a family of 4"

"The property was perfectly placed in Aldburgh and had everything you would expect and need for a short stay. Our only critique is that the property is now looking really tired and the owners should think about redecorating, especially the bathrooms. Seeing the endless number of holiday rentals available in Aldburgh I dont think we'd stay again if returning."

"Margos cottage very well situated in Orford.. We did have lovely weather and enjoyed everything about Orford"

3 bedrooms, iron/ironing board, WiFi, bed sheets

"The property was spacious and comfortable with original paintings of local scenes and some bold abstract pieces.The back yard could do with a little TLC and the hot water wasn’t quite warm enough for a bath but overall we had an enjoyable stay!"

"Lovely property, perfectly located for us to walk around Orford and visit nearby villages (by car)."

"Wonderful barn in a beautiful location. Just what we needed to celebrate my wife’s 49th Birthday! Spacious lounge and lovely bedrooms. Surrounding grounds are lovely and would recommend a walk at the local nature reserve. Would definitely recommend this property for a relaxing getaway. "

Fridge, microwave, dishwasher, highchair

"This is a very quite and well kept location. It took a day or so to figure out the heating system but after that it was great. The place was clean and there was lots of hot water for showers. "

4 bedrooms, iron/ironing board, free WiFi, bed sheets

AED 5,568 total

includes taxes & fees

30 Jun - 1 Jul

"Lovely property in quiet county setting. We were a group on 8 friends staying for a long weekend. Plenty of space for us all to sit and relax. Well equipped kitchen, had everything needed to make our stay memorable. An hours walk across the fields to Southwold with its old fashioned pier, fish and chips and Adnams brewery and distillery. We booked a tour of Sizewell B nuclear power station that was well worth a visit!"