A Suffolk Sandlings circular coastal walk.

Bored with the beach? Try this varied 15 mile walk past and through two reed marshes, heathland, woods, shoreline and farmland. Can be started at Westleton, New Delights car park, Minsmere Cliff or Eastbridge, and can be shortened by 1, 2 or any number of miles. From Westleton (two pubs, one posh, one not) head up the Blythburgh road, take the first path right, and you soon join the Sandlings Walk which is well signposted. Sandlings refers to the sandy/heath area hereabouts. After the bridge zig-zag thrice to cross the unclassified road by the disused pit. Keep northwest then turn first right, to cross the B road and head north on a track parallel to it, then heading more northerly to join the path from the New delights car park. The Sandlings walk takes another route here, but you turn right and go through the woodland “everglades”, expecting to see ‘gators, and then through reed beds to just before the windmill, where turn right and follow the coastal path into and beside Dunwich Forest. At Dunwich, the Bridge Farm tearooms, Ship Inn and  the beach cafe await you in that order. Continue by the coast path past the ruined friary, through Greyfriars Wood and onto Dunwich Heath, aiming for the coastguard cottages. Continue south by the pebbly beach or the sandy path, looking in perhaps at one of the public hides. Turn west at the Sluice for Eastbridge and the excellent Eels foot pub, before heading north then north-west through the lovely oak wood back to Westleton. The canal path (New Cut) looks interesting but is tedious and overgrown. Splendid day out, with varied flora and fauna.

If you turn west a few hundred metres down from the coast guard cottages you can go through the RSPB reserve, take the southern detour (2 hides on the way) and join the route north of the Eels Foot, which takes a mile off the total.

To take yet another mile off, carry straight on southwest on Dunwich heath where the Sandlings Walk turns left, south, through lovely woods, crossing the northern road to the reserve and onto the southern one, where you will soon join the main route and turn north as the road curves left to East Bridge. The curious pollarded appearance of the lime trees on the southern road to the reserve are as a result of the severe October storm of 1987, which did the job naturally.

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Download file: sandlings.gpx