SUFFOLK

Southwold to Walberswick (3 miles)

Southwold and Walberswick are practically neighbours on the Suffolk coast, separated only by the gorgeous River Blythe, and the two villages are well worth the trip together. The Bailey Bridge links them across the water and was once the route of the old railway line. On the Walberswick side you can still spot the remnants of the old platform, sitting rather incongruously beside a lane with nothing but marsh stretching out before it. A station to absolutely nowhere, which is either poignant or hilarious depending on how much wine you’ve had. This walk is a complete treat. The light does extraordinary things here, bouncing off the water and the reeds in a way that’ll have you reaching for your camera or, if you’re that way inclined, your paintbrush.

From Southwold, cut across the golf course and head down through the gorse to the Bailey Bridge. Once across, walk straight on up Palmer’s Lane until you pop out onto the only road into Walberswick. Turn left and a short stroll down the high street brings you to your very necessary coffee stop: The Black Dog Deli. You’re welcome. Carry on through the village, following the road round to the left. If you’re feeling lazy (no judgement), there’s a little ferry rowing boat that’ll whisk you back to the Southwold side in considerably less time. But if it’s not running, the walk back to the bridge along the riverside is no hardship at all – pretty boats bobbing about, the odd seal popping up to be nosy, and that gorgeous light doing its thing again. View the route here.

Dunwich Heath circular (2.5 miles)

Heath, beach and wildlife all in one go, and barely any effort required. This gorgeous little walk along the Suffolk Heritage Coast starts at the Dunwich National Trust car park, heads along parallel to the coastline before looping inland back over the heath. In late summer the purple heather is absolutely outrageous – in the best possible way. There are loos, a lovely café and it’s dog-friendly, so really there’s no excuse not to. When you’ve built up an appetite (and you will), head down the road to either The Ship at Dunwich or The Westleton Crown – two cracking pubs with beautiful interiors and pub grub that feels like a genuine treat. View the route here.

Thorpeness Circular Walk (6.5 miles)

If you thought this was just going to be a nice walk along the beach, think again. This cracker starts in Aldeburgh and loops round to Thorpeness; a fantasy holiday village dreamed up by the eccentric Ogilvie family in the early 1900s, and it absolutely delivers on the quirky front. Along the way you’ll tick off Maggi Hambling’s famous scallop sculpture, a Martello tower, a windmill, The House in the Clouds, and the Meare, a boating lake dreamed up around JM Barrie’s Peter Pan stories (Barrie was a mate of the Ogilvies, naturally). Classical music fans will be insufferably smug to know they’re also following in the footsteps of Benjamin Britten, who was a regular on this very route. Basically, it’s got everything: history, art, architecture and a good dose of wonderful eccentricity. All the details here.

RSPB Minsmere circular coast trail (2 miles)

Spring in Suffolk means one thing – the twitchers are out in force, and who can blame them. RSPB Minsmere is an important wildlife site and an absolute favourite with the likes of Chris Packham, so you know it’s the real deal. Grab your binoculars and settle into the 2-mile stroll around this famous coastal reserve, keeping your eyes peeled for wading birds, bitterns and, if you’re very lucky, otters lurking about in the reedbeds. The beach here is also famous for its rare shingle flowers, which apparently only do their thing in very specific conditions. If two miles feels a bit too easy, public footpaths carry on in both directions along the beach, so you can extend the walk towards either Dunwich or Sizewell depending on how virtuous you’re feeling. Route here.

Southwold to Covehithe circular (10.5 miles)

covehithe beach — Image credit: Andrew Stawarz on Flickr

This one deserves a proper picnic. We’re talking a cool bag, a good bottle and something from a deli counter. It’s a long walk, but with beaches this beautiful you’ll want to drag it out anyway. The route is full of brilliant contrasts, kicking off among the candy-coloured beach huts of Southwold before heading north along the coast over Easton Broad to the bleakly spectacular Covehithe. The church ruins there are genuinely jaw-dropping. From Covehithe you loop inland and circle back through the Suffolk countryside. One important thing: check the tides before you leave the house, as the beach section is only accessible at certain times and nobody wants to be caught out in their good walking boots. See the route here.

NORFOLK

Cley (5 miles)

Start by grabbing supplies at Picnic Fayre deli and then head out past Cley Windmill where you’ll join the Norfolk Coast Path taking you around the stunning marshes, along the beach to the award-winning NWT Cley Marshes Visitor Centre. Continue the nature gazing in the centre’s café with its panoramic views over the marshes and coastline, before carrying on your way. (Map here).

Horsey Windpump (3 miles)

Be at one with nature on this lovely walk around Horsey, where the Broads meets the coast (route here). Starting in the NT Horsey Windpump carpark (bring change), the route firstly takes you through some fields where you may, or may not, come face to face with some cows but almost certainly will spot some geese and wading birds. This leads into some marshlands which soon meets the dunes of Horsey beach and, if you’re lucky, a colony of seals. Cameras at the ready.

Cromer Happy Valley Circular Walk (1.5 miles)

A short walk on paper (1.5 miles) but there’s plenty to stop, see and admire on this lovely little circuit (map here). The route follows the ascending clifftop path out of Cromer – and hello gorgeous views! From up here, you can see the quaint town below, the rise and fall of the cliffs and, on a clear day, all the way out to sea. You then come to Warren Woods which is a wonderful forest walk providing shelter on a windy day and a blanket of bluebells in the spring. This loop brings you through the town where fish and chips from No 1 Cromer are a great way to round off your stroll.

Happisburgh and Walcott Circular Walk (4.5 miles)

Leave Happisburgh by the clifftop path and, along this 4.5 mile route (map here), you’ll walk above the site where *fun fact* early human footprints (over 800,000 years old) were found in sediment on the beach and are the earliest evidence of human occupation found outside of Africa (amazing, right?). Further along the cliff are the remains of a World War II radar station and you’re also not far from the iconic Happisburgh Lighthouse – the oldest working lighthouse in East Anglia and the only independently run lighthouse in the whole of Great Britain. Smallsticks Café is a cute little place to grab a bite at Cart Gap (hot tip: the fresh seafood is amazing here). It’s also only a stone’s throw from the beach and a slightly shorter walk to the lighthouse if you all you want is a blast of fresh air.

Hunstanton (up to 6 miles)

Depending on your zippiness on the day, there are a few lovely walks here – all varying in distance. If the tide is out you can walk along the beach to Old Hunstanton and around the multicoloured cliffs, or for a slightly easier option on the calves take the clifftop path. Walk up behind the beach huts and on to Holme Dunes. You can then stop off en route at Old Town Beach Café for a warming homemade soup or sarnie. If you fancy extending it, continue along the Norfolk Coast Path through Holme Dunes Nature Reserve and on to Thornham (6 miles total). Here you will find the glorious Thornham Deli and café packed with all sorts of yummy treats (open 7 days a week). It’s dog friendly too if you’ve got your four-legged friend in tow.

Wells-next-the-Sea to Holkham Circular Walk (9 miles)

This 9 mile circular walk between Wells and Holkham takes you along Wells beach, past the iconic beach huts, through the pinewoods and back onto the coastal path to Holkham and into the estate to explore the grounds and gardens. A great walk with dogs plus plenty of parking! And, again, if you’re lucky you might’s even spot some grey seals.

Winterton-on-Sea Circular Walk (3.5 miles)

Listen out for the natterjack toads on a bracing 3.5 mile romp through Winterton Dunes (map here). This is a favourite walk not just because of the Baltic-like dunes, but also because of the spectacular ruins of St Mary’s Church at East Somerton. You’ll find it slightly inland, covered in ivy with a great oak tree growing through the now roofless chancel – prepare to have your breath taken away as it’s really quite something.

The Burnhams Circular Walk (4.5 miles)

A 4.5 mile walk through the atmospheric salt marshes and past a couple of pretty churches (map here). You might like to take a detour at Burnham Market and look around some of the lovely little boutiques on your way round. Then time for tea at Tilly’s, which is open Mon to Sat for breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea, all of which include freshly baked goodies. Or rest weary limbs at The Lord Nelson in nearby Burnham Thorpe (birth place of Horatio Nelson), where you’ll be welcomed by the freshest Woodforde’s beer and tastiest pub food.

ESSEX

Frinton-on-Sea to Walton-on-the-Naze (2 miles)

With its ice-cream coloured beach huts and generous nod to nostalgia, a slow stroll along the Southcliff prom from Frinton-on-Sea in north Essex to the wide, butterscotch beaches of neighbouring Walton-on-the-Naze is what weekends were made for. Stretching two beachside miles from Frinton high street to Walton’s historic wooden pier, take in the bracing views out across the North Sea before stopping for trad fish and chips at Yates Fish Bar. This is one coastal delight you don’t want to miss – especially when the waves are rolling in and the sun is shining. View the route here.

Southend-on-Sea to Old Leigh (3 miles)

Starting at the buzzy seafront attraction, Adventure Island, make your way west along the prom until you’re completely clear of the casinos and crowds, and bound for a series of artisan beach cafes that sit under the arches. From here, this three-mile seaside potter will thread through characterful boat yards that clink and clatter in high winds, cobbled lanes dotted with salty dogs, and gorgeous deserted coves the colour of pale ale. Once you’ve hit Old Leigh, stop for one of the town’s famous cream teas or head beachfront for a fish platter at The Peterboat. Check out the route here.

Cudmore Grove (3 miles)

A nature reserve comprising 102 acres of unique coastal landscapes overlooking the Colne and Blackwater Estuaries, this two-hour waterside jaunt spans more than three miles of rustic Essex coastline and will take you past an oyster fishery, 17th century fort and Langenhoe Marsh – aka, birdwatchers’ paradise. Rich in wildlife, be sure to stop and spot the resident flocks of wildfowl, soaring peregrine falcons and dipping sparrowhawks. View the route here.

The Thames Estuary Path (29 miles)

Up for a challenge? This 29-miler along the Essex strait wiggles its way through some of the county’s most dramatic landscapes, from a tapestry of mud flats in the south and Tilbury town’s industrial docks, to the sheaf of cockle-shed bays that bid the Thames goodbye in Old Leigh. Positively brimming with biodiversity, a criss-cross of bubbling creeks and clay-like marshes dominate this low-lying riverscape, but the trail is clearly marked out and you can easily break it up, too: stations along the C2C London Fenchurch Street to Shoeburyness line serve to slice the route into manageable weekend romps. Check out a few of the options here.

Tollesbury Wick (12 miles)

Always a crowd pleaser with the sailing set, this 12-mile route (don’t worry, you don’t have to walk it all) launches at Tollesbury Marina and hugs the seawall for unrivalled views of the Blackwater Estuary’s lattice of salt-marsh and mud creeks. Oystercatchers, terns and little ringed plovers may thread their way with you to Shinglehead point, where ribbons of green signal Rolls Farm. Follow the natural footpath here to loop back round to Church Street and sink a well-deserved wine at The Harbour View Bistro & Bar. Check the route here.

Fambridge to Burnham-on-Crouch (8 miles)

This calming riverside ramble, which spans eight miles of sea wall, begins at Fambridge Yacht Haven marina and peruses the rolling hills of Althorne before bouncing gently along the river’s blue-grey tides to bunting-festooned Burnham-on-Crouch. The sea wall path ends here at the town’s harbour, where an orchestra of yacht masts chime in the wind and a rug of wild flowers carpet the quay. See the route here.

Bradwell-on-Sea (6 miles)

Bathed in a cream crush of cockle shells, Bradwell’s small stretch of beach marks the point where River Blackwater meets the North Sea and it’s an atmospheric find. Overlooked by ancient monasteries, oyster sheds and layers of salty grey mist, consider this your new go-to hideaway. Start with a slow saunter past the decommissioned Power Station before embarking on a six-mile circular sea-route ramble, which takes in spectacularly haunting views out to Mersea Island, as well as a charming chapel, mash-studded nature reserve and WWII memorial. View the route here.

Wrabness to Manningtree (6 miles)

Home to Grayson Perry’s Turner-prize-winning ‘House for Essex’, Wrabness is a humble little corner in the north that deserves more coastal consideration. Set against the rolling hills of nearby Manningtree, its generous slice of sandy coves hug a pretty stretch of the Stour Estuary and, dotted with rustic beach huts and a smattering of chalets on stilts, it’s not uncommon for passing dinghies to pull up on the sheltered shoreline for an impromptu picnic. Grab your budding David Attenboroughs and set off on a fossil-foraging mission along the six-mile stretch of shoreline – shark’s teeth and whale bones are prized finds here. Check the route here.

It’s National Walking Month! 21 lovely coastal walks around East Anglia

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