Day 133 – Snape Maltings to Butley Ferry: 14.4m: 5.0h

We’re all assembled just after 7 o’clock in the kitchen where John and Helen are cooking breakfast – without beans. An excellent start to the day. The weather forecast is for rain but, although there are some pretty large puddles on the ground when we leave the house, no rain is falling. Helen drives us back to the Plough and Sail, and we set off at 8:30 but, 20 minutes later, we’re back at the Maltings. The path which we’ve chosen, whilst close to the river, is not particularly well trodden, becomes more and more muddy and, as it transpires, is merely part of a spit of land between the river and a small inlet. Having retraced our steps, we follow what proves to be the coast path along a section of boardwalk with reedbeds on either side and which, for a short period, regains the river bank. After Iken Wood, the main route of the path turns south towards Chillesford, but purity has again determined our choice of an alternative called the Orford Loop which eventually rejoins the main route at the Butley Ferry, south of Chillesford. We therefore continue eastward, then inland to Iken, along a road and across some fields, to get back to the Alde about a mile before the point where it turns to the south opposite Aldeburgh on the other bank. It’s here, a couple of hours into today’s walk, that the predicted rain starts to fall, very lightly but steadily. For the next couple of hours, we continue along the side of the river on a raised bank to Orford, passing very few people on the way, but at least spotting a seal at a point opposite King’s Marshes where the Alde becomes the Ore. In general, and despite the continuing rain, the bank is reasonably firm underfoot, but it does become distinctly muddy immediately before and after Orford itself. We’re making good time and we briefly consider stopping for a beer in the town. However, we’re becoming increasingly damp and the rain is due to get heavier, so the idea is quickly shelved. The route beyond Orford takes us around Chantry Point before heading inland across Gedgrave Marshes. It’s here that John, who has left his phone behind (something he realised before we were dropped off at the Maltings) asks Mike to update Helen on our ETA at Butley. Mike starts to do so on a slightly slippy grass bank leading onto the marshes, and immediately comes a cropper. Fortunately, apart from muddy trousers, no damage is done. The path across the marshes leads to a minor road where we go left to pass Gedgrave Hall before turning onto a farm track which leads to the east bank of the Butley River. The ferry isn’t operational at this time of year, but we walk not only the 400 yards along the bank to reach it, but also the length of the jetty so as to stop by the river! Our plan is to start our next trip from the other bank in accordance with the precedent set at Nos Mayo/Warren Point in early 2012, and Appledore/Instow the following year. Whether this comes to pass is somewhat uncertain given likely further COVID restrictions and whether two further ferries (over the Deben and between Felixstowe and Harwich) are operating. We’ll have to wait and see. For now, we walk back along the river bank and part of the way along the farm track where Helen meets us. We remove as much of our wet kit as we can before getting in the car and, as we drive back past Gedgrave Hall, the heavy rain duly arrives. For once, we’re thankful that we made the decision earlier not to stop for a beer! We arrive at Woodbridge station and John and Helen then continue their journey home, whilst Mike, Ben and Gary take their luggage and dry out in the Anchor opposite the station until the next train to Ipswich arrives. From there, Mike returns, via Peterborough to Newark, and Ben and Gary while away 45 minutes in the Station Hotel before catching their train to Liverpool Street.  

Postscript – An event worthy of note occurred on day 133. Just as the rain started to fall when we were on the bank of the Alde opposite Aldeburgh, we completed 2,000 miles of our round England walk.      

Day 132 – Dunwich to Snape Maltings: 19.2m: 6.3h

The COVID restrictions which have been introduced during the last few weeks haven’t affected this month’s expedition. John and Helen drove to visit John’s father in Essex yesterday and so are able to pick up Mike, Ben and Gary from Saxmundham station this morning, and continue back to The Ship Inn at Dunwich. Helen then goes to check in at an AirBnB at Thorpeness which we’ve rented for the night, and kindly takes much of our luggage with her. The walkers set off from The Ship at 11:25.

It's a bit breezy, but the weather is generally set fair for most of the day. Because of coastal damage, the first part of our route takes us away from Dunwich Cliffs, through Grey Friars Wood, across Dunwich Heath and past the Minsmere RSPB Reserve. During the course of this, most of our chat centres on a puzzle posed by John which concerns a group of prisoners wearing black or white hats. Enough said. However, after an hour, we’ve just about answered the puzzle (with a bit of guidance from John) and are back on a path alongside the coast and heading towards the giant golf ball of the power station at Sizewell. We pass beneath this around 1 o’clock and, half an hour later, are approaching Thorpeness. A mile or so after Thorpeness, the official Suffolk Coast Path goes inland to bypass Aldeburgh to the north west before turning west to run parallel with the River Alde. But purity means that we must stay as close to the sea and river as we can, and so we continue along the beach/shingle into a very sparsely populated Aldeburgh, out to the Martello tower to the south of the town, and then back north past the sailing club before turning west along a rather muddy north bank of the Alde. Near Cob Island, the riverside path comes to an end, and we have to walk up through some fields to the road running west from Aldeburgh. Soon after 4 o’clock we’re approaching Aldeburgh Golf Club where we rejoin the official coast path about two and a half hours after leaving it. Fortunately, there’s only another 15 minutes or so of road action before we turn left onto a far more pleasant track which leads across Hazelwood Common and through Black Heath Wood just to the north of the Alde. Our original intention was to finish shortly after emerging from the wood near Snape Warren, but we’ve now decided to continue to Snape Maltings at the bridge over the river. This will make tomorrow’s schedule a bit easier and, conveniently, there’s a pub by the bridge (the Plough and Sail) where we can meet Helen. As we cross the bridge at 5:40 and 19 miles on from Dunwich, the rain is beginning to fall, but Helen is at the pub and it would be remiss not to have a drink before driving to the AirBnB in Thorpeness. The house is spacious and comfortable, and John and Helen have supplied not only provisions for tomorrow’s breakfast, but also liquid provisions for this evening. We have a 7:15 supper reservation at the nearby Dolphin pub, but there’s still time for showers/baths and a glass or two in the sitting room before walking there. No fish suppers at the Dolphin, and we all go (rather unusually) for the prix fixe menu, together with (not so unusually) a bottle of white and a bottle of red. Back at the house, in order to maintain a sense of normality before bed, stickies are available – and taken – from the liquid provisions. A good night’s sleep follows.               

Day 131 – Lowestoft to Dunwich: 16.0m: 5.4h

After a very good night’s sleep, we have an early breakfast booked for 7:15 and the shock horror news of the morning is that, for what must be the first time on any of our walks over the past 10 years, John is the last to appear – albeit only a couple of minutes after Ben. The brekker is of the same high standard as the rooms and, after checking out, we’re back to the sea front just before 8:10.

It's another bright and warm day. Our plan is to get to Dunwich, but this will only be possible in the time available to us if we can cover the stretch to Southwold along the beach, which apparently is achievable between low and mid tide. The beach route will take about three and a half hours (around 10 miles) and, with high tide not scheduled until 2:30, should be possible. The only alternative would be to take an inland route from Covehithe (about 6 miles from Lowestoft) because there are apparently no bail outs from the beach on the approach to Southwold. However, the inland route would add an extra 3 or 4 miles to the walk and make it unlikely that we’d get to Dunwich by the time we’re aiming for.

But we set off with a sense of optimism, and the sand along the beach to Kessingland and on to Covehithe is generally firm, so the underfoot conditions are pretty comfortable. Progress is good and, after a couple of hours, we’re in Covehithe and we’re as sure as we can be that we’ll get to Southwold before the tide comes in. Indeed, when Mike and Gary check with a couple on the beach who are apparently from the area whether we’ll be okay, they reply confidently “no problem – it’s not far”. There’s also another couple a few minutes in front of us who appear to be taking our route, which gives us even more comfort. However, our confidence starts to wane the closer we get to Southwold. We can see a small headland and, from a distance, it looks as though the tide might have reached the rocks at its foot, but the couple in front are striding onwards so we keep going. In any case, we’ve already walked 3 miles from Covehithe and it isn’t worth turning back now (shades of Macbeth). But when we get to the headland, the tide has indeed cut off the beach, and the only option available to us is to try and scramble over the rocks. The couple in front seem to have managed it, so we give it a go. And thankfully we succeed, with (as usual) varying degrees of proficiency and nimbleness! 

On the other side of the rocks, it is something of a relief to see a path along the sea wall which leads, via a car park, to Southwold pier. It would probably be even more of a relief to stop for a refresher at the Lord Nelson, and Ben’s pace quickens as we approach it. Unfortunately, we arrive at 11:40, 20 minutes before opening time, so we continue through the town and, instead of waiting for a pint of Adnams at noon, we’re waiting on the edge of the River Blyth for the ferry to Walberswick. As we cross the narrow river, we see the Bell Inn a couple of hundred yards from the jetty. It’s a fair assumption that, by the time we get to the other side, it will be available to provide us with our delayed refresher. However, as part of the lifting of restrictions on pubs opening during COVID, customers have to sit at tables and, although the Bell is open, all of its tables are booked. So refreshment courtesy of the Southwold Brewery is further delayed, but this does prompt us to phone The Ship in Dunwich to reserve a table for when we arrive there.

The walk to Dunwich is around 4.5 miles and takes us largely away from the coast. It starts with a short stretch along a shingle beach and through some dunes but, after crossing a bridge over a creek, we then continue through reed beds along paths next to a series of dykes. These bring us to Dingle Great Hill (a name which, with the best will in the world, seems something of an exaggeration) and then to a path through Dunwich Forest which leads to a road into Dunwich and The Ship Inn. We arrive around 1:45 and, from the number of people there, it’s clear that booking a table was the correct decision. At long last, pints of Adnams are consumed – and quickly replenished. Non-liquid sustenance is provided in the form of squid, bread and cheese/pate, and a bowl of chips, and is almost as welcome as the beer. A pre-ordered cab collects us at 3:15 and takes us to Saxmundham station from where Mike travels north to Lowestoft to get back to Nottingham, and the rest of us go the other way to Ipswich and then on to Liverpool Street. It’s been a great couple of days and we can only hope that further COVID restrictions which are anticipated during the coming days don’t affect our next walk which is scheduled to take place in three weeks time.