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| Bures Mill. |
This is a long, circular walk that explores the quiet middle reaches of the Stour Valley, with water mills, nature reserves and the picturesque villages of Nayland and Bures. The route from Nayland crosses the river and is mainly on the Essex side before crossing again at Bures Mill onto the Suffolk side. The second half of the walk passes through the nature reserve of Arger Fen before dropping back to the river.
The area is surprisingly secluded and is an all day walk, but can be shortened by 3km, if required. The walking is mostly on footpaths with some farm tracks and very short sections of road. Throughout the walk the views are good, with Northerly prospects in the first half and Southerly ones in the second half.
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| Water Meadow, Sudbury. |
This is a long, linear walk making use of a disused railway track between the market town of Sudbury and the medieval treasure of Lavenham. The route starts off in Sudbury by the River Stour, crosses water meadows and passes old mills before arriving in Long Melford which has many fine Tudor buildings to explore such as Melford Hall and Kentwell Hall. The route regains the old track through quiet woods before arriving in Lavenham by its' splendid church.
The path has no steep gradients and there are plenty of refreshment opportunities along the way. It's recommended to finish at Lavenham to make best use of public transport to get back to the start. Note that there is no bus service on Sundays. Allow time for a lunch break and to visit the many interesting buildings on the route. This is an all day walk, which is difficult to shorten once started, except by catching the bus from Long Melford back to Sudbury.
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| Polstead Church, Winter. |
Walk 3- Polstead & Dollops Wood
(Distance 10.5km/6.5 miles, Walking Time 2.5 Hrs)
This is a short, circular walk around the sleepy hamlets of the Box Valley, that feeds into the main Stour Valley. The route starts and finishes at a country pub in the picturesque village of Polstead, goes through woodland and along the edge of a small plateau overlooking the Stour Valley. The walking is a mixture of quiet lanes, farm tracks, pasture and woodland.
There are views of thatched cottages, half timbered houses and rural churches. This is a hidden highlight of South Suffolk and an ideal half day walk, finishing at a pub for lunch!
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| Pollarded Willows, Dedham. |
Walk 4 - Dedham & Flatford Mill. (Distance 16km/10 miles, Walking Time 3.5 Hrs)
This is a long, intricate circular walk that takes in more of Constable Country than the casual visitor cares to. So as well as visiting the honey pots of Dedham and Flatford Mill, more secluded and elevated places are included, giving good views of the Dedham Vale. A range of landscapes are experienced; meadow, reed-bed and woodland.
The route is also an opportunity to visit the unique bell cage in East Bergholt as well as a bird watching hide that is open to the public. There are ample refreshment stops en route.
Allow time for a lunch stop and to visit both the small Constable museum at Flatford and the bell cage at East Bergholt. This is an all day walk, but can be shortened by 5km, if required.
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| Misty Orchard, Stour Valley. |
Walk 5 - Solitude & Shelley. (Distance 16km/10 miles, Walking Time 3.5 hrs)
This is a longish circular walk around the River Brett, taking in Higham, Shelley, Withermarsh Green and a wood called Sodom & Gomorrah! BBC Radio 4's "Questions, Questions" program recently featured an investigation into this unusually named area. This is a walk for Bank Holidays and busy weekends in July & August. There are no pubs, shops or landmark buildings on this walk. You have to be self-contained and enjoy your own company as you won't meet many other walkers.
Although there is a reasonable amount of walking on lanes,
they are some of the quietist in the county and link together some lovely green tracks. There are opportunities for bird watching
and picnics in the woodland and water meadows that are on the walk.
Our Recommendation...
Feel free to make your own selection of walks, but an ideal two day mini-break or weekend would be to do a full day walk on Day 1 (Walk 1, 2, 4 or 5), and a half day walk on Day 2 (Walk 3). This would leave ample time to make the homeward journey.
Go to the next page to see our prices for these packages and to make a reservation via the booking form.
Coming Soon!
We're currently researching the best walks along the Suffolk coast between Southwold
and Sutton Hoo, near Woodbridge. This is a special area of shingle beaches, heathland, forest and classy seaside towns. So
watch this space for Blue Sky Walks coastal adventure!
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