Marathon

A walk following Suffolk's River Gipping between Needham Market and Ipswich.

A riverside walk tracing the route of the River Gipping as it heads through Suffolk to join the tidal waters of the Orwell at Ipswich. A gentle ambling route that twists and turns through the countryside which presents a perfect summers walk.
This is a good walk for summer when the sun is shining and the gentle Gipping River trickles its way through the Suffolk countryside. There are old mills, there are little bridges and old locks which are no more than weirs these days presenting an interesting journey. It is a stereotypical English rural landscape. Admittedly the main A14 is never too far away so there is always the distant moan of traffic but it is easy to forget about this, even more so, I would guess, if one is a townie and used to such noises.

An easy walk following Suffolk's River Gipping between Stowmarket and Needham Market.
The river Gipping forms the source to the mighty Orwell River. At Stowmarket it is no more than a babbling stream that winds its way through the Suffolk countryside. The path keeps to the riverside throughout with no difficult obstacles other than styles, making a pleasant stroll between these two places. With some fantastic pubs at either end it makes a good little pub crawl.

A walk around the Suffolk villages of Eye and Hoxne.
Hoxne is said to be where St Edmund was Martyred by the Viking invaders in the 9th century. The village is full of reminders of the gruesome event including the cross which marks the place of the oak tree his assailants tied him to, beat him, fired arrows at and eventually beheaded and the bridge he reputedly hid trying to escape his captors.

A circular walk around Wickham Market in Suffolk to take in the spooky sights of Potsford Gibbet.
Jonah Snell was reputedly the last man to be 'hung in chains' at Potsford Gibbet in 1699 as decreed by the cracked plaque that is affixed to the decaying post which is all that remains of the gibbet. His ghost is said to haunt the area and the hill up to the location of the Gibbet is still locally known as Dragarse Hill after he was dragged by his arse up the hill to the Gibbet for his part in the grizzly murders carried out at Letheringham Mill.

A walk along the Deben Valley in Suffolk from Wickham Market to Woodbridge following the route of the East Suffolk Line Walks along the Deben Valley. An easy and simple walk with the highlight of the village of Ufford which boasts its very own microbrewery and ancient church. The walk ends with an amble along the popular riverside path between Melton and Woodbridge.

A walk across heathland from Martlesham to Rushmere Heath on the eastern fringes of Ipswich
Like most modern towns, Ipswich is suffering from a seemingly endless amount of urban sprawl that envelops the traditional villages that once surrounded it. However, this walk follows heathland that is hidden behind the housing estates all the way from Martlesham through to Rushmere Heath and Ipswich Hospital.

A walk around the village of Ufford.
Ufford is rich in heritage and well worth exploring. The Heritage Trail was created in 2006 and leads the walker around the historic features of the village including the village stocks, water meadows and the many listed buildings. The Highlight of the trail has to be the church which has an unusual dedication to St Mary of the Assumption and contains the second largest font cover in England which is a sight to behold.

A river side walk along the Deben Estuary in Suffolk between the villages of Melton and Bawdsey. This walk follows river side footpaths with spectacular views across the estuary. Unfortunately at Ramsholt there is no public access and one needs to divert through to the village of Alderton with a road walk for the last few miles to Bawdsey. A ferry crossing an a short walk into Felixstowe provides public transport access back to Melton