More than 70 miles of walks linking Suffolk railway stations with the county's coast, countryside, industrial heritage, rivers and broads are featured in the latest edition of a guide.
The East Suffolk Lines Community Rail Partnership has published a fourth edition of East Suffolk Line Walks, containing popular existing and new walking routes and local information connecting two railway lines in the east of the county with a host of towns, villages and areas of special interest.
Launched at Woodbridge station recently, it is devised and written by Ipswich author Roger Wolfe. The guide was first published more than 12 years ago and has since become an essential tool for walkers across the east and others from further afield.
The newly revised edition features several new walks in addition to existing way-marked routes between Ipswich and Lowestoft.
Descriptions of rambles to Aldeburgh, Bungay, Framlingham and Southwold, all connecting with railway stations, have been added along with walks linking with the railway between Ipswich and Felixstowe. For the more ambitious walker, individual routes can also be connected together creating a long distance trail of more than 70 miles.
Mr Wolfe said: 'I was delighted to find that stations connected very well with the network of local public rights of way and provided excellent starting points for some of the most enjoyable country rambles in Suffolk.
'A scheme that promoted the use of a valued, rural transport link, as well as encouraging use of the footpath network, seemed obvious and the first publication initially featuring routes between Ipswich and Lowestoft followed in 2004.'
Walks explored in the new version include a journey from the Broads National Park to Britain's most easterly point via the industrial and seafaring heritage of Lowestoft, a gentle stroll of under two miles along the shores of the River Deben between Melton and Woodbridge and the authors' favourite route in the series, a trek of more than ten miles through isolated country between Campsea Ash, Wickham Market and Saxmundham.
The first edition was produced in conjunction with the East Suffolk Travellers Association (ESTA), a campaign group originally formed in the 1960s which successfully fought to save the Ipswich to Lowestoft railway from closure as recommended in the Beeching Report.
? Have you got a Lowestoft story? Email mark.boggis@archant.co.uk
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