National Trust Dunwich Heath to Dunwich Circular

fr de

This is a delightful walk starting in the National Trust car park on Dunwich Heath in Suffolk, which goes over heathland towards Dunwich with a number of interesting stopping places to visit and eat, with minor roads, footpaths and return via heathland.

Details

n°92824994
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
–
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 8.30 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 25 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 25 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 21 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 29 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1 m
Downloads
Open in the mobile app
Download GPX GPX
Download PDF PDF

Photos

Return to Coastal Cottages
Franciscan Friary Dunich
Dunich Beach

Description of the walk

Start: Park in the National Trust car park at Dunwich Heath, IP17 3DJ.

(S/E) From the car park, proceed towards the coastguard cottages and pass by on the seaward side. Proceed across the heathland for about 800 metres and then bear left a short distance to reach the road. Turn right and proceed down the road for about a kilometre.

(1) After about 1 kilometre, turn right off the road to follow a footpath through the woods. At Westleton Road, turn right and shortly after (when Westleton Road bends left), keep straight and follow the path for about 600 metres and at the cliff edge, turn left. After about 250 metres, make a small detour to the left and stop to investigate the Franciscan Friary remains. Return to the cliff path, turn left for about 250 metres to reach the road.

(2) At the road turn right and at the next road junction continue on to the beach car park. Take time out to look at the beach beyond the car park. Return back from the beach and when the road bends to the right, follow it. After a short distance and just past the pub on your left, there is an interesting museum on the history of Dunwich. Continue on past the church on your left and at the road junction, continue straight on the footpath for about 1 kilometre.

(3) At a footpath crossing, turn left and after about 600 metres, cross over the road and follow the footpath for about 800 metres to another footpath crossing. Cross straight over and join the Suffolk Coastal Path for 1.2 kilometres across heathland back to the coastguard cottages and the National Trust car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 14 m - National Trust Car Park Dunich Heath
  2. 1 : km 1.72 - alt. 21 m - Footpath junction - right turn off road into woods
  3. 2 : km 3.67 - alt. 12 m - Road junction - turn right towards beach
  4. 3 : km 5.53 - alt. 5 m - Footpath crossing - turn left
  5. S/E : km 8.3 - alt. 14 m - National Trust Car Park Dunich Heath

Notes

There are toilets and other facilities at the Dunwich Heath car park.

We enjoyed the food at Flora Tea Rooms by Dunwich Beach car park, see https://www.floratearoomsdunwich.co.uk/. There are other eating places in Dunwich.

Worth a visit

Other walks in the area

Walking In search of the lost Suffolk village of Hethern

Visorando Member
In search of the lost Suffolk village of Hethern
↔7.83 km ↗+39 m ↘-34 m ◔2h 20 ▲Easy
⚑Departure from Dunwich (England)
A walk through Dunwich forest to the medieval site of the lost village of Hethern. Dunwich forest is always a good place to walk and find peace amid the fora, fauna and wildlife. There are information boards that provide details of this ever changing world of nature but there is nothing about its history. Little is known of the medieval village of Hethern or the landmarks of Stonehill Bridge and Stonehill Castle which are recorded in the 15th century Westleton Extents. This document records that they stood aside a now lost road directly linking Dunwich to Blythburgh and which cut across the marshes.

Walking Exploring the Suffolk Coast and Heaths AONB around Aldeburgh

Visorando Member
Exploring the Suffolk Coast and Heaths AONB around Aldeburgh
↔20.69 km ↗+33 m ↘-32 m ◔6h 00 ▲Difficult
⚑Departure from Leiston (Suffolk)
A walk between Aldringham and Aldeburgh through the Suffolk Coastal Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. (AONB) There is a variety of differing scenery along this route, gentle hills around Aldringham, boardwalks across the marshes at The Fens, a walk along the old Aldeburgh railway and an estuary walk along river defences of the Alde. With such treasures as the pretty little church at Aldringham, tucked away in the trees and away from civilisation and the magnificent church of St Peter and St Paul at Aldeburgh, there is plenty to see and explore.

Walking In Search of Leiston's Ancient Pagan Sites, the Procession Rayles & Gallows

Visorando Member
↔11.27 km ↗+16 m ↘-17 m ◔3h 15 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Leiston (Suffolk)
A walk following the western parish boundary of Leiston in Suffolk, as described in a document from the middle-ages. This walk attempts to follow the instructions of a perambulation around the western side of the Leiston Parish boundary that was undertaken in the year AD1620. Leiston's history is renowned for its Abbey and the Garret's works, but this walk also discovers the site of a possible ancient pre-Christian shrine or temple, the location of the Leiston gallows and the procession route taken by those attending this gruesome public spectacle.

Walking Through the Woods on Kenton and Goose Hills

Visorando Member
Through the Woods on Kenton and Goose Hills
↔10.90 km ↗+22 m ↘-22 m ◔3h 10 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Leiston (Suffolk)
An easy circular walk through the woodland around Sizewell on the Suffolk Coast. Simple walk with many alternatives using the myriad tracks and paths through Kenton Hill woodland. Suffolk is not best known for its hills and Kenton Hill and Goose Hill probably would not be regarded as hills but for their name. However, this wooded area offers an ever changing scenery throughout the year with the mixture of conifer and broad leafed trees, flora and fauna and a variety of wildlife. There is also a viewing platform overlooking the Minsmere marshes

Walking A Country Amble between Leiston and Saxmundham

Visorando Member
A Country Amble between Leiston and Saxmundham
↔7.80 km ↗+17 m ↘-18 m ◔2h 15 ▲Easy
⚑Departure from Leiston (Suffolk)
A walk across the Coastal Suffolk landscape between Leiston and Saxmundham. This walk searches out footpaths to connect the neighbouring towns of Leiston and Suffolk. Although there is no direct route, the paths chosen are certainly more conducive to the walker than the busy road route. With the churches of Leiston and Knodishall on the route, plus the mysterious Harris's Pit in the parish of Sternfield there is enough to interest the avid rambler. Sternfield also has the notoriety of being the village from which the last woman to be burnt at the stake in England came.

Walking In Search of Leiston Gibbet, Friday Market Heath and St Andrews Green

Visorando Member
In Search of Leiston Gibbet, Friday Market Heath and St Andrews Green
↔8.78 km ↗+15 m ↘-11 m ◔2h 35 ▲Easy
⚑Departure from Leiston (Suffolk)
This walk follows an investigation to seek out the location of the Leiston Gibbet and an area of heathland that was known in the 1600's as Friday Market Heath. The only reference to these places comes from an old book from 1910 entitled 'The Chronicles of Theberton' which details the route past the gibbet. This walk attempts to retrace this route by navigating along the heathland and footpaths around the River Hundred which marks the boundary between the hundreds of Blything and Plomestead. Extensive research which has been undertaken and documented in the feature of this walk with some revealing insights to long forgotten places.

Walking The Alde Valley - Leiston to Wickham Market

Visorando Member
The Alde Valley - Leiston to Wickham Market
↔22.51 km ↗+79 m ↘-58 m ◔6h 40 ▲Difficult
⚑Departure from Leiston (Suffolk)
A walk along the East Suffolk Line Path between Leiston and Wickham Market Although the official route for the East Suffolk Line Path links the stations at Saxmundham and Campsea Ashe, this provides an alternative route using the local bus service to link the two ends. Highlights along the route include the picturesque Beversham Mill and the legendary Blaxhall Stone which is said to progressively grow in size.

Walking Leiston to Westwood Marsh

Visorando Member
Leiston to Westwood Marsh
↔29.28 km ↗+63 m ↘-69 m ◔8h 35 ▲Difficult
⚑Departure from Leiston (Suffolk)
A walk encompassing the Westwood Marshes footpath into a circular route from Leiston. The Westwood Marshes footpath is little gem of a path that links the Newdelight Walks with the Suffolk Coast Path through the Westwood marshes. The route for this walk uses this path as the ultimate destination from Leiston but shorter alternatives to include this path are also detailed.

For more walks, use our search engine .

The GPS track and description are the property of this route's author. Please do not copy them without permission.