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Start: Felixstowe Railway Station (IP11 9JD) Grid ref. TM 304 351
The footpath is well marked with the distinctive Stour and Orwell Walk waymarkers throughout the distance from the end of the Felixstowe Port through to Ipswich.
(S) From Felixstowe railway station, walk East to Hamilton Road (A1021). Then turn right and keep walking South along Hamilton Road for 830m, until you reach the promenade and seafront near Hamilton Gardens.
(1) Turn right and head South-West along the seafront in Felixstowe for 1.3 Km until Beach Station Road is reached.
(2) Take this right and carry on until you meet a roundabout where you continue along Walton Avenue (A154) behind the docks. Keep to this, effectively following a straight line to the end of the docks (freight terminal) where there is a footpath across the railway and up through the woods on Fagbury Cliff to some magnificent views across the river.
This is 1.5 miles of industrial area walking where the views are metal fences, concrete, roads, traffic, railway yards and lots of noise. Not the best of starts to a walk but perseverance will lead to something much better. Back in the 60's this route was a long straight avenue of trees known as Walton Avenue and this was the scene of the so called Felixstowe Fire Demon.
(3) As you enter the woods it is important to take the left fork on the footpath which is not very well marked. It climbs up to a viewing point at Fagbury cliff. Follow the path down and around the bank keeping the trees to your left until the track leads onto the river defences with views back to the dock.
There is a sense of relief at this point for all one can see ahead are rural scenes and a broad yet placid river with only the sounds of the docks behind. From this point, one can really start to enjoy this walk.
(4) Just beyond Trimley marshes the original defences have mostly been washed away and the path follows around what has now become a large area of saltmarsh.
(5) Turn right. This is immediately followed by a path along a narrow path that separates the river from Loompit Lake. Keep to the river bank for 6 Km until Levington Creek is reached which is just past Levington Marina. Take the path out onto the road.
(6) Turn left and follow the road past the pub and church.
(7) Bear left (West) at the road junction.
(8) At the bottom of the hill there is a path left leading into the woods that eventually emerges on Church Road in Nacton.
(9) Turn right down the lane and continue for 550m to the T-junction.
(10) Turn left and follow the road to the A14 intersection.
(11) Proceed the A14 and onto the A1189. A few hundred yards onward there is a track on the left on the far side of a copse of trees.
(12) Turn left, this leads back over the A14.
(13) Cross A14 and when you crossed, turn right and walk down through the Orwell Country Park to the river.
(14) Turn right and continue along the riverside to the Orwell Bridge.
(15) Pass under the bridge and follow the paths and tracks through Pipers Vale until it emerges onto a road at the edge of a housing estate.
(16) Turn right and go straight over, past a school, straight across the main road at the bottom. Turn left along Clapgate Laneto find the national cycle route left.
(17) Follow the national cycle route into Landseer Park. Keep to the right-hand side boundary and follow this around the perimeter of the park until it emerges onto a road.
(18) Turn left and down the hill.
(19) On the right is another footpath through Holywells Park. Take it, you will reach Myrtle Road where you turn left to eventually come out on the roundabout and main road.
(20) Turn right along Duke Street for 430 m to turn left along Coprolite Street and join the road which is running around the side of Ipswich Waterfront.
(21) Turn right and follow Neptune Quay around the marina to reach Stoke Bridge (A137).
(22) Turn right before the bridge to continue into Ipswich along St Peter Street.
(23) At the junction with Wolsey Statue, turn right and walk along Silent Street until you reach a roundabout at Buttermarket Car Park and bus stops. (E)
Walker
Easy 
Moderate 
