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TOPIC: Walking the Suffolk Coast


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Walk the Coast


Thorpeness to Sizewell

I have only done this walk on this stretch of the coast in two halves that is from Thorpeness then halfway to Sizewell and return to Thorpeness and ditto the other way from Sizewell and back. This was a few years ago and I am told that today tides can influence your walk so be ever watchful

From the SCHP Website

Thorpeness -
At the north end of Thorpeness village, part of the Suffolk Coast Path that was formerly on top of the low cliff has been lost to the sea. This section can be passed by walking along the beach, except for periods when the tide is too high.
During these periods there is an inland alternative which crosses Thorpeness Common, before rejoining the main route of the Suffolk Coast Path midway along Sizewell Cliff. This is now the waymarked route, as it is available at all times. If walking from north to south (from Sizewell to Thorpeness), it may be advisable to check tide tables beforehand.

There are some sandy cliffs in stretches on this walk and fossils can sometimes be found nearby, there isn't much to see from these cliffs until you arrive at the car park at Sizewell. 

The beach is a mixture of sand and shingle the closer you get to Sizewell the firmer the sands become especially if the tide is on its way out. The only photo I have of this stretch of beach from Thorpeness is of Sizewell Hall [second photo] and a photo from Sizewell Beachlooking South towards Thorpeness

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There are good views from the cliff path by the Caravan Park at Sizewell looking towards Southwold



The firmness of the sands can be seen on a receding tide, Sizewell A & B Nuclear Reactor plants can be seen beyond the fishing boat
 





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On the beach again at Sizewell




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Posts: 34113
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Walking the Suffolk Coast


There is a large car park at Sizewell with a recreation area, cafe and toilets plus information boards

This is a view looking North from the beach in front of the car park



If you should see a police van on the beach do not be alarmed they are usually armed police patrolling the area keeping a wary eye out in this very sensitive area



Just heed the warning notices






The Cooling Towers from the old Sizewell A power plant now used by a colony of Kittiwake birds, the sign shows both the long distance walk marker for both the Coast & Heaths path and The Sandlings Walk, we have completed both walks, but I hasten to add over a long period of time

SizewellBeachDSC_0035-1.jpgSizewellBDSC_0010-1.jpg



-- Edited by John Cooper on Tuesday 9th of December 2014 08:20:55 PM

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Posts: 34113
Date:
Walk the Coast


The area directly in front of the nuclear site does attract some scarce/rare birds on occasion and at sea are two large rusty redundant cooling towers, these hold a colony of anything up to 300 Kittiwakes [Gulls] and apart from a colony at Lowestoft are not usually seen elsewhere on the Suffolk coast






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Sizewell to Minsmere RSPB

Again this is one of those walks that I split in half, park at Sizewell and walk to the Sluice at Minsmere and return via The Eels Foot Pub at Eastbridge or via The Sizewell Belts woods to Sizewell Beach car park

 http://www.suffolkcoastandheaths.org/gallery.asp?PageId=154

The option here is to park at RSPB Minsmere pay your entrance fee and walk South from the beach to the Sluice or Sizewell, the choice is yours, if I ever go to Minsmere I stay there and use one of the many hides and make a day of it

Without the seawall being intact at this point the sea would ingress inland for some distance, the RSPB has recognised that one day in the future all will be lost here, these are the scrapes beyond the sea wall



This view is taken from the sea wall and shows the WWII anti tank concrete traps still in situ



This view is from the sea wall looking towards the 12thc monastery vacated by the Monks in favour of Leiston Abbey after flooding

  

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