The views from the top of the cliffs out to sea are not spectacular and there are not too many vantage points either from Dunwich Cliffs but there are some spectacular scenes in the Greyfriars Wood in late January through February of a carpet of snowdrops
The view from the beach from Dunwich car park looking South, any walking on the shingle is hard going, but this is the view of the very vulnerable cliffs, above these cliffs is the Greyfriars Priory ruins, just remember that a few hundred years ago a dozen or more churches stood here and out to sea, for this was one of Englands largest towns
There are a couple of things to bear in mind, there is a free car park although donations to the Church are welcome, a cafe [summer months opening] that is well known for its fish 'n' chips, toilets, a pub and a fantastic museum which mustn't be missed!! Walks a plenty, through woods, forest, marshes and on the beach
This is quite a long walk so we have split this in the past
1> Park at Dunwich and do a circular walk around Dingle Marshes
2> Park at Walberswick and do a circular walk around Corporation Marshes
Beware though there is often beach and marsh reparation work ongoing as this part of the beach is very vulnerable
If I concentrate on the Dunwich section first and leave the Walberswick section last
Heading North from the car park the sea wall can often get breached, sometimes it repairs itself with the next storm, sometimes JCB type vehicles need to be in place to do the repairs, I guess that once this land is lost then it will be lost for ever, to the left of the bund is Dingle Marshes a stretch of marsh land that is important to the wildlife of Suffolk
The RSPB own/manage this land and often scarcer birds can be seen within the reedbeds, in the summer months Little Egret are a sure bet! As I write several Shorelarks and Twites have been noted on the beach.
Part of the circular walk photos here:
The Dunwich River flows through Dingle Marshes and discharges itself at the sluice gates at Walberswick, from Dingle Marshes this is the view looking back South towards Sizewell Power Plants, the shingle wall can be seen
We have seen Konik Ponies grazing the Marshes but we have also seen dartmoor Ponies in the area too
Forgetting about the village for a while the beach is quite sandy and firm at Walberswick but becomes increasingly stony as you walk to Dunwich from this direction
The Dunwich River disgorges into the creek of The North Sea by one of the car parks