Step into Spring with series of free guided walks from Suffolk rail stations

Published on: Friday, 21 February 2020
Last updated: Thursday, 24 November 2022

A Suffolk organisation aims to get more people walking this Spring with a series of free guided walks.

The East Suffolk Lines Community Rail Partnership will run a guided walk over five Saturdays from 29 February until 4 April with each one starting and ending at a Greater Anglia rail station on the Ipswich – Lowestoft and Felixstowe rail lines.

The Partnership’s Chairman, Aaron Taffera, says he hopes that because the walks start and end at the train station people will come from far and wide to enjoy them – and be able to leave the car at home.

He commented: “It means that people can discover our beautiful Suffolk countryside without the pollution of additional cars entering the county.”

The first walk, on Saturday 29 February, is a 5-mile circular walk from Westerfield station. More details about other walks in the programme can be found at www.eastsuffolkline.co.uk.

They all start and end at a rail station, connecting in with train times.

Chairman of the East Suffolk Lines Community Rail Partnership, Aaron Taffera, adds, “Studies have shown that walking is great for your health and the beautiful scenery of our part of Suffolk is positively good for the soul, so we encourage everyone to come and try one of our walks.

“With the added benefit of being able to travel on one of Greater Anglia’s brand new, more environmentally friendly trains, people can get out and about whilst reducing their carbon footprint.”

The Partnership has also produced a book of self-guided walks from rail stations which is free and available from most public buildings in Suffolk such as tourist information centres and libraries or online at http://www.eastsuffolkline.com/walks.

The booklet contains detailed maps and diagrams, duration of each walk, landmarks, details of the scenery along the way and places to stop for refreshments. All the walks are way-marked with the East Suffolk Line Walks logo.

The book of 22 walks – covering more than 160 miles - saw the Partnership nominated for an ‘Influencing Positive Change’ Award at last year’s Community Rail Awards.

Below: Beautiful Wickham Market, one of the locations for the walks

go for a walk in Wickham Market

Below: The East Suffolk Lines Community Rail Partnership have made a video of the line to attract visitors