Felixstowe

Station walk - by Michael Anderton

Background

The railway first came to Felixstowe when a passenger service to the original Felixstowe Pier (now part of the

docks) was opened by the Felixstowe Railway and Pier Company in May 1877. However, the company was purchased by Great Eastern Railway and, as the town developed, they opened Felixstowe Town station in 1898. The old Pier Station closed to passengers in 1951 and the intermediate Beach Station closed in 1959. British Rail has since also sold off the fine red brick Victorian Town Station building and the operational station is just a section of the remaining canopied open platform.

Walk Route

From the station platform walk across the car park and through the old station building, now a smart shopping

precinct, to emerge onto Hamilton Road. Turn left to the roundabout and continue straight on along the pleasant tree lined Beatrice Avenue to reach the next roundabout. Walk straight on along the access drive to the car park at The Grove, an area of ancient deciduous woodland open to the public.

Enter the wood via the entrance adjacent to an information board giving details of what you will find in the wood. Follow the path into the woods and take the first turning right, parallel to the playing fields, and on to the first junction. Bear left and then right onto a long boardwalk following the path to the end of the woods and curving up to the right, through some younger trees, to emerge out onto the playing fields.

Walk along the left edge of the football pitches, and at the end bear left onto Hyem's Lane, a stony track, ignoring a

footpath sign and the path on the left. Head left down the track towards Park Farm; just before reaching a left bend the recorded route of the path turns off right across the field at a footpath sign. Walk diagonally left across the field towards the houses, although many local walkers appear to leave the track at the bend and walk to the right of the buildings, following the field edge round to the right to reach the houses. At the corner of the gardens, at a board fence, turn left along the back of the houses to Ferry Road.

Turn left on the road for about 20 metres then right after the last house, where the footpath leads through a squeeze gap into the field. The path across the field is a crop break strip and passes an old wartime blockhouse before emerging out onto Ferry Road again. Continue straight on along Ferry Road where there are some superb views over the River Deben, Felixstowe Ferry, Bawdsey and Kingsfleet. This is the area of marshes and drained farmland that probably derives its name from the fleet of King Edward III who assembled his ships here in 1338 before sailing against France.

At the junction with Cliff Road, near the golf clubhouse, turn right for a few metres and then left onto the grass of the

cliff top, heading for the Armada Beacon, erected to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the sighting of the Armada. Descend to the sea wall via the nearby steps then turn right along the wall or the beach, whichever you fancy. At very low tides you can sometimes see the remains of Walton Castle, a former Roman fort.

Walk all the way along the sea wall promenade path, passing beach huts, boat-launching ramp and an ice cream kiosk to reach Cobbold's Point. If the tide is low you may be able to round the point via the beach to reach the continuation of the promenade. The alternative is to turn right near the end of the concrete and railings, up the steep steps opposite an information board, to reach the Golf Road car park. Turn left along Golf Road and left again down Maybush Road to regain the east end of the main sea front promenade at Undercliff Road East.

On the cliff at Cobbolds Point, is Felix Cobbold's former summer house, remodelled in 1885 by Thomas Cotman, local architect and nephew of the Norwich artist John Cotman. As you walk along the promenade towards the pier the next point of note is the Fludyer Arms, built in 1902 and named after a local resident Sir Samuel Fludyer. The section of former stables to the left and now part of the pub are another of Cotman's designs. Pause at Beach Road and look for Beach House, the tall red brick house that can be seen high up to the right. This is where Mrs. Wallis Simpson stayed while awaiting her divorce before marrying King Edward VIII.

Continuing on, the Bartlett Hospital stands high on the cliff above Undercliff Road East, at its entrance on Bath Hill stands the site of the ill fated Bath Hotel, burned down on 28 April 1914 by the Suffragettes. Soon the large outline of Harvest House can be seen on the cliff top. This impressive building was once the Felix Hotel, designed by Thomas Cotman for Douglas Tollemache in 1903, it is a fine example of seaside resort architecture.

The next feature we come across is the Spa Pavilion Theatre and gardens, providing a wide range of entertainment for all ages and a vivid splash of garden colour to the seafront and cliffs. Walk on along the promenade to Bent Hill, one of the main access points from the town centre. In 1933 a Mr. P Harris of Ipswich managed the rare feat of riding his cycle backwards up the hill. Turn right up the hill, on the corner stands the Cork Bars and behind on the cliff top, South Beach Mansion, built about 1860 for Eley the cartridge manufacturer and once known as Eley Cathedral. When the Empress of Germany stayed here in 1891 it turned the town from a clifftop village into a fashionable resort. Other residents of the mansion have been King Manoel of Portugal and Douglas Tollemache.

At the top of the hill continue through the town along Hamilton Road, the main shopping street, taking note of the variety of architecture. Of particular note are Barclays Bank with a wealth of detailed decoration and sympathetically restored and, on the next corner, Lloyds Bank. This was designed by Cotman in 1870 and built in 1890, it stands on the site of the very first shop in Felixstowe.

To complete the walk continue on along Hamilton Road, passing the Town Triangle, usually with a colourful display of summer flowers and on down the wide street to return to the start of the walk at the station.

Thank you for taking the time to explore this walk. We would love to hear your comments about this site and about your day out.

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