The Suffolk Coast & Heaths: Dunwich, Minsmere, Aldeburgh & the Best Walks

The Suffolk coast runs from Kessingland south to the estuaries of the Orwell and the Stour, a quiet shore of shingle beaches, crumbling cliffs, heathland, reed beds and estuaries. It is protected as the Suffolk & Essex Coast & Heaths National Landscape.

Why The Suffolk Coast & Heaths Is Special

This is one of the most atmospheric coasts in England, a place of shifting shingle and sea mist, purple heather and birdsong, and of towns with a long artistic life.

It holds some of the finest nature reserves in Britain, as well as Aldeburgh, Southwold and one of the greatest archaeological discoveries ever made in England.

The History of The Suffolk Coast & Heaths

Dunwich was once one of the great ports of England. From the 13th century violent storms and the sea began to eat away its cliffs, and over the centuries most of the medieval town, with its churches and monasteries, was lost beneath the waves. Today it is a small village, with a museum telling its story.

Just south of it, Dunwich Heath is a rare survival of coastal heathland, purple with heather in late summer, cared for by the National Trust from the old Coastguard Cottages on the cliff top.

Aldeburgh was the home of the composer Benjamin Britten, who founded the Aldeburgh Festival in 1948. Its concerts later moved to the converted maltings at Snape, and on the beach north of the town stands Maggi Hambling's steel sculpture The Scallop, a tribute to Britten.

Further south, at Sutton Hoo near Woodbridge, the great Anglo-Saxon ship burial was uncovered in 1939, with treasures including the famous helmet. The site is now cared for by the National Trust.

What to See & the Best Walks at The Suffolk Coast & Heaths

Walk on Dunwich Heath and along the beach towards Minsmere, then visit RSPB Minsmere for its hides. In Aldeburgh, walk the shingle to The Scallop and eat fish and chips on the front.

Visit House & Garden at Snape Maltings and the reed beds behind the concert hall, then Sutton Hoo for the story of the ship burial. Southwold is at the northern end of the coast; see our guide to Southwold.

Wildlife at The Suffolk Coast & Heaths

The avocet, the bird on the RSPB's logo, returned to breed in Britain on this coast after the Second World War, and Minsmere is one of the best places to see it, along with bitterns, marsh harriers and, in autumn, red deer. On the heaths, look for Dartford warblers and nightjars on summer evenings.

Gardens, Countryside & Antiques near The Suffolk Coast & Heaths

See the Suffolk & Essex Coast & Heaths National Landscape listing. For interiors, try Happiness at Home in Woodbridge and Broadland Home Interiors, and Notcutts Woodbridge for the garden.

Families love Africa Alive at Kessingland, and Helmingham Hall Gardens are inland.

The Suffolk Coast & Heaths Through the Seasons

Spring brings avocets and booming bitterns. Summer is festival season at Snape. In August the heaths flower purple, autumn brings the red deer rut at Minsmere, and winter walks along the shingle are wild and beautiful.

Getting to The Suffolk Coast & Heaths

The East Suffolk line from Ipswich to Lowestoft stops at Woodbridge, Saxmundham and Darsham, with buses to the coast. Car parks at Dunwich Heath and Minsmere fill on fine weekends.

The Suffolk Coast & Heaths: Questions & Answers

What happened to Dunwich?

Dunwich was a great medieval port. Storms and the sea eroded its cliffs, and most of the town was lost to the sea over the centuries.

Where can you see avocets in Suffolk?

RSPB Minsmere is one of the best places, especially in spring and summer.

Our Advice

Our advice: Combine Dunwich Heath, a walk on the beach and a few hours at Minsmere in one day, and return for an evening concert at Snape.