Sunday Walk: Bures to Sudbury

16.0km (9.9 miles) or 12.6 km (7.8 miles) with shortcut
Difficulty: 4/10
An easy-going walk through the Stour Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Much is along the waymarked Stour Valley path. Approaching Sudbury, you cross the ancient Sudbury Common Lands. This time of year, they can be awash with buttercups.
Trains: 10:07 Ipswich Train from Liverpool Street. (Stratford 10:14). Change at Marks Tey for Sudbury (arr 11:04 dep 11:17) arrive Bures 11:29.
Return at xx:42 changing at Marks Tey.
Get a return to Sudbury.
Lunch
The official lunch pub is the Bulmer Fox  (tel 01787-312277) in Bulmer Tye, Serves food 12-3pm. but the detour to the Henny Swan (tel 01787-269238), a pleasant riverside pub in Henny Street, is recommended. There's usually a few swans and, it being May, mayflies may fly. The detour there makes little difference to the overall length. It is also possible to take a more direct route, avoiding either lunch pub, in which case, Great Henny's churchyard makes an ideal picnic spot. t=1.08
Tea
The suggested tea place is the comfortable Mill Hotel (tel 01787-375544) overlooking Sudbury Common Lands. Be sure to pay your respects to the mummified cat visible through the floor in the hotel lobby. After tea, allow 20 minutes to get to the station.
In Sudbury itself there's the Lady Elizabeth (tel 01787-379046) and the White Horse (tel 01787-313508).
Walk directions: here