Book 1, Walk 8 - Bures to Sudbury
Length: 16 km (9.9 miles)
Toughness: 4 out of 10
London Liverpool Street: 10-02 hrs Ipswich service Stratford:10-09 hrs
Arrive Marks Tey: 10-57 hrs Change trains
Leave Marks Tey: 11-01 hrs Sudbury service
Arrive Bures: 11-13 hrs
Note: more sedate, senior railcard holders might prefer a more relaxed changeover at Marks Tey: they should take the 09-38 hrs Colchester Town service from Liverpool Street, arriving Marks Tey at 10-33 hrs. Enjoy a coffee, and wait for the kids to arrive on the Ipswich service.
Sudbury to Liverpool Street: 15-26, 16-32, 17-32 and 18-37 hrs, all via Marks Tey
Rail ticket: buy a day return to Sudbury (Suffolk)
This pleasant, undulating walk through Suffolk's countryside follows the Stour Valley and St Edmunds Way footpaths for much of the day, at times besides or crossing the River Stour.
For lunch I suggest we detour to the village of Henny Street and stop at the Henny Swan pub, with its riverside setting. After lunch, the leg into Sudbury takes a little over an hour. For those wishing to take tea before their journey home, the Mill Hotel is highly recommended (by me !).
You should all be home in time to get "ashed" in church, or do whatever else might tickle your fancy.
T=1.8
Walk Directions are here: L=1.8
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2 comments:
Quality not quantity today ! Just n=4 of us on this walk in Suffolk. Those that stayed away (admittedly, the weather forecast was not favourable) missed the delights which this short(ish) walk offers. Speaking of the weather, it was w=overcast-breezy-and-dry: it threatened to rain for much of the day but the breeze kept the rain at bay. In places the paths were muddier than I was expecting but being March, the paths and ways were not overgrown - a potential hazard for this walk from late May until autumn.
I had a busy evening schedule ahead of me so I had to miss the Henny Swan lunch pub and instead I said goodbye to my walking companions at Great Henny Church. One of them will post a comment on their onward walk and lunch experience in Henny Street. By following the short-cut on the St Edmonds Way I arrived in the outskirts of Sudbury in good time to include a visit to the Mill Hotel (arguably the very best tea stop on any SWC walk). It was good to see the water wheel back in operation again. After an excellent tea I was soon at Sudbury "International" railway station for the one coach shunter service to Marks Tey - for a quick connection to the London bound train.
This lovely little walk seldom disappoints - and it didn't today.
Having bid a warm farewell to the walk organiser, the remaining 3 walked on towards Henny Street and the delights of the Henny Swan pub. Food and service were first class with a varied and interesting menu catering for all tastes and budgets. It was a touch too cold outside to take advantage of the beautiful garden waterside setting, but warm and pleasant inside with a wood burning fire place by the bar area. There was only one moment of uncertainty where we emerged from the pub detour back on to the main route and weren’t sure whether to go left or straight on. Seeing however that straight was downhill, we felt it had to be the right way. And so it proved. Reaching the disused railway, we opted for the more direct route to the station stopping off for a nice cuppa at the Waitrose cafe on route (which incidentally is doing its bit for the environment by no longer supplying take away cups) and headed back on the 16.32 train back to the Big Smoke.
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