Felixstowe to Bawdsey Walk: Day 1 Suffolk Coast Path

Today I would walk from Felixstowe to Bawdsey. It’s day one of my journey along there Suffolk Coast Path. At 6 miles, it’s a short day, but it was this or 17miles. 6 miles seemed much more sensible, as I would be arriving from London, a 3.5 hour journey from my home, on the same day.

A few boats sitting on the grey water, on the walk from Felixstowe to Bawdsey. The sky is grey. The boats a painted red and blue.

What to expect on the walk from Felixstowe to Bawdsey

The walk starts out on concrete alongside the sea. Plenty of opportunity to get into the sea as well, then past a few beach huts, Martello Towers (more on that later), and a golf course, to reach the boat.

Looking along a straight path, with railings to the right and a stone wall and railings to the left. On the far left is a long row of colourful beach huts.

A Martello tower sitting on a gold course, with two people and their golf bags standing next to it, near the start of the walk out of felixstowe.

You then need to get the Felixstowe Bawdsey ferry across to the other side of the River Deben. It’s a little boat, reminded me of the small boats I have taken in Devon. Now, very important, it only takes cash. At the time of writing, it’s £3 one way. I only brought cash with me very last minute. I knew I would have a couple of these boats to get on the trip, and from my experience in Devon, they all take contactless payment. Something told me I should take cash just incase though.

It also has a seasonal timetable. So check the website before hand to make sure it’s running.

A wooden walkway pier jutting out into the grey water, and a small blue boat docked next to it, along the walk from Felixstowe to Bawdsey. There is a man standing in the blue boat. There are a few other boats dotted about on the water in the background.

The tide

What happens next depends on the tide. You really want to time this walk for low tide (as the tide is still going out). It is possible to walk all the way to Bawdsey along the beach, but only at low tide. Otherwise, you take the road.

Part of the beach walk might be closed (there is still a sign saying it’s closed until 2023, which we are past now, and there nothing actually stopping you walking on it). This is due to cliffs falling. Having done it, they are definitely falling, but as the tide was way out, I could keep away from them. I got the feeling that the sign just hasn’t been updated past 2023.

An orange cliff face with trees falling down it and their roots exposed. There is a row of trees standing on the top. There is sand leading up to the bottom of the cliff.

A broken wood wall along the middle of the beach, with bits of wood sticking out of the sand on the right, and the cliffside to the left, partway through the walk from Felixstowe to Bawdsey.

Swimming

I chose to get into the sea right at the end, when I reached Bawdsey. Of the whole stretch of walk between Felixstowe and Bawdsey, this turned out to be the least appealing section. It was very rough and brown, with lots of seaweed.

I would recommend getting in a bit earlier, around Felixstowe.

Looking across the shingle beach to the sea ahead. There are a few people standing by the shoreline. — Felixstowe

Logistics

Start: Felixstowe, Suffolk. IP11 2AB.
Finish: Bawdsey, Suffolk. IP12 3AP.
Distance: 6 miles.
Difficulty: Easy.
Time: 2h.
Terrain: Concrete, sand, shingle.
Amenities: Plenty of things in Felixstowe. In Bawdsey, there isn’t anything, but a 20min walk to Alderton, is a pub.
Time of year: I walked from Felixstowe to Bawdsey in early August.

Public Transport

Felixstowe has a train station, on the Great Anglia line from Ipswich. If coming from London, you can get a train from London Liverpool Street to Ipswich, then change. Journey time 1h50min.

I took a slightly different route which is why it was 3.5 hours for me. I’d found an advanced cheap ticket. It only cost me £22. I will take a longer journey for that.

Nothing in Bawdsey.

Accommodation

In Bawdsey I stayed in an Air BnB. For only £40, it was far better than a lot of bed and breakfasts I’ve stayed in for double that price. It’s a self contained area with large desk, private shower/toilet, and kitchenette area. A whole loaf of homemade bread was provided, plus a carton of milk. The milk thing is a huge plus for me. Those little things they give you in hotels barely scratch my milk demand surface. I would happily stay there again if I’m in the area.

If you plan to stay in Felixstowe, you can see your options here.

Map for the walk from Felixstowe to Bawdsey

Route Description: How to walk from Felixstowe to Bawdsey

When you arrive at the station, walk through it (instead of the exit by the platform), then turn right. When you reach the fork, take the left and follow this all then way to the end past all the shops, to reach an arch thing. Under the arch you will be led down to the sea, where you turn left.

A walking path leading ahead, with railings along the right, and bushes on the left. Over the railings on the right is a strip of green then the road, then the beach and sea.

A long wide promenade leading straight ahead, with a yellow line along the right side, and wall on the left side. There is a shingle beach to the right with rocks ahead.

Start the walk from Felixstowe to Bawdsey

My first impression was, this is quite nice. Little sections of beach enclosed by big rocks. It was Saturday, and hot, but not that many people. I wouldn’t mind coming back here one day for a staycation.

What I really wanted to do right now is park myself on one of these beaches and get into the sea. But I had a deadline. I needed to get to the boat before it finished for the day. As today was only a short walk, I had left late. The sea swim would have to wait until I reached Bawdsey.

Follow the seafront

The walk is on the concrete walkway next to the sea, then onto more concrete, with a few beach huts thrown in.

Beach hut facades, on the walk from Felixstowe to Bawdsey. The left hut is bright red, the middle hut is blue and white strips, with right hut is blue.

Two row boats on the shingle beach. One boat is upright, the other is upside down. The shingle beach then meets the sea.

There comes a point where you can either take some steps to the left or continue on the shingle beach. The beach is not accessible at high tide. Lucky for me, the tide was out, so I took the beach.

A white and yellow danger sign on a stone wall, with the orange shingle beach on the other side.

Although, I started to wonder why I had done this, as it’s shingle. Luckily it doesnt go on for too long before you are provided with another concrete walkway, then back onto the shingle briefly, before concrete again.

Wooden steps leading up from the shingle beach to the left.

More concrete

There are much more beach huts as you continue along the concrete. There is one point where the concrete wall to the left curves, which made my eyes go funny. I thought it was pretty cool.

A long straight concrete promenade, with a curved concrete wall on the left when walking from Felixstowe to Bawdsey. There is a row of colourful beach huts to the left.

Then it’s a narrow strip to walk on, before it opens up again with a golf course to the left.

A narrow walkway, with bushes to the left and shingle beach and colourful beach huts to the right. There are people walking along the path ahead.

A long straight concrete path with a meadow to the left and shingle beach to the right. There is a Martello tower ahead on the left.

A golf course on day 1. Very English countryside walk.

The path takes you past a Martello Tower (the first of a few we will see). These are defensive forts built during the 19th century across the British Empire.

Fun Fact: 8 Martello Towers were built around Felixstowe, as a defence against Napoleons invasions.

Walk to the boat crossing

Around the tower, the path will become a bit more gravelly, and you will pass another Martello Tower, to reach the boating area.

A path leading ahead, with a partially filled wooden fence on the left, and metal railings on the right. There is a Martello tower behind a tree ahead.

At the end, you should see a pier. Walk down to that and wait for the boat to come and get you to take you across the other side.

Walk to Bawdsey along the beach?

Looking at my map, there was not trail marked to follow the coast all the way to Bawdsey. I wasn’t keen on taking the road, so asked around if it was possible to stay on the beach. I found out it was possible, then someone else overheard from their car, and called out that it’s tidal, but the tide is out now so I should be ok.

I walked to the beach and read the sign which said the beach further along is closed due to cliff erosion. Closed until 2023. It was now 2024. So I decided to ignore it.

Follow the beach for a bit

There is a path type thing to walk on first. They thought about that. Giving people an escape from the shingle.

Two people walking along a mesh walkway on the shingle beach. There are overturned row boats on the beach on the right.

Then there is something which I thought looked like it has some historical importance. I later found out this is a boat winch, for pulling the little fishing boats out of the water.

A rusty winch sitting on a shingle beach.

After this, it’s back on to the shingle with a metal wall to the left. This definitely looks like it will be underwater at high tide. I timed this perfectly.

The shingle beach leading ahead broken up by wave breakers. the sea is ti the right.

The sea looked very inviting here. I still wanted to get in, but now I knew that I had to beat the tide, I kept going.

When you get past the wall, you can walk up the left onto a large flat shingle area with tufts of green. I don’t like shingle, but this was pretty cool.

A mass if orange shingle with small green plants dotted about, on the walk from Felixstowe to Bawdsey.

At some point, you will get a glimpse of Bawdsey Manor ahead.

A large area of orange shingle beach with the sea to the right. There are a few green plants dotted about, some people sitting on the beach ahead, and a mass of green bushes and trees on the far end of the beach ahead.

Now, unless the tide is really out, you should turn in here to walk to Bawdsey along the road. I was soon to find out why the next bit of beach might be closed for walking.

The long empty beach

Continuing along the beach, first there is a long stretch with a metal wall to the left. At points the sea was pretty close. I had no idea which way it was going and started to panic it was coming in. I didn’t know how long the wall would go on for. If the tide was coming in, and the wall went on for much longer, I could very possibly be caught by the water. I got my phone out to check, before I was too far gone to turn back, but signal was bad. So I continued on.

Looking along the sandy beach, with a metal wall on the left and sea to the right, on the walk from Felixstowe to Bawdsey. The beach is broken up by wooden wave breakers.

Luckily the wall didn’t go on for too much longer.

The crumbling cliffs

When I passed the wall, I reached the falling cliffs. I understood the sign now. The cliffs to the left looked very unstable. You could see where it had been collapsing, with trees halfway down. By this point I realised the tide was receding, so I had plenty of space to keep away from them.

As I continued on, there was a real eeriness. There was absolutely no one. Not a single person for this whole stretch, with wave breakers, and various bits of wood, and fallen trees scattered here and there. I had no idea when it ended. When I would be able to get onto a proper path, and not be sandwiched between the crumbling cliffs and sea.

A long stretch of sandy beach with a strip of shingle along it, with the sea to the right and sloped cliff to the left.

I didn’t know when the tide would turn. And how long I would have to get out of this.

Once I did start to see civilisation, I was relieved. A Martello tower ahead, and a handful of people strolling on the beach.

A curve corner in the sandy beach with a dark brown sea to the right.

Taking a dip

When I reached the end, I knew I would be turning in for Bawdsey, so took this last opportunity to get into the sea for a dip. It wasn’t as inviting as earlier. The receding tide had left a lot of seaweed, and the water looked pretty rough. But I had to take what I could get.

It wasn’t as cold as I was expecting for the North Sea. A little brown maybe. I was a sweaty mess. This was exactly what I needed.

Walk to Bawdsey

There is a little trail up through the rocks, where you will be presented with the Martello Tower and a really colourful house. I’d seen pictures like this when looking up Suffolk. I felt like I had now arrived.

A martello tower surrounded by tall green grass at the end of the walk from Felixstowe. There is a colourful blue and red timber framed house to the left.

A cute house with blue walks and red roof behind the tall green grass, at the end of the walk from Felixstowe.

To walk into Bawdsey, follow the path through the gate. At the very end, left will take you towards the village. Maybe another mile or so of walking.

A long straight road, lined with masses of green leafy bushes and trees.

Read next: Bawdsey to Orford Day 2