Suffolk Coast Path - Lowestoft to Southwold Beach Route
Wednesday, 23 February 2022
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3 comments |
An exhilarating 12 mile coastal walk along the Suffolk Coast.
The Suffolk Coast Path runs between Lowestoft and Southwold but due to coastal erosion has been diverted inland which results in some road walking, including along the main A12 between Pakefield and Kessingland. An alternative route is to follow the coast as it is possible to walk the entire distance along the beach providing one times the walk to coincide with low tide. This section is worth making the effort to walk, just to view the trees that are slowly being taken by the sea at Benacre and Covehithe broads where the distance between the broad and the sea is a mere sandy section of beach.
Walk Statistics
- Start location: Lowestoft
- End location: Southwold
- Distance: miles ( km)
- Total Gain: ft ( metre)
- Total Descent: ft ( metre)
- Min Height: ft ( metre)
- Max Height: ft ( metre)
- Walk Time:
- Walk Grade: Easy
- Terrain: Beach
Maps:
The following maps and services can assist in navigating this route. There are links to printed maps and links to downloadable GPX route data for importing into navigational software and apps.
- Ordnance Survey Explorer Map
- OS Explorer 231 - Southwold & Bungay
- GPX Route File
Walk Notes
Pub: The Sailors Home, Kessingland: Seafront pub with a resident parrot. A couple of guest ales on and some very satisfying home made soup.
Walk Feature: Coastal Erosion: The main feature of this walk is the coastal erosion and the curious sight of trees succumbing to the sea at Benacre Broad. It probably wont be long before the broad is engulfed also. At Easton Bavents there is more erosion. The home of retired engineer Peter Boggis once sat atop the cliffs and over the years he fought to defend his property from the sea. In December 2008 a judge ruled that a decision by Natural England to allow the cliffs near his home to continue to erode for scientific reasons was unlawful. But this ruling was overturned in the High Court in October 2009. In 2020 the house was demolished and views of the house can be seen on the BBC Website.
Notes: We have walked this route many times and each instance is always a voyage of discovery due to the ever changing beach profiles and eroding cliffs. This section of coastline is often quoted as being the fastest eroding in the whole of Europe and therefore one should approach the walk with special caution. Always time the walk such that low tide occurs mid-walk. Do not attempt this during storms when surges can cut off access. Be aware that access can be blocked at Benacre Broad, Covehithe Broad and Easton Broad when tidal run off can breach the beach. Inland access can be found at Kessingland and Covehithe
Summertime is the preferable time to undertake the walk due to more clement weather and less likelihood of storms affecting the beach profiles. It is possible to clamber to the top of cliffs in places but there is no public access and it should be stressed these cliffs are unstable with frequent falls. If the beach profile has changed such that the sea reaches the cliffs return the way you came, do not attempt to paddle onwards. The last time Griffmonster Walks accessed this route there was a pinch point just beyond Pakefield where there was little left of the beach but enough to provide onward access at low tide.
This coast is not always eroding, in parts it increases where a Ness is migrating northwards. A classic example can be seen at Kessingland. During my childhood in the 1970s, this was the place for family holidays where a short shingle beach led down to the sea and groynes stuck out from the prom to assist in retaining the eroding beach. These days there is a half mile trek across a vast shingle landscape to reach the sea, and all the groynes are buried in that shingle. This shingle is Benacre Ness that has moved northwards over the decades. Back in the 70's it was in front of Benacre Broad which is now no more than the beach away from the sea.
Tide times for Southwold can be found on the Tideschart Website, as can the Lowestoft tide times. Check these before attempting this walk.
Transport: A regular bus service connects Southwold and Lowestoft.
Directions
From Lowestoft walk along the promenade southwards following the Suffolk Coast Path waymarkers. At Pakefield you need to go down onto the beach. Keep walking along the beach - providing to Southwold. Due to constant coastal profile changes it should be mentioned that inland access can be found at Kessingland, Covehithe and Southwold itself. I have been informed by another walker that there is access between Easton Broad and Southwold. This has never been validated by Griffmonster Walks.
Images
Route Validation Cards
Validation Date - 10/08/2019
- Time of Walk: 11:00:00 to 15:00:00
- Validators: Griff, Kat
- Weather Conditions: Blustery day but very warm
- Notes: Initial route undertaken
Summary of Document Changes
Last Updated: 2026-02-06
- 2010-11-10 : Initial publication
- 2021-03-17 : Update website improvements and removal of ViewRanger reliance
- 2021-12-01 : Removal of ViewRanger links due to its imminent demise
- 2022-02-23 : Convert to summary format - adjust wordign and warnings
- 2026-01-12 : Major website update with all walks recast to the new format
3 comments:
Wish I had read this before going. I mostly followed the official coastal path. This results in some long inland sections. Mostly annoying ie main road, then long diversion around a nature reserve later.After a while stuck to the beach but now dangerous getting up a large rock groin into Southwold. Great guide thankyou.
This coastline is continuously changing. As you said, the access into Southwold is now not easy. I have been told that from Easton Broad there is a path over the cliff into Southwold which is the intended route for the England coast path but I have yet to validate this. Happy walking!
I walked from Southwold yesterday. As seawall ends after the pier you come across a large granite pile which is too dangerous to clamber over or round even at low tide . Trying the inland side after carpark meet land owner blocking off access due to 'crime'. Forced to walk inland along bridlepath until hit Wrentham road wher you walk a couple of miles along a busy road with narrow banks. Fortunately road works made the road less busy but unless this part is changed it is far to dangerous. Eventually reach another footpath back to Covehithe and the coast and the stunning and leg draining beach walk to Loestoft
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