Aldringham Fen Walk Summary (Diversion in Place)

A Short Circular Walk around Aldringham Fen

This is one of Suffolk's little secrets, hidden away from roads and off the beaten track. Tranquillity is guaranteed and there are some times of the year when one can walk around the entire route without seeing a soul. The area known as Aldringham Fens is a secluded haven of nature and wildlife, an area of marsh and reed-bed fed by the Hundred river which passes to the southern side of the fens.

Walk Statistics

• Start location: Aldringham 
• Distance:   miles (  km)
• Total Gain:   ft (  metre)
• Total Descent:   ft (  metre)
• Min Height:   ft (  metre)
• Max Height:   ft (  metre)
• Est. Walk Time:  
• Walk type: Circular
• Walk Grade: easy
• Terrain: Footpaths and boardwalks
• Obstacles: The path on the north side of the fen can become quite muddy during periods of rain

Route Map

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 212 - Woodbridge & Saxmundham

GPX Route File

Walk Notes

The charming Aldringham Church of St Andrew

On route to the fen you will pass Aldringham Church of St Andrew, set on the hill above the Hundred River valley. This is a Victorian renovation of a 13th century church that was left to decay from 1687 onwards. The 15th century tower was in a perilous state of ruin and was pulled down and used as building material for the renovation, hence the simple open belfry at the western end where once the tower stood. There is a painting hanging on the walls of the church interior which depicts the ruins of the church and tower in 1842.

It is thought that the fen may have possibly been the result of medieval peat extraction. It is known that before the railway arrived The Fens were a continuation of what is now Thorpeness Mere, the whole area being a vast shallow expanse of salt marsh. The railway provided an embankment to separate the Mere from the fen and the Mere became the modern day boating lake as part of Glencairn Stuart Ogilvie's early 20th century vision of a creating an idyllic Seaside village by the sea.

The Hundred River

The Hundred River marks the boundary between the Saxon Blything and Plomesgate Hundreds. Folklore suggests that the river was navigable through to Aldringham from the sea during Roman times and viewing the flat river meadows between the fens and Aldringham would support the idea that this was once a wide river estuary that has subsequently silted up.

The scene from the viewing point on the Aldringham Fens

This walk can equally be accessed from the village of Thorpeness, navigating along the side of the Mere to North Warren where there is access onto the Fen path.

On the north side of the fen there is a small section of path that can become very muddy during wet weather. There is a small section of boardwalk along this section but the mud appears beyond where the boardwalk ends.

Directions

Footpaths around the Aldringham Fen and surrounding woodland

1. Start the walk at the Aldringham village crossroads by the Parrot and Punchbowl pub. From here follow the road out of the village towards Aldeburgh
2. Cross the road to the left hand side and keep going. After 150 metres there is a track that forks off to the left, by a bungalow. Take this, keeping to the right where it opens up past the heathland.
3. Keep to the right so that you pass the old Schoolhouse on your left. This footpath will then navigate up a hill alongside the field boundary with cropland on the left and meadow on the right.
4. Keep to this path for a total of 700 metres. It will descend down into some woodland at the end of which is the Aldringham churchyard. Proceed into the churchyard and turn left to follow the path through the graves up to the church. This is the Church of St Andrew, rebuilt in the 19th century from the ruins of the original church. The original tower was sacrificed for the rebuild.
5. Walk past the church to the right hand side then turn right to exit the churchyard on the public footpath.
6. Keep to this path which will lead down a hill where a small open area has woodland on the right and a meadow on the left. Keep to the meadow side up to the far boundary where a short climb leads up around the trees tht mark the boundary.
7. The path turns left then right to follow the perimeter of the meadow, leading down to the buildings and barns of Birds Farm.
8. Keep to the path through the farm, bearing right to follow a short track up to a junction at the top.
9. Turn right onto the track and then follow the track around to the left past the cottages. The track turns into a footpath which leads down to the boardwalk through the fens.
10. Keep to the boardwalk. There is a viewing platform on the left that provides a panorama across the whole fen. Further along the boardwalk crosses the Hundred River. Shortly after this it enters some woodland where the boardwalk ends and the subsequent path crosses another path. Turn left at this point.
11. Keep to the main path, on the right is the North Warren Nature Reserve, and area of open heathland. On the left is an area of sparse woodland with views of the fen beyond. The path will end at a junction of another footpath in more woodland predominantly made up of tall silver birch trees. Turn left and follow the path through the woodland.
12. At the end of the woodland the path meets up with the former trackbed of the Aldeburgh railway branch line. Follow the path onto turning left towards Thorpeness. This will lead over the Hundred River and past the rear section of the Thorpeness Mere.
13. Where the trackbed meets the former crossing house, with a bench and viewing point of the fen on the left, take the little footpath on the left just past the bench
14. Keep to the path which leads into more sparse woodland. This will soon lead onto a short section o boardwalk, with a bridge over a small stream. The immediate area beyond the end of the boardwalk can become very muddy during wet periods. This is often littered with old branches and debris that other walkers have used to negotiate the mud.
15. Keep to the path until it meets some old cottages on the left where a track then takes over from the path. Follow the track past the cottages. Within 100 metres, there is a waymarker for a footpath on the left which leads into more woodland. Take this.
16. Keep to the footpath until it joins another track leading in from the right. Continue straight ahead on the track.
17. After 100m a track joins from the right and immediately after this is the track down to Birds Farm which you came up from earlier. Take this.
18. Return the way you came, through Birds Farm, following the footpath through to Aldringham church then through the churchyard to pick up the footpath back down to Aldingham village.

Directions

Footpaths around the Aldringham Fen and surrounding woodland

1. Start the walk at the Aldringham village crossroads by the Parrot and Punchbowl pub. From here follow the road out of the village towards Aldeburgh
2. Cross the road to the left hand side and keep going. After 150 metres there is a track that forks off to the left, by a bungalow. Take this, keeping to the right where it opens up past the heathland.
3. Keep to the right so that you pass the old Schoolhouse on your left. This footpath will then navigate up a hill alongside the field boundary with cropland on the left and meadow on the right.
4. Keep to this path for a total of 700 metres. It will descend down into some woodland at the end of which is the Aldringham churchyard. Proceed into the churchyard and turn left to follow the path through the graves up to the church. This is the Church of St Andrew, rebuilt in the 19th century from the ruins of the original church. The original tower was sacrificed for the rebuild.
5. Walk past the church to the right hand side then turn right to exit the churchyard on the public footpath.
6. Keep to this path which will lead down a hill where a small open area has woodland on the right and a meadow on the left. Keep to the meadow side up to the far boundary where a short climb leads up around the trees tht mark the boundary.
7. The path turns left then right to follow the perimeter of the meadow, leading down to the buildings and barns of Birds Farm.
8. Keep to the path through the farm, bearing right to follow a short track up to a junction at the top.
9. Turn right onto the track and then follow the track around to the left past the cottages. The track turns into a footpath which leads down to the boardwalk through the fens.
10. Keep to the boardwalk. There is a viewing platform on the left that provides a panorama across the whole fen. Further along the boardwalk crosses the Hundred River. Shortly after this it enters some woodland where the boardwalk ends and the subsequent path crosses another path. Turn left at this point.
11. Keep to the main path, on the right is the North Warren Nature Reserve, and area of open heathland. On the left is an area of sparse woodland with views of the fen beyond. The path will end at a junction of another footpath in more woodland predominantly made up of tall silver birch trees. Turn left and follow the path through the woodland.
12. At the end of the woodland the path meets up with the former trackbed of the Aldeburgh railway branch line. Follow the path onto turning left towards Thorpeness. This will lead over the Hundred River and past the rear section of the Thorpeness Mere.
13. Where the trackbed meets the former crossing house, with a bench and viewing point of the fen on the left, take the little footpath on the left just past the bench
14. Keep to the path which leads into more sparse woodland. This will soon lead onto a short section o boardwalk, with a bridge over a small stream. The immediate area beyond the end of the boardwalk can become very muddy during wet periods. This is often littered with old branches and debris that other walkers have used to negotiate the mud.
15. Keep to the path until it meets some old cottages on the left where a track then takes over from the path. Follow the track past the cottages. Within 100 metres, there is a waymarker for a footpath on the left which leads into more woodland. Take this.
16. Keep to the footpath until it joins another track leading in from the right. Continue straight ahead on the track.
17. After 100m a track joins from the right and immediately after this is the track down to Birds Farm which you came up from earlier. Take this.
18. Return the way you came, through Birds Farm, following the footpath through to Aldringham church then through the churchyard to pick up the footpath back down to Aldingham village.

Route Validation Cards

Validation Date - 2018-04-08

• Time of Walk: 13:00 to 14:30
• Validators: Griffmonster, Kat
• Weather Conditions: Overcast spring day
• Notes: Initial route undertaken

Validation Date - 2026-03-01

• Time of Walk: 08:00 - 11:00
• Validators: Griff
• Conditions: Very cold but bright sunshine and blue skies
• Notes: Hard dry ground

Summary of Document Changes

Last Updated: 2026-01-12

• 2021-03-17 : Update website improvements and removal of ViewRanger reliance
• 2021-12-01 : Removal of ViewRanger links due to its imminent demise

Related Walk Links

• Walks around Aldringham
• Walks for OS Map 212, Woodbridge & Saxmundham