Needham Market Lakes Walk
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Monday 13 December 2021
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A simple circular walk around the Needham Market Lakes
A popular destination for many local people with plenty of well defined footpaths around the lakes and woodland. This walk includes an extension to the Alder Carr Farm tea shop for refreshments
NOTE
This is a walk summary intended to provide the user with just the essential information in order to navigate the walk route. Fully detailed information notes, refreshment stops and walk features are not included in this. A full write up will be included in the near future.
Needham Market Lakes Walk - Essential Information
Walk Statistics:
- Start location: Needham Market Lakes
- Distance: miles ( km)
- Total Gain: ft ( metre)
- Total Descent: ft ( metre)
- Min Height: ft ( metre)
- Max Height: ft ( metre)
- Walk Time:
- Walk type: Circular
- Walk Grade: Easy
- Terrain: Footpath, Surfaced path
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 211 - Bury St Edmunds & Stowmarket
- GPX Route File
Route Verification Details
- Date of Walk: 13/12/2021
- Walk Time: 11:30 to 13:00
- Walkers: griff, kat
- Weather Conditions: overcast
Walk Notes
The Needham Market lakes is a popular destination for locals and visitors. The lakes were formed from gravel extraction in the valley that the River Gipping flows. The area has since been landscaped to provide ample car parking, picnic areas, toilet facilities. Part of the area has been designated as a nature reserve and this includes wetland areas, meadows and a small woodland. Wooden sculptures ar included beside the trails including the 'Friends of the Lake' item by Suffolk artist Ben Platts-Mills. Others include arrays of wooden mushrooms, tree trunks hewn into Suffolk seats and other various ornate carvings. Along with the sculptures there is a huge piece of sandstone which has been identified as Spilsby Sandstone from Lincolnshire. This was formed some 450,000 years ago and was migrated by glacial action. The sandstone, rich in fossils, was thought to have been uncovered during the gravel extraction and has subsequently been declared a Regional Important Geological Site (RITS).
The main line between Ipswich an Norwich runs alongside the lakes and provides a variety of locomotive power for the budding railway enthusiast. On this occasion we witnessed many passings of the Class 745 Stadler electric multiple units, a long freight train and three coupled class 66 locos running light engine, ... or so I was told!
Having completed the Stowmarket to Needham and the Needham to Ipswich sections of the Gipping Valley River Walk, this short and simple walk was missed out on the original hikes. Therefore a subsequent visit was required to fill this short section in. It is under 2 miles which was completely underestimated on the initial undertaking of the long distance path. Even so, with such a simple walk one can take ones time and take in the sights.
The area is very popular even under the grey overcast skies of a mid December Monday with plenty of folk out walking and plenty of cars in the car park. On this particular occasion there had been a lot of rainfall in preceding days resulting in a fast flowing River Gipping and some stodgy footpaths.
An extension to the walk allowed a visit to the Alder Farm Cafe where the Courtyard Cafe serves a variety of refrshements from cups of tea to full meals.
Summary of Document Changes
Last Updated: 2021-12-14
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