A Circular Walk around Beccles Marshes ~ Griffmonsters Great Walks

A circular walk around Beccles Marshes

A 5 mile circular walk that follows the Waveney River around the Beccles Marshes. This easy trail is a real pleasure and an ideal way to while away two or three hours. Take your time and absorb the sights and sounds of the river and the marshes.

Walk Statistics

Start location: Beccles
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: Footpath, Track

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

The is a pleasurable walk that can be undertaken. The paths are well marked and easy to follow. Although all the footpaths, apart from the river side path, are not Public Rights of Way, they are nonetheless open to the public. During winter periods parts may become very muddy.

History of the Marshes

Beccles Marshes are a unique and historic wetland landscape that stretches alongside the River Waveney on the southern edge of Beccles. For centuries, these low-lying marshes have played a vital role in the life of the town, providing grazing land, reeds, sedge, and other resources for local people. Originally part of the extensive estates of the Abbots of Bury St Edmunds, the fen became the subject of disputes following the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the 16th century. To resolve these conflicts, the people of Beccles surrendered their claims to the Crown, and in 1584 Queen Elizabeth I granted a Royal Charter that placed Beccles Fen and the adjoining Common into the care of the townspeople. This remarkable act ensured that the land would be managed for the benefit of the community, a legacy that continues today.

The charter remains one of the most significant moments in Beccles’ history and is commemorated on the town sign. By granting the fen to the people rather than a private landowner, Queen Elizabeth I helped preserve a landscape that had long sustained local livelihoods. Over the centuries, the fen has witnessed dramatic changes, serving at various times as common grazing land, a source of thatching materials, and even the route of transport links that crossed the marshes. Despite these changes, its essential character as an open and shared landscape has endured.

Today, Beccles Fens is celebrated as one of the town’s greatest natural treasures. The network of marshes, reed-beds, dykes, and wet grasslands supports a rich diversity of wildlife, including kingfishers, marsh harriers, dragonflies, butterflies, and numerous species of water birds. Throughout the seasons, visitors can enjoy ever-changing displays of wildflowers, expansive views across the Waveney Valley, and the peaceful beauty of one of Suffolk’s most important wetland habitats. The fens not only provide a haven for wildlife but also help store carbon, manage floodwater, and preserve a landscape that connects modern Beccles with its remarkable past.

Managed today by the Beccles Fenland Trust, the fens remain a living example of how a community can safeguard its natural heritage across generations. Walking the marsh trails, it is possible to experience both the beauty of the Suffolk Broads and the enduring legacy of the 1584 charter—a story in which the people of Beccles secured the future of their fenland for centuries to come.

References

Directions

The route starts and ends at the old MArket square which is the bus interchange. Alternative is to start/end at the Quay where there is parking.

Proceed from the Old Market in the direction of the one way system, then turn right onto Northgate
At the junction, proceed directly across and continue down to the quay. Follow the road around and take the footbridge across the quay.
Turn left and follow the waters edge which leads onto the main river. There is a paved surface for easy walking.
Continue along the path, passing underneath road bridge. Keep on this riverside path, the surfaced path will end and a typical riverside footpath follows on.
After 1.5 miles the path passes the buttresses to the old railway swing-bridge which was part of the Beccles to Great Yarmouth railway which closed to traffic in November 1959. The swing bridge was eventually dismantled in the latter half of the 1960s
After a further 1.5 miles there is a waymarker on the right pointing away from the river, and an information board that contains a map of the marshes with the walks highlighted on it. Take this path along what is known as the Worlingham Wall.
The path is uneven in places as it meanders alongside a tributary stream for about 0.5 miles.
At then end of this path, turn right, across a wooden footbridge and onto a broader track.
Keep to the track. Where it junctions another track, turn left, then the next right, generally continuing in the same direction.
After 200yards there are some large barns on the left, with a track that leads down the side. Take this track.
The track eventually bends around to the right and runs parallel to the bypass, with a turning onto the roundabout. Continue past this, and there is a path up to the bypass.
It should be noted that the bypass can be very busy and as such is hazardous to cross during such busy times. If this is the cases, rather than using this footpath, use the footpath straight ahead which will emerge by the bridge, allowing you to follow the river back to the quay.
From the road alongside the quay take the lane marked as New Road. This leads onto Ravensmere which leads into the town. The Old Market place can be accessed on the right, just before the Tesco superstore. Alternatively continuing to the traffic lights and turn right to find The Old Tap, a lovely micro-pub offering a broad selection of ales, craft beers and ciders.

Directions

The route starts and ends at the old MArket square which is the bus interchange. Alternative is to start/end at the Quay where there is parking.

Proceed from the Old Market in the direction of the one way system, then turn right onto Northgate
At the junction, proceed directly across and continue down to the quay. Follow the road around and take the footbridge across the quay.
Turn left and follow the waters edge which leads onto the main river. There is a paved surface for easy walking.
Continue along the path, passing underneath road bridge. Keep on this riverside path, the surfaced path will end and a typical riverside footpath follows on.
After 1.5 miles the path passes the buttresses to the old railway swing-bridge which was part of the Beccles to Great Yarmouth railway which closed to traffic in November 1959. The swing bridge was eventually dismantled in the latter half of the 1960s
After a further 1.5 miles there is a waymarker on the right pointing away from the river, and an information board that contains a map of the marshes with the walks highlighted on it. Take this path along what is known as the Worlingham Wall.
The path is uneven in places as it meanders alongside a tributary stream for about 0.5 miles.
At then end of this path, turn right, across a wooden footbridge and onto a broader track.
Keep to the track. Where it junctions another track, turn left, then the next right, generally continuing in the same direction.
After 200yards there are some large barns on the left, with a track that leads down the side. Take this track.
The track eventually bends around to the right and runs parallel to the bypass, with a turning onto the roundabout. Continue past this, and there is a path up to the bypass.
It should be noted that the bypass can be very busy and as such is hazardous to cross during such busy times. If this is the cases, rather than using this footpath, use the footpath straight ahead which will emerge by the bridge, allowing you to follow the river back to the quay.
From the road alongside the quay take the lane marked as New Road. This leads onto Ravensmere which leads into the town. The Old Market place can be accessed on the right, just before the Tesco superstore. Alternatively continuing to the traffic lights and turn right to find The Old Tap, a lovely micro-pub offering a broad selection of ales, craft beers and ciders.

Pubs

The Old Tap, Beccles

Address: 5 Market Street, Beccles, NR34 9AW
Website: https://www.theoldtapbeccles.co.uk/

A former Bank building and now a friendly and jovial place that generally has at least 8 cask ales on tap at any one time, plus a large selection of craft beers and ciders. Well worth a visit.

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