East Suffolk Public Rights of Way Access
Overview of Issues with Public Rights of Way
Due to the development of various energy projects in the East Suffolk region there are many rights of way and permissive paths that are being blocked up or diverted, either temporarily or permanently. The extent of these projects encompasses the coastal area bounded by Southwold in the North to Aldeburgh in the south and the works are expected to last between 10 and 20 years. The map below details the huge scale of the various projects that are affecting this region.
Currently, as of Spring 2025, the principle works being undertaken are the preparation for Sizewell C Nuclear Power Station. This has entailed a vast area that has been cleared of all wildlife and vegetation, resulting in a landscape that resembles a war-zone. The area strches from the coast all the way through to the A12 trunk road. In addition, trees and hedgrows across a wide area of the Suffolk Coastal region have been cut down and removed. Some 27,000+ trees have been felled, including centuries old oaks much to the dismay of a lot of local people. Despite protests, this continues to happen. For the hapless wanderer who passes through this landscape, the emotions are ones of heartbreak, anger and helplessness in the face of corporate and Governmental adversity.
In addition, preparatory work for Wind-farm cables has also resulted in blocked up and diverted public rights of way with huge mounds of soil being dug up. These diversions are usually accompanied by relevant public notices.
It is difficult to keep track of the works in progress, especially with the current Sizewell C development, with public rights of way being blocked up and rerouted with no detail provided by the East Suffolk Council Rights of Way page. Sizewell C does offer a Works Tracker Page although this never seems to be up-to-date. This does offer the ability to sign up for email alerts on a variety of works being undertaken including rights of way. Despite having signed up to this from the start, we here at Griffmonster Walks have yet to receive a single alert despite encountering blocked up and rerouted footpaths during this time. Certainly with the Sizewell C project, the lack of public notices informing of rights of way amendment does appear to support a general view held locally that EDF, the company carrying out the project, operate above the law, without fear of legal consequences or scrutiny.
It is therefore difficult to provide full up-to-date details of rights-of-way amendments for the walks within the area that are featured on this site. We sympathise with those who have followed walks only to discover paths blocked or diverted resulting in additional mileage to undertake. We are endeavouring to keep the details on affected walks up-to-date but when the relevant documentation and public notices are not available this makes it a thankless task where we have to get out and walk each route on a regular basis.
Where routes are known to have been blocked, the Walk Pages are now marked with a Blocked tag - a full list can be found by searching the BLOCKED tag label https://griffmonster-walks.blogspot.com/search/label/blocked. These are only the ones we currently know about therefore is probably not a complete list.
When additional information is found on upcoming footpath diversions we will post this on our Facebook Page
Known Diversions
King Charles III England Coast Path/Suffolk Coast Path at Sizewell
This has been rerouted in front of the site proposed for the new Power Stations, which lies north of the existing Power Stations. The diverted route runs closer to the beach, skirting to edge of the dunes, with fencing placed to the landward side of the path. The beach is still available as an alternative and generally there is plenty of sand at low tide. The northern side of this diversion is affected by constant erosion and this leaves the path vulnerable during high spring tides and storm surges. It is advisable to check the tide times and heights before setting out. (refer to Minsmere Sluice tide times) There are no tide time notices along this section or warnings about the erosion. Proceed with care.
The England Coast Path has agreed with contractor, EDF, that once a sea wall has been constructed the path will be rerouted along the top of this. It is uncertain of the timescale to implement this or whether EDF will honour this agreement. It has also been documented that the path will be inaccessible if and when works are undertaken on the beach. In this case the path will be rerouted down to the B1122, then to the village of Eastbridge returning to the coast at Minsmere sluice, a total distance of just under 6 miles compared to the 2 mile distance directly up the coast to the sluice. It should be noted that the path from Eastbridge to the sluice can become inaccessible during Winter due to flooding and excessivly muddy conditions.
Sandlings Long Distance Path
This has currently been rerouted along the coast, following the England Coast Path. The original route of the trail navigated from Sizewell village, up to Leiston Common and Sizewell Belts, through Kenton Hill woods and onto Eastbridge. This is still currently accessaible although there are patrolled and locked metal gates along the lane to Eastbridge where you have to ask permission from the gate patrols to continue along the right-of-way. Either side of this lane, the land is completely devastated. The lane will eventually be blocked up completely although timescales have not been issued about when this will occur.
The later revised route of the Sandlings which navigated from the coast, through Goose Hill, Kenton Hills and onwards to Eastbridge is blocked up between Kenton Hills and the Coast. Heras metal fencing prevents access and there are regular patrols and CCTV through the area to prevent walkers from accessing this area.
Other known path issues
The footpath crossing the meadow from Sandy Lane to Reckham pits Woodland, on the edge of Sizewell Belts is fenced off. The alternative is to follow the track around the perimeter of the meadow.
The footpath linking Leiston town to the ruins of Leiston Abbey is blocked up. The alternative is to walk along the B1122 or take the field boundary up to the Leiston to Theberton path.
The footpath linking Leiston and Theberton is open but there is a metal gate that has to be unlocked and opened by an operative. This right-of-way will eventually be blocked up completely although timescales have not been issued.
Other Notes
It should also be noted that the area has suffered a huge increase in traffic since these projects began and there are several 30mph mandatory speed limits in place with average speed cameras monitoring the roads. Walkers should be aware of the traffic especially walking the lanes and the B1122 where blocked up paths force no alternative but the road. There is also issues within Leiston town centre where traffic lights are constantly not adhered to with traffic persistently crossing on red lights at speed. Pedestrians should take extra care when crossing here.
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