Griffmonsters Great Walks

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Sunday, 9 February 2020

Suffolk Coast Path

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Martello Tower at Bawdsey

An overview of the Suffolk Coast Path, a 60 mile long distance path following the coast of Suffolk

A 60 mile long distance footpath from Felixstowe to Lowestoft in easy stages through some of the characteristic landscapes of the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The path also includes the Orford Loop which provides access through to Orford and the Butley Ferry. Alternative beach walks, providing the tide is right, can be undertaken throughout.

Lowestoft to Felixstowe Walk - Essential Information

Walk Statistics:

  • Start location: Lowestoft 
  • End location: Felixstowe 
  • Distance:   miles (  km)
  • Total Gain:   ft (  metre)
  • Total Descent:   ft (  metre)
  • Min Height:   ft (  metre)
  • Max Height:   ft (  metre)
  • Walk Time:  
  • Walk type: Linear
  • Walk Grade: Easy
  • Terrain:

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
Ordnance Survey Explorer Map
Ordnance Survey Explorer Map
Ordnance Survey Explorer Map
GPX Route File

Walk Notes

The actual distance of this path varies depending upon what website or information leaflet one reads. The official route from Lowestoft to Felixstowe is approximately 60 miles. The Orford Loop will add an additional 15 miles to this unless the Butley Ferry extension is used. With beach alternatives, which reduce the distance slightly, there is no definitive distance.

The path follows the Suffolk coast from Lowestoft to Felixstowe, however, due to coastal erosion some sections have been diverted inland. The sections from Pakefield to Southwold and more recently the section from Sizewell to Thorpeness have redefined routes. It is still possible to walk both of these sections along the coast providing the tide is right. For full details of up-to-date diversions and information visit Suffolk Coast Path Restrictions section on the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Website

At Felixstowe the path joins the Stour and Orwell Walk, a 42 mile path around the Shotley peninsular to Cattawade and Manningtree. In February 2012 Suffolk Coast and Heaths adjusted The Stour and Orwell Walk so that it now starts from Languard Common and the former coastal section from Felixstowe Ferry to Felixstowe town has become part of the Suffolk Coast Path and is waymarked as such.

The Suffolk Coast Path can be broken down into the following sections:

  • Lowestoft to Southwold (inland): In 2011 the inland route was diverted and now passes through Frostenden Corner. The previous route went through Potters Bridge Marshes but was subject to frequent flooding. Details of the walk can be found on this site.
  • Lowestoft to Southwold (beach): It is essential to check the tide tables before walking the beach. This section should only be walked between mid and low tide and even then it can be impassable during storm surges and adverse tide conditions when Easton, Benacre and Covehithe Broads can be breached. The section in front of the cliffs at Pakefield can also be impassable at high tide. Having said this, choosing the right time and day, this section is quite spectacular and is well worth walking. Details of the walk can be found on this site.
  • Walberswick to Dunwich: This section navigates through the marshes and can be subject to flooding, particularly in winter months. Alternative routes are the beach which is predominantly shingle although there can be a little sand revealed at low tide, or using the Sandlings route which navigates around the perimeter of the marshes.
  • Dunwich to Sizewell: The route heads inland to Dunwich Heath and then passes in front of Minsmere Bird Reserve. An alternative route is via the beach which is predominantly shingle although there can be a little sand revealed at low tide.
  • Sizewell to Aldeburgh: Due to erosion of the cliff on the North side of Thorpeness the path has now been diverted inland across Thorpeness Common. The route can be walked along the beach although the section in front of the houses on the north-side of Thorpeness is completely impassable at all but low tide. An alternative is to take the path up the cliff just before the houses which leads onto the common with access into Thorpeness village.
  • Aldeburgh to Iken: The path navigates around the Alde estuary using the footpath known as the Sailors Path. The section between Snape Maltings and Iken Cliff can be subject to flooding for a short periods of time at high tide.
  • The Orford Loop: An extension to the main path allows access along the Alde estuary to Orford. This continues through to Gedgrave where there is a ferry to Butley. The ferry only operates on weekends and bank holidays between Easter and the end of September. There is an alternative route from Orford which rejoins the main path at Chillesford
  • Iken to Felixstowe: The path runs through Tunstall forest and then follows the Butley River and Ore River to Shingle Street. The section into Bawdsey navigates inland due to coastal erosion. There is no alternative on this section. The Bawdsey to Felixstowe ferry operates daily from May to September and weekends only from Easter to October. As from February 2012 the path continues along the seafront to Felixstowe town along the former route of the Stour and Orwell Walk.

The Sandlings Path, which runs parallel to The Suffolk Coast Path between Southwold and Rushmere, East of Ipswich, makes a convenient route to create circular walks using this and the Coast Path. Pleasurable circular walks include Dunwich Forest and the Walberswick Marshes, The area around Minsmere Bird Reserve, The Kenton Hills Woodland and Sizewell Belts area. In addition the section between Sizewell and Aldeburgh can be tailored into a cicular walk making use of the permissive path along the old railway track.

Tide Times

Whenever walking beach sections always consult tide times to assess the feasibility of your walk. Where there are cliff sections avoid the beach other than between 2 hours either side of low tide. Tide times can be found at www.tidetimes.org.uk

Public Transport

Public transport is limited along all of the Coast Path which makes it difficult to walk extensive linear sections of the route without resorting to en-route accommodation or relying upon family and friends to assist.

There is a regular bus service between Southwold and Lowestoft (First Group 99 Service) which also links Kessingland. This makes this section accessible to all experienced walkers.

There is no bus service linking any of the coastal villages from Southwold through to Aldeburgh. This section is off the beaten track. There is an hourly bus service (excluding Sundays and bank holidays) between Aldebugh and Leiston which is a couple of miles inland from Sizewell.

The 65 service which used to operate between Aldeburgh and Snape has been severely cut back to just a single journey a day with no return option (First Group 65 service). This makes the section from Aldeburgh to Felixstowe, a lengthy 27 miles, only achievable as a single day walk for experienced walkers. The section from Snape to Bawdsey is particularly remote and one can expect to see few people walking this section with little in the way of services. Take plenty of food and water. Perfect for those who seek solitude on their rambles.

Accommodation

Lowestoft, Southwold, Aldeburgh and Felixstowe offer plenty of B&B accommodation. Leiston also has similar accommodation and is only 2 miles from the coast at Sizewell and easily accessible using footpaths.

There are campsites along the route including Tangham Forest Camping (just off route in Rendlesham Forest),Sizewell Beach View Camp Site and Southwold Harbour Campsite which breaks the distance into manageable day-walks.

Ferries

The path includes three ferries which provide the means to navigate across the rivers Blyth, Butley and Deben. The river Alde has no operational ferry and the route uses the Sailors path through to the first bridge at Snape. An information leaflet with 2018 operating schedules, times and prices is available in in PDF format at Suffolk Coast and Heaths Website. Please do download this. A brief summary of the ferries is below.

The Southwold to Walberswick ferry is a seasonal foot passenger ferry across the Blyth River operating from March to November. There is an optional footpath route via the old railway bridge for when the ferry is not operational.

In recent years the Butley Ferry has been reinstated. This is a seasonal ferry (April to October) operated by volunteers and provides access from Gedgrave, south of Orford to Butley. This is part of the Orford Loop extension, with the principle route being the alternative to the ferry, which cuts across from Iken, through Tunstall Forest to navigate down the southern side of the Butley River.

The River Deben ferry from Bawdesy to Felixstowe Ferry only operates May to September. The only viable alternative is to navigate around the Deben estuary which is an extensive walk to the river bridge crossing at Melton. This is 15 miles with a similar distance walking through to Woodbridge and along the southern side of the estuary. There is no public transport to or from Bawdsey so make sure the ferry is operational before embarking on such a walk.

Coastal Erosion

The Suffolk Coast suffers from frequent erosion and incursions by both tide and weather resulting in the coastline constantly changing. Storms during 2007, 2013 and 2017 with strong the easterlies of early 2018 have caused significant damage to the coast path over this time. The path is reinstated after each incursion but be aware of such incidents may leave sections requiring an alternative route.

The marshes between Walberswick and Dunwich are regularly breached by storm surges with some incursions resulting in the loss of the footbridge or board-walks along the marsh river. The alternative is to either use the beach route providing the tide is right or to use the Sandlings Path around the perimeter of the marsh and through Dunwich forest.

The coastal erosion at Thorpeness makes it impossible to walk the beach at anything but low tide - even then it is now not always passable. A low tide of just 0.46m made it passable on 1st of May 2021 but the coast is rapidly changing and now threatening the houses above the cliff. Refer to Aldeburgh Tide Times. It should also be noted that the cliffs just north of the village are particularly unstable and dangerous with one fatality caused by a cliff fall in February 2017. Do not under any circumstance attempt to walk close to the base of these cliffs, even if there appears to be sufficient distance between the water and cliff. A cliff fall will catch you unawares and leave you with little or no time to escape. The alternative route is to either follow the official route waymarkers south of Sizewell Hall which navigate inland across the commons to Thorpeness or, continuing along the clifftop path from Sizewell Hall. This eventually leads down to the ness. Then follow the unmarked path just before the beach warning notice, up to the clifftop. Follow the path across the common and onto the road that leads in front of the clifftop houses. This will be the route of the proposed England Coast Path

During March 2013 a large section of Kessingland Beach was washed away close to the Benacre Sluice, south of village ( reported in the see Eastern Daily Press.) The path is still passable here but the coastal section from Benacre down to Southwold is ever changing. Only walk this around low tide and always consult tide tables before setting out on any beach section.

The beach section in front of Bawdsey Manor is currently impassable and the route from East Lane to Bawdsey Quay is now diverted along the road.

The coastline at Felixstowe can be walked throughout given the right state of tide. The official path avoids Cobbolds Point and is routed along the clifftop roads. The coastal path at this point should only be used at low tide.

January 2018 Update. Winter storm surges have made the beach section in front of Pakefield impassable at high tide. Consult tide times before embarking upon a walk along this beach section. See EADT article for report.

England Coast Path

The Suffolk Coast is expected to be included into the England Coast Path. There are currently proposals for the section from Aldeburgh to Hopton with other section proposals expected later during 2020. Hopefully agreements can be reached and the path implemented by 2020/2021 giving the walker complete coastal and estuary access from Languard Fort to the Norfolk border at Hopton. For full details and to keep up-to-date on the progress please refer to the England Coast Path website.

At the start of 2020 the proposals of the section between Aldeburgh and Hopton were published. This contains some welcome revisions to the present Suffolk Coast Path, realigning the path closer the the coast. Full details can be found at England Coast Path from Aldeburgh to Hopton-on-Sea: comment on proposals. A brief summary is described below:

England Coast Path Proposals - Aldeburgh to Hopton
England Coast Path Proposals - Aldeburgh to Hopton

Aldeburgh to Thorpeness - The Suffolk Coast Path presently skirts around the landward side of the town of Aldeburgh. The England Coast Path proposal is to start at the Fort Green Car Park on the southern side of the town and then take the seafront promenade known as Crag Path northwards out of town. This is currently all publicly accessible. Improvements will be made through to Thorpeness but keeping to the same general alignment as the present coast path

Thorpeness to Sizewell - The Coast Path was realigned some years ago to avoid the sea incursions along the beach to the north of Thorpeness which makes the beach impassable at most states of the tide. The present path uses inland public footpaths across the heath to rejoin the coast just south of Sizewell Hall. This is realigned to use North End Avenue to gain access onto Thorpeness Common at the end of which steps will be implemented down the cliff. This can presently be walked as permissive paths with a sandy path that leads down the cliff.

Sizewell to Dunwich Heath - The present footpath uses the coastal section throughout and, subject to minor amendments, this will be the same. There will be necessary changes required if the construction of the Sizewell C power station is given the go-ahead. Although the Coast Path will still be implemented, EDF, the corporate body who intend to construct the station, have admitted that there will be times when a diversion away from the coast is required. This will follow the road inland from Sizewell to join the main B1122 through to the junction with the Eastbridge road. Access back to the coast will be via the Eastbridge road into the village and then the present public footpath through to Minsmere Sluice. This is a significant 6 mile diversion for less than 2 miles of coast walking. Although EDF have stated that a footpath alongside the road will be implemented to the Eastbridge turn, it is far from ideal and is certainly not in keeping with the long distance trail. The road through to Eastbridge is of particular concern as this already has a lot of traffic and causes conflict between motorists and pedestrians due to its narrow nature. Unfortunately EDF intends to block up all other publicly accessible routes in this area and there will be no alternatives. Despite multiple appeals to this effect and objections submitted to the public consultations, EDF has failed to even acknowledge the issue.

Dunwich Heath to Walberswick - The route will follow the present path through to Walberswick with minor amendments and improvements. The only major change is between the Coastguard Cottages at Dunwich Heath and Greyfriars Wood at Dunwich. The present route uses public footpaths across the heath making an excursion inland. The England Coast Path proposal is to use a new footpath alongside the access road to the Dunwich Heath car park. This path was implemented several years ago and is presently publicly accessible. This also gives access to the Lost 12 Churches pub on the Cliff House touring site. Access across the River Blyth to Southwold will be via the present bailey bridge

Southwold to Kessingland - The present route between the two towns is largely extensive inland diversions caused by coastal erosion. Although the beach route enables the walker access throughout, this is restricted to tiems around low tide. The new Coast Path proposal is to keep to the coast as much as possible which makes a very welcome change. North of Southwold the route will navigate along the clifftop to Easton Broad. This can presently be permissively walked but there is no public footpath. The path will then use the beach in front of the broad to continue along the cliff to Covehithe Broad. Once again there will be a beach walk in front of the Broad and then a cliff top path to Benacre Broad with similar beach access. None of this is presently accessible apart from the beach sections. An alternative route will be provided around the broads for when tides make the beach inaccessible in front of the Broads. This will navigate an inland route around each individual Broad with additional access to the coast to the south of Covehithe broad, Covehithe village and north of Benacre Broad.

Kessingland to Lowestoft - The present Suffolk Coast Path uses an inland route between Kessingland and Pakefield. The proposal is to change this to a cliff top path throughout. Most of this is accessible as either permissive or public footpaths although there is no access to the south of Pakefield other than the beach which is restricted by tides. Once again this is a welcome change and keeps to the ethos of a Coast Path.

Lowestoft to Hopton - The present Suffolk Coast Path terminates at Lowestoft. The England Coast Path proposal continues through to Hopton to join the Norfolk Coast Path. This uses present permissive and public footpaths throughout and follows the coastline with the exception of the section through Corton where the route is required to use the road route through the village due to the eroding cliffs behind the houses.

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Directions

The path is marked out with the distinctive yellow on blue waymarkers.

The route is depicted on OS maps and very well sign-posted throughout. The alternative beach sections are not marked but are merely a case of walking along the beach.

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Summary of Document Changes

Last Updated: 2021-12-07

2012-04-20 : adjusted to take into account the relocation of the start of the Stour and Orwell Walk and the end to the Suffolk Coast Path
2013-03-19 : Add in route changes caused by 2013 coastal erosion. Also realign the dead links to Suffolk Coast and Heaths website
2018-04-02 : General text changes and updates to erosion and bus service information
2019-01-22 : Additional warnings of storm damage at Pakefield
2019-04-05 : Resolve link issues
2020-02-09 : Document England Coast Path proposals between Aldeburgh and Hopton
2021-03-17 : Update website improvements and removal of ViewRanger reliance
2021-05-01 : Highlight risks at Thorpeness
2021-12-01 : Removal of ViewRanger links due to its imminent demise

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Saturday, 11 May 2019

In Search of Polsborough Gate

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track to Aldeburgh Road

A 9.5 mile walk following the old Snape Road to the Sailors Path

This walk links Leiston with the Sailors Path following the old traditional road that used to link the town with Snape. There is then an outstanding ramble across Black heath and Hazlewood marshes through to Aldeburgh where a regular bus service links back with the start. Along this route was what in the 1700s was known as Polsborough Gate, a landmark whose position and derivation is unknown but with a little research some information about it can be determined

In Search of Polsborough Gate - Essential Information

Walk Statistics:

  • Start location: Leiston 
  • End location: Aldeburgh 
  • Distance:   miles (  km)
  • Total Gain:   ft (  metre)
  • Total Descent:   ft (  metre)
  • Min Height:   ft (  metre)
  • Max Height:   ft (  metre)
  • Walk Time:  
  • Walk type: Linear
  • Walk Grade: Easy
  • Terrain: Footpaths, country lanes

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
ViewRanger App Route
GPX File

Transport:

Details of public transport that is required for the walk

First Group - Bus Service
Service Details
64 - First Group 64 service connects Ipswich, Woodbridge, Wickham Market, Saxmundhamm, Leiston and Aldeburgh.
Timetable

Route Verification Details

  • Date of Walk: 2019-04-20
  • Walk Time: 10:30 to 15:00
  • Walkers: Griffmonster, Kat
  • Weather Conditions: Bright, warm, blue skies and sunshine

Walk Notes

The Sailors Path is a rich and rewarding walk that follows the Alde estuary between Snape and Adeburgh. The landscape varies with open heathland, woodland and marsh and now that Snape Warren is an open access area, this also provides a vast area of natural heath to walk through if one wants to explore more around the Snape end of the trail. Unfortunately the Sailors Path has no public transport to link each end and one either has to walk in both directions or use an alternative route to make up a days walk. This is the main purpose of this route where walking from Leiston and ending at Aldeburgh provides a bus link between the two ends.

The walk initially follows the old route of what once was known as the Snape Road. Back in the 18th century this was the main route that went south from Leiston. The road still exists down to the junction with the Aldeburgh road at a location known as Black Heath Corner. Unfortunately this is a fairly busy road with no verge or pavements beyond Coldfair Green for those wishing to walk its length. Therefore to avoid this road we will take tracks through to the Aldeburgh road and then follow the broad verge up to Black Heath Corner. At this point the old Snape Road ceases to exist as a modern highway and is nothing more than a track that eventually deteriorates into little more than a footpath. Useless for modern traffic but perfect for ramblers.

The main feature to this walk is Polsborough Gate which was said to be located in the area somewhere around Black Heath Corner. It was a question that was posed soon after walking this route that sparked the investigation as to its exact location. Thus far, the only reference to this landmark comes from a book by surveyor John Kirby that was compiled in 1735. These days the landmark has gone, the name is lost to history and even local folk merely shrug there shoulders at the mention of the name Polsborough. Fortunately Kirby recorded well defined details of his walks, including exact mileages, presumably deduced by something like counting steps. It is from these references we are able to piece together the possible location of the landmark. Please do read the feature below as it makes a fascinating subject.

So, back to The Sailors Path which diverges from the Leiston to Snape route at the point where it leads out of Snape village. The name has always struck me as an oddity. There are many references in books and web resources that proudly state that this track was the ancient route that the Sailors used to take from Snape to Aldeburgh and presumably Slaughden which was famed for its quay and ship building in centuries gone past, including the construction of Franics Drake's renowned ship, The Golden Hind. Maybe this was the case, but there are a few questions that have always teased my mind and I have never found satisfactory answers to.

Firstly, Snape is on the river. Therefore why would sailors walk from Snape to Aldeburgh when they could take a boat and allow the tide to propel them between the two places. Admittedly the estuary is broad and the main channel narrow and it is easy to run aground but a seasoned sailor would know the channel to take. There are certainly references to the fact that merchant ships made their way to Iken Cliff and to Snape Maltings so it does beg the question of why a path would have been used. Maybe the Snape sailors suffered from seasickness aboard their craft!

Secondly, the path passes over Hazlewood marshes. These days there are boardwalks and bridges to enable the walker to pass across without hindrance. If these marshes existed in centuries past, and there is no reason to think they did not, then how did the sailors navigate across them?

Thirdly, the area of Black Heath had a racecourse on it in centuries past. It seems more probable that the path was to link Snape to the racecourse. The racecourse was said to have been an Oval circuit used for racing ponies and was some 1.166 miles in length. It attracted visitors from as far as London so would have been a profitable business operation. It seems far more likely that the paths were to access the racecourse than to allow Sailors to walk to Aldeburgh.

Fourthly, mention of the Sailors Path in documentation seems to be a relatively modern term. I have only found references to it using this terminology in 19th century books onward. Indeed John Kirby, in his book, does not call it by any name other than the track to the racecourse. Being a local man, and bearing in mind he referenced locations such as Polsborough Gate which have long been lost to history, then it seems odd that he would not refer to the track as the Sailors Path if it was known as such.

Anyway, this article is not to do with the Sailors Path, but Polsborough Gate, so peruse further down this page for the full investigation

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Sailors Path
Sailors Path

Directions

A linear walk that includes the highly recommended Sailors Path, with public transport connections

From Leiston town centre take the road south towards Colfair Green (B1069). Proceed through the village and at its southern end, just past the final houses take Sloe Lane, a track that leads off to the left and is marked with the Sandlings waymarkers. Keep to this broad farm track ignoring all other paths and tracks. This will emerge onto the busy Aldeburgh road. Just before the road is the Lily Pond, a large pond by the side of the track that is worth taking in views.

Cross the Aldeburgh road and turn right keeping to the broad grass verge. At the last field before Black Heath Corner the verge becomes narrow therefore drop down to the field edge and follow the boundary to emerge back onto the verge at West Lodge. Take the track on the left at Black Heath Corner. Keep to this ignoring all other paths and tracks until one meets some wooded heathland on the left with a footpath marker. Take this path through the woodland and past the cottages on the left to emerge onto the Sailors Path with Snape Warren straight ahead. Turn left and follow the Sailors Path. This proceeds through woodland, across marsh on boardwalks and then along the boundary of Hazlewod Marshes to emerge onto the Aldeburgh Road. There is a significant grass verge along which the Suffolk Coast Path is routed. Follow this then continue on the pavement into town. At the roundabout turn right down to the Kings Meadow, a recreational park. Keep to the path through the park, then follow it along the boundary of allotments until it emerges onto a residential road. Keep straight ahead until it meets the main road through Aldeburgh. Turn right and head towards the car park at Slaughden where the buses terminate.

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Lilly Pond on the track between Coldfair Green and the Aldeburgh Road
Lilly Pond on the track between Coldfair Green and the Aldeburgh Road

Features

In Search of Polsborough GateView in OS Map | View in Google Map

During the years of 1732 to 1734 John Kirby, a Suffolk land surveyor and topographer, journeyed throughout the County of Suffolk surveying the roads and recording the details which he subsequently published in 1735 as a book titled The Suffolk Traveller: or, Journey through Suffolk. Over the decades following Kirbys death in 1753, this publication was reprinted in four editions with alterations and amendments made by other authors.

Two editions can be found online, the 1764 2nd edition and the 1735 1st edition which was published by John Bagnall who set up business in 1720 printing the Ipswich Journal. The business lasted for 19 years after which it was taken over by William Craighton in 1739. There is a physical copy of the 1st edition that is held at the Ipswich Records Office. The second edition, published by J Shave, is substantially different and is worth referencing to correlate against when determining distances.

Kirby was a true Suffolk man, born in Halesworth in 1690, becoming a schoolmaster based in Orford and later residing in a mill at Wickham Market. He was undoubtedly familiar with the area of Coastal Suffolk around Snape and therefore his written accounts of this area should be dependable in their descriptions.

There are numerous references to a feature that Kirby names as Polsborough Gate throughout his works and these are always referred to as a landmark in his surveys for which both distance and directions are taken. The references are included in road surveys from Blythborough to Melton, Melton to Aldeburgh and from Aldeburgh to Wickham Market. Each survey describes features together with a distance in miles and furlongs from the starting point. This provides the feasibility of deducing locations of long forgotten features provided that the measurements are accurate. There is no detail of how the measurements were made and it is not for this investigation to determine the ways and means of measurement that were employed in the 1700s. To assess the accuracy of his recorded results, measurements can be compared with known locations against Kirby's measurements and if these values are close, then we can deduce the position of long forgotten Polsborough Gate.

In order to do this we require like units, therefore we will need to converts Kirby's Miles and Furlongs into decimal miles. A furlong is a distance of measurement derived from the Old English words furh (furrow) and lang (long) that can be traced back to early Anglo-Saxon times to define the length of a furrow in one acre of a ploughed open field. The length is equivalent to 1/8 mile and therefore we can convert Kirby's measurements employing with a simple mathematical equation.

Roads have obviously changed over the centuries but the specific route of interest between Leiston and Snape still exists, albeit half of this is now only track or footpath. There is no reason to doubt that the modern section from Leiston through to Black Heath Corner has changed course since the survey in the 1730s. There have been changes to some of the other roads leading away from this and these are shown on old maps where routes have been changed or fallen into disuse. One notable road that is open to debate about its course is the route from Aldeburgh to Benhall. This is the modern road from Black Heath Corner to Snape church and is thought to have been constructed sometime during the mid to late 18th century. The road became a turnpike in the 1790s but there are references to it existing prior to this, notably from the House of Commons Journal which indicates the poor condition of the road prior to it being turned into a turnpike:

...the nature of the soil, so very deep and ruinous, that they are in many parts almost impassable to carriages

The fact that Kirby's survey mentions this road would indicate that maybe there was a forerunner to the road in place in the 1730's. There are three such mentions of this road in his road surveys, yet when he records the journey between Aldeburgh and Wickham Market, instead of using this route he proceeds via Saxmundham, a significant diversion that implies that the road to Benhall was not accessible at this time. The 2nd Edition of his book takes a completely different route between the two towns and proceeds in a reverse direction so it is difficult to gain further knowledge on this.

Maps from this period of time include the an accompanying map to Kirby's 2nd Edition which bears no reference to the Aldeburgh to Benhall road, J. Andrews and A. Drury's map of 1776 where there is a spur from the Aldeburgh road and John Carey's 1792 map where the full course of the road is highlighted.

John Careys map of 1794 that clearly depicts the Aldeburgh road branching prior to its junction with the Snape road, to form the Benhall road to the left and the Saxmundham road to the right. This also depicts the course of the road from Aldeburgh to Knodishall which runs to the south west of the River Hundred and makes a crossroads with the Snape road at what would be Coldfair Green
John Careys map of 1794 that clearly depicts the Aldeburgh road branching prior to its junction with the Snape road, to form the Benhall road to the left and the Saxmundham road to the right. This also depicts the course of the road from Aldeburgh to Knodishall which runs to the south west of the River Hundred and makes a crossroads with the Snape road at what would be Coldfair Green

The specific extract from John Kirby's Suffolk Traveller that we are concerned with is the description from Leiston to Snape which is contained on page 30 of the 1st edition of his publication, and reads

Going from the White-Horse Inn aforesaid avoid the left hand Way, which goes to Aldeburgh, and the right that leads to Saxmundham, and take the Way right forward. At 1m 1/2f. is Coldfair-Green, where there is a Fair kept yearly on the Feast of St Andrew and the Day following. At 1m. 4 1/2 f. the right goes to Knodishall, the left to Alden]burgh, leaving a Windmill a little on the right. At 2m. 3 1/2 f. the right goes to Saxmundham, the left to Aldeburgh. At 2m, 5 1/4f. is Polsborough-Gate; the left goes to Aldeburgh, the right to Benhall; leaving Friston Decoy a little on the left, at 3m 3 3/4f. a View to Friston-Hall. At 4m. the left acute backward, over Snape Race-Ground, goes to Aldeburgh. At 4m. 3 f. Snape Crown Inn

This provides all the features and landmarks and distances that we require to determine exactly where these lie in the modern day. This will be cross-referenced by using Google Maps utility to measure distances and a calculator to convert furlongs to miles using 1 furlong = 0.125 miles and rounding the result to a single decimal place.

The start of the survey in question, which is a subsection of his Blythburgh to Melton road survey, is described as The White Horse Inn, Leiston which is an identifiable building in that town that still stands at the town centre crossroads. Kirby's description is accurate with what is now Waterloo Avenue heading to Saxmundham and the road through town being the main route to Aldeburgh. Therefore we set this as our zero point

Location: The White Horse
Kirby's Distance: 0 miles
Modern Measured Distance: 0 miles

We now proceed to the hamlet of Coldfair Green which was part of Leiston parish up until the 1980s after which it was annexed with Knodishall. As Kirby points out, a fair was held here each year. This occurred on the feast of St Andrew which was the 11th and 12th December. Due to its Winter season it came to be known as the Cold Fair and hence the name of the hamlet. He does not provide a specific location as to where his distance is placed. Back in Kirby's day the main road through Coldfair Green would have been what is now St Andrews Road as the straight modern highway through the village did not exist. In Alfred Sucklings The history and antiquities of the County of Suffolk there is reference to a 1606 Perambulation of Leiston parish boundary where it follows the parish boundary through Coldfair Green and mentions untill you come unto a cross at St. Andrewes Green. It should be noted here that St Andrews Green was the former name of the hamlet. The cross is long gone, most likely desecrated by the men of William Dowsing who passed through the area in the mid 1600s destroying all religious icons. The best guess would be that this would have been at the junction with the lane to Aldringham and therefore we may mark this as the centre point. If we measure this against Kirby's recorded mileage, it is spot on

Location: Coldfair Green
Kirby's Distance: 1.1 miles
Modern Measured Distance: 1.1 miles

The next point of reference is a cross roads, with the left to Aldeburgh and the right to Knodishall. Modern day has no crossroads in Coldfair Green. There is the Aldringham Road and the Knodishall Road which are some 275 yards apart so can hardly be considered crossroads. However, looking back into the past the road network may well have been different. On Careys map of 1794 it distinctly puts the Aldeburgh road as following the southwest side of the river Hundred and making a crossroads with the Snape road to continue the same side of the river towards Knodishall. There is an old lane known as Fitches Lane which runs parallel to the river from the Aldeburgh road. It is no more than a footpath these days but back in Kirby's time this would have been the route that led through to Aldeburgh. Fitches Lane would have emerged onto the Snape road at the west end of the village somewhere around Sloe Lane. On the opposite side of the road there are residential buildings but going back to the start of the 20th century this would have been part of Knodishall Common where a track led through to the modern Knodishall road. The track is still there behind the houses and follows the western edge of the present day common. This appears to fit with Careys map and with Kirby's description. If we measure this distance it is in agreement with Kirby's recorded result and the Coldfair windmill, as depicted on late 19th century OS maps will be on the right, a little further behind.

Location: Coldfair Green Crossroads
Kirby's Distance: 1.5 miles
Modern Measured Distance: 1.5 miles

Coldfair Green where Fitches Lane and the track across Knodishall common would have formed a crossroads with the Snape Road
Coldfair Green where Fitches Lane and the track across Knodishall common would have formed a crossroads with the Snape Road

The next marker is another crossroads where Kirby notes the right goes to Saxmundham, the left to Aldeburgh. It is tempting to think that this is the modern day Black Heath Corner. I am dubious about this since Careys map of 1796 depicts the Aldeburgh road branching prior to its junction with the Snape road, forming two crossroads that are close to each other. This agrees with Kirby's description for after this crossroads, a mere 1 3/4 furlong (0.2 miles) onwards is another crossroads. The road layout has obviously changed over the centuries. So what can we deduce from maps and the landscape? A curiosity to note on the 1888-1913 OS map is that of an odd triangular piece of land at the end of a strip of heath that leads from Park Farm to the Aldeburgh road. If a line is continued from the hypotenuse of this triangle leading away from the road it meets directly with the course of a path on Knodishall Whin, also known as Friston Walks. This seems to be too coincidental and may well have been the line of the original road which then continues into Friston. The footpath no longer exists although the field border certainly follows its former course. This is in agreement with Kirby's description of the road from Aldeburgh to Saxmundham, where he records ...through Rushmere street [this is the road leading from Aldeburgh], avoid the left hand Way at the entrance of the Walks leading to Polesborough Gate. At 3m 1 3/4 f. cross the Road leading from Blithburgh to Melton, leaving Polesborough Gate on the left near a Furlong, passing over Friston Walks, a 4m is a pound on the right; the right goes to Knodishall. The distances tally and descriptions agree with the road to Knodishall being the present day track that leads back to Knodishall common. This would imply that the road layout has been changed over the centuries with the two branches of the Aldeburgh road being combined into a single entity with a junction that proceeds directly to Friston. Therefore if we take the point where the original road would have crossed the Snape road at the point where the path runs across Friston Walks and compare this with Kirby's measurement we find yet another agreement.

Location: Aldeburgh to Saxmundham Crossroads
Kirby's Distance: 2.4 miles
Modern Measured Distance: 2.4 miles

Coldfair Green where Fitches Lane and the track across Knodishall common would have formed a crossroads with the Snape Road
Map indicating the line of the former Aldeburgh to Saxmundham road

We now come to the next crossroads where the left goes to Aldeburgh, the right to Benhall and which Kirby declares IS Polsborough Gate. This would be the line of the modern road which runs through to Snape church and beyond to the modern A12 trunk road. As stated above, there is some contention here as the road does not appear on maps of the time but it is nonetheless referenced by Kirby, therefore we cannot deny its existence. The position of the crossroads would be what is now known as Black Heath Corner. Once again the modern measurement is in agreement with Kirby's measurement.

Location: Polsborough Gate, Aldeburgh to Benhall Crossroads (Blackheath Corner)
Kirby's Distance: 2.7 miles
Modern Measured Distance: 2.7 miles

We now continue onwards to where Kirby mentions a View to Friston-Hall. It is well documented that an Avenue once existed that led from Friston Hall down to the Racecouse on Black Heath. The upper part of this from Friston Hall to the modern A1092 road still exists and is a long straight lane bordered by trees on each side. If we extrapolate this across the road and down to the present day track, this being the former course of the old Snape Road, we find that there would be a direct view up to the Hall which is some 14 metres above the track and just under a mile in distance. Again the modern measurement from Leiston to this point is in agreement with Kirby's records

Location: View to Friston Hall
Kirby's Distance: 3.5 miles
Modern Measured Distance: 3.5 miles

Next is Kirby's reference to left acute backward, over Snape Race-Ground, goes to Aldeburgh. This is undoubtedly what is now known as the Sailors Path and there is no reason to consider the course or location of its junction to be any different in Kirby's day. The distances match.

Location: Left Acute to the Racecourse
Kirby's Distance: 4.0 miles
Modern Measured Distance: 4.0 miles

Finally we come to the Crown Inn at Snape and the only real contention in the distances. It is pretty certain that the Crown Inn is the same public house that exists today on the corner of the road to Snape Bridge. This modern popular pub describes itself as a 15th century smugglers inn and no records can be found to place this inn or its name at a different location. However the distance between the modern measurement and Kirby's value provides an almost 0.2 mile difference, 0.16m to be exact. This is not a huge discrepancy and certainly does not reflect negatively on the previous measurements.

Location: Crown Inn Snape
Kirby's Distance: 4.3 miles
Modern Measured Distance: 4.5 miles

We can also refer to Kirby's other surveys to qualify measurements to Polsborough Gate. He records the distance from Melton village to Polsborough Gate as 10.6 miles against 10.7 miles plotted using the modern route, and the distance from Aldeburgh's Market Cross (the location of the Moot Hall) as being 3.2 miles with a measured distance of 3.3 miles. Other measurements from his book also bear very close or exact tallies to modern measurements. This is quite remarkable considering the crude methods that must have been employed in measurement during the 18th century.

So what was Polsborough Gate? This is difficult to determine as the name does not appear on maps and is not mentioned in other documentation. When one reads Kirby's book the term Gate appears many times with a capital G indicating a direction reference. Such examples include:

  • ...a Gate to Easton
  • ...a Gate leading to Sibton Abbey
  • ...through a Gate to Stow-Langtoft
  • ...from Bury to Gaftrop Gate
  • ...the Gaftrop Gate Inn

could it be that this was nothing more than a physical gate? The location of the Gate was at the junction of the crossroads with what would become the Aldeburgh to Benhall turnpike in 1792 plus it enabled access onto the heathland known as Friston Walks. The name Walks indicates a common sheep walk which would presumably need a gate to contain the sheep.

With regards to the name of Polsborough Gate, this is much more of a conundrum and one which is difficult to solve. The name has been lost to history with nothing indicated on maps or in documents to provide any indication from which it may have been derived. Ask local people and a blank expression is returned. Robert Steerwood put forward some ideas in his paper Lost features of an ancient landscape, making reference to a 1949 article by Charles Morley in the East Anglian Miscellany where he associated the name with the Norse God Phol and stated that a corruption of the word Barrow came to form the Borough part of the name, citing the proximity of burial mounds on Snapes Church Common as the possible connection. He then goes on to present an alternative view where the name Pol may have been derived from an Anglo-Saxon term for a wide estuary or land-locked bay of the sea deducing that during time around the 7th century when sea levels may have been higher than present day and there may have been such a bay along this area judging by the land contours. Together with the Norse origins of the word Gate where it defines a street, this puts an archaic derivation to the name Polsborough Gate, literally a Street to Pols Barrow. However, this would indicate a length of road whereas Kirby always infers Polsborough Gate as being a specific point no matter what direction he comes from, although there is no description in his surveys of entering the junction from the north. Given this it may be suggested that the route of the road he describes as going to Benhall, presumably following the course of the modern road to Snape church, would cut across Church Common and in such a case could be referred to as a street to the barrows.

An interesting point to note is that Snape parish was divided into Manors, namely Bekling, Rysing, Tasards and Scotts and two of these, Rysing an Bekling were in the ownership of the de la Pole family during the 15th century. Unfortunately I cannot deduce the extent or specific boundaries of these Manors. It is also notable in Kirby's surveys that he uses two different spellings, Polborough and Poleborough. Could the name have simply been derived from the family name to define a gated access onto the common land that came within the boundary of their Manor? Maybe this is too simplistic an explanation and clutching at straws to deduce an connection but it is a point worth considering for further investigation.

So, in conclusion, from the accurate distances recorded by John Kirby in the 1st Edition of The Suffolk Traveller it would appear that the location of Polsborough Gate is the present location of Black Heath Corner where the present road that runs south from Leiston meets the Aldeburgh road that runs through to Snape Church. The feature that is termed Polsborough Gate is a specific position and may have been a physical gate that accessed both the common land known as Friston Walks and the Aldeburgh to Benhall road, which would soon become a tolled turnpike. With regards to the derivation of the name, then nothing can be firmly concluded because of the lack historic evidence. We have no indication of the time period over which the name existed and there are scant references to it other than Kirby's surveys.

References
  1. John Careys Map, 1794
  2. John Kirbys Map, 1736
  3. OS Map 188-1913
  4. A Suffolk Traveller, 1st Edition, John Kirby 1735
  5. A Suffolk Traveller, 2nd Edition, John Kirby 1764
  6. Blog article Kirby and His World
  7. Turnpikes website
  8. Parliamentary Papers: 1780-1849, Volume 27, Part 1, p403
  9. Journals of the House of Commons, Volume 47, p108
  10. Snape village website page, A history of Snape
  11. Snape Maltings, a Conservation Area Appraisal, December 2104
  12. The Manors of Suffolk, Copinger, Walter Arthur, 1905
  13. The Dissolution Survey of Snape Priory, William Filmer-Sankey
  14. Lost Features of an Aancient Landscape, Robert Steerwood
  15. The History and Antiquities of the County of Suffolk, Alfred Inigo Suckling, 1848, pp422-435
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Summary of Document Changes

Last Updated: 2021-10-20

2019-05-06 : Original publication
2019-05-11 : Add in transport information plus adjust the information concerning the Benhall road which would pass directly across Church Common
2021-03-17 : Update website improvements and removal of Viewranger reliance

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