Minsmere is a hamlet on the Suffolk coast a couple of miles south of Dunwich, within the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Starting from the RSPB Visitor Centre car park the walk takes a figure of eight track across marsh land, heath land and the coast.
Although not shown on the Route Card a small diversion will take you to the ruins of a Franciscan priory in Dunwich which offers a dramatic photo setting in all-weathers.
A hundred years after the Romans left, Dunwich was the capital of East Anglia. Sea erosion reduced it to a village, a common problem for this part of the British coast.
On this walk the Sizewell Powerstation dominates the landscape to the South. I glimpsed a deer in the distance and later a fawn which you can see in the pictures.
The walk is a little under eight miles and is easy-going and as it starts and ends by the sea don’t forget to take beach shoes so you can enjoy a paddle without the pain inflicting sharp stones found on Suffolk beaches.
Distance: 7½ Miles
Elevation Range: 0 to 70 feet
Weather Check: BBC Weather Aldeburgh, Suffolk.
Map: Click here and once loaded select “Leisure” map
Route Card: Minsmere Through Dunwich to Rookyard Wood Circular Walk
Download the Walkers Route Card Template for Word 2010