This route has issues, particularly issues with access around Rendlesham estate. A predominantly rural route from the centre of Rendlesham estate to the square in Wickham Market. This route has stiles at the railway crossing and can be very wet around the river valley. The initial part of the route through the Rendlesham estate is uninspiring; at the point where you emerge onto the A1152 there is no pavement and you need to walk along the grass verge at the side of this busy road for 1/4 mile....

Seb1780

This route has issues, particularly issues with access around Rendlesham estate. The entirety of this estate is surrounded by fences and private land, the ONLY means of access is from the A1152 which is a busy road with no pavement for much of its length. After carefully crossing the A1152 in a 60mph zone the route drops down a set of eight steps to a boardwalk through the reed beds. At the end of Hollesley Road the route suggests turning left then right up Ash Road before turning onto a track heading northwest into Rendlesham. To avoid the trespassing the options are to walk along the A1152 at a point where it is a 40mph road with no pavement, or divert off the Hollesley Road through Friday Street (TM 332 521) and around the edge of the old USAF airbase to come out on the footpath opposite Acer Drive (TM 338 530)...

Seb1780

This route is not valid - the part between Foxborough Cottages (TM 328 514) and Garden Square (TM 339 537) is on private property....

Seb1780

I walked this Slow way in several bites going in the Rendlesham to Felixstowe direction while I was on a family holiday in the area (and very proud I managed it all to be honest!) and although it has the obvious constraint that it is only fully usable when the ferry across the River Deben is operating (every day 10 til 5 in summer, weekends only in winter at the time of writing), it is a varied route and a good way to explore this interesting corner of Suffolk. From here it winds out on local lanes and paths along the marshland sea defences to the atmospheric shingle-banked coastline and uses the Suffolk coast path, punctuated regularly by Napoleonic-era Martello towers, to get into Old Felixstowe, crossing the river on a delightful tiny ferry boat from Bawdsey Quay to Felixstowe Ferry on the way. The route heads out of Rendlesham on a suburban road leading to a safe crossing point on the A1152, and sets out across an arable field on a well-walked path straight through the crop. As you go into the forest near Friday Street, the Slow Way plot follows the line of a short stretch of public footpath which heads slightly southeast along the course of the airfield fence (roughly w3w pushed.joystick.wins to balancing.clip.strutting) but I couldn't find that and followed the more obvious route down the nearby more south-westerly orientated forest ride to meet the next bridleway a tad further west (w3w waltz.utter.taxpayers). The Slow Way then tracks on southwards for a mile or so along a path mainly bordering the forest edge, eventually arriving at a carpark under the trees. I’m not sure that the plot of the route is exactly right going into it but the path is so very obvious that it is not a problem. I used my GPS here but basically, once you have crossed the road on the way onto the common, there is an obvious path leading away leftish through the trees and a slightly less obvious path ahead leading shortly to a kissing gate onto the heath. This goes roughly in the same direction as the Slow Way plot (and the line of the path on the OS map) and it does arrive fairly soon at a fence line with a pair of double gates (w3w narrowest.slave.tuck). (A possible and easier alternative at the start of the common might be just to follow the more obvious path left. This winds about a bit, tracking roughly parallel to the road through the woodland, and meets another clear path following the line of a fence down to the double gates. It is a bit longer and not as pretty, but there is less chance of getting lost). (It is worth noting here that the Slow Way bypasses Shingle Street with its row of white coastguard cottages and distinctively weird flowery meadows among the stones, and you could equally well leave the road on the coast path (at w3w chromatic.again.strictest) and head east to the towards the sea to reach the shingle bank somewhat earlier, and make your way through this atmospheric hamlet instead, meeting up with the Slow Way again near the Martello tower at the far end. There really isn't a lot in it distance-wise, so it is a very viable option that I would recommend. I’ve uploaded a couple of photos showing the coastguard cottages and the funny meadows with towers of yellow verbascum in the area just for info). Here the Slow Way (and the Suffolk coast path) turn in and use the road for the next couple of miles to Bawdsey quay. On the run in to the end of the route the coast path edges between the sculpted shingle and a golf course (with the last of the Martello towers marooned within it) and traverses an extended village of beach huts along terraces cut into the low cliff above the swimming beaches....

Mockymock

Walking fro Wickham Market, it was not possible to turn left at 'The Lodge' as it's a private road and specifically says no footpath. (see photo) Trying to come from Rendlesham nthere was no footpath at the end of 'Garden Square', just a fence with a locked gate, so no access...

Rob Smith