Lowestoft to Ipswich – Coastal Road Trip

Day 35 – Lowestoft to Ipswich

So we’ve managed to complete thirty-five days of continuous travel, as we drove from Cardiff to Ipswich. Yay! That’s the first and main leg of our coastal road trip completed, and what a great day to spend this milestone, as we travel the beautiful Suffolk coastline….

Photo of the day

Coastal Road Trip, Felixtowe Ferry, Sunset, Dusk, Boats, Reflection — Calm reflective waters as the sunset at Felixtowe Ferry.

Lowestoft

Coastal Road Trip, Lowestoft, Lowestoft Lighthouse — Bam! Our first stop of the day and it’s a lighthouse. The bright white Lowestoft Lighthouse looking great against the fresh blue morning sky.

Coastal Road Trip, Lowestoft, Ness Point, Euroscope, John Wylson, Most Easterly Point of Britain — On this trip we have traveled to the most westerly point of Britain at Ardnamurchan (day 17), the most northerly point at Dunnet Head (day 24), and now we have reached the most easterly point at Ness Point! Not the most exciting view, to be honest…

Coastal Road Trip, Lowestoft, Ness Point, Euroscope, John Wylson, Most Easterly Point of Britain, Julian — Julian sitting on the Euroscope at Ness Point, designed by John Wylson.

Coastal Road Trip, Lowestoft, South Beach, Houses, Green — A handsome row of houses along Lowestoft’s South Beach Promenade.

Coastal Road Trip, Lowestoft, South Beach, Lifeguard — The Lowestoft South Beach lifeguard keeping an eye on a lone swimmer (that just swam out of the photo).

Benachre

Coastal Road Trip, Benachre, Waveney, Suffolk, Sunflower, Fields — Driving past glorious meadows as we meandered along the small country lanes near Benachre.

Coastal Road Trip, Benachre, Waveney, Suffolk, Fields — Such rich colours in the mid morning sunshine.

Southwold

Coastal Road Trip, Southwold, Lighthouse, Waveney, Suffolk — The grade II listed Southwold Lighthouse towering over Southwold’s seafront houses.

Coastal Road Trip, Southwold, Pier, Beach, Huts, Waveney, Suffolk — Southwold Pier, extending 190m in to the North Sea.

Walberswick

Coastal Road Trip, Southwold, Walberswick, River Blyth, Harbour, Ferry, Rowing Boat, Waveney, Suffolk — The small ferry being rowed from Southwold across the fast moving River Blyth to Walberswick. He was doing a busy trade this sunny Saturday lunchtime.

Blythburgh

Coastal Road Trip, Blythburgh, Holy Trinity Church, Suffolk, Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich, Nave, Interior — A short detour inland to view the Holy Trinity Church in the small village of Blythburgh. Also know as The Cathedral of the Marshes, it was surprisingly light inside.

Dunwich

Coastal Road Trip, Dunwich Beach, Sizewell, Saxmundham — Children playing in the waves at Dunwich Beach, silhouetted against the sea. Sizewell nuclear power station lurking in the distance.

Leiston Abbey

Coastal Road Trip, Leiston Abbey House, Theberton, Leiston, Suffolk, English Heritage — The remains of the Augustinian Leiston Abbey, originally home to the strict Premonstratensian order, who favoured remote locations.

Coastal Road Trip, Leiston Abbey House, Theberton, Leiston, Suffolk, English Heritage — A farmhouse had been built into the remains of the nave after the suppression.

Thorpeness

Coastal Road Trip, Thorpeness, Sign, Leiston, Suffolk — The Thorpeness village sign with its iconic House in the Clouds and windmill.

Coastal Road Trip, Thorpeness, Meare, House in the Clouds, Leiston, Suffolk — The large meare that had been dug out by hand in the early 20th century, with the bright red House in the Clouds living up to its name.

Coastal Road Trip, Thorpeness, House in the Clouds, Julian, Jarno, Leiston, Suffolk — The House in the Clouds, originally built as a water tower, and now a pretty cool holiday house.

Coastal Road Trip, Thorpeness, Windmill, Leiston, Suffolk — In the 1920s and 30s Thorpeness Windmill had been used to pump water into the tank at the top of the House in the Clouds.

Aldeburgh

Coastal Road Trip, Aldeburgh, Beach, RSPB North Warren, Scallop, Sculpture, Benjamin Britten, Maggi Hambling — The Scallop sculpture at RSPB North Warren, designed by Maggi Hambling as a tribute to Benjamin Britten, the Aldeburgh born composer.

Coastal Road Trip, Aldeburgh, Beach, Boats — Boats on the beach behind the upmarket Aldeburgh high street.

Snape Maltings

Coastal Road Trip, Snape Maltings, Sculpture, Metal, Mirrors, Snape, Suffolk — One of the many sculptures at our next stop at Snape Maltings. A fascinating place, with an amazing music venue, shops, artist workshops, sculptures and nature walks. Quite a curious mix, but done so well, we were really impressed.

Coastal Road Trip, Snape Maltings, Barbara Hepworth, Family of Man (1970), Sculpture, Rainbow, Snape, Suffolk — A rainbow forming over Barbara Hepworth’s Family of Man sculpture.

Coastal Road Trip, Snape Maltings, Dovecote Studio, Snape, Suffolk — Anther dovecote, we haven’t seen one of these since leaving Scotland. But this one had a modern take, and had been converted into a studio.

Orford

Coastal Road Trip, Orford, Orford Castle, English Heritage, Woodbridge, Suffolk — Orford Castle, Henry II’s splendid keep.

Coastal Road Trip, Orford, Orfordness Lighthouse, Quay, River Alde, Nature Reserve, Suffolk, Boats — Just down the road from Orford Castle, views from the quay across the River Alde to the Nature Reserve and Orfordness Lighthouse.

Felixtowe

Coastal Road Trip, Felixtowe, John Bradfield Viewing Area, Container Ship, Port, Docks — The view of Felixtowe’s busy container port from the John Bradfield Viewing Area.

Coastal Road Trip, Felixtowe, John Bradfield Viewing Area, Sunset, Fishing — Fishing in the UK’s largest container port.

Coastal Road Trip, Felixtowe, John Bradfield Viewing Area, Sunset — A beautiful golden sunset across the water to Harwich.

Felixtowe Ferry

Coastal Road Trip, Felixtowe Ferry, Beach Huts, Sunset, Dusk — Beach huts along the coast to Felixtowe Ferry.

Coastal Road Trip, Felixtowe Ferry, Sunset, Dusk, Boats, Reflection — A final stop on our way to Ipswich for the night. We looped a short way back north east to Felixtowe Ferry, and had stunning views over the calm River Deben, reflecting the yachts in the dusk light.

Coastal Road Trip, Felixtowe Ferry, Sunset, Dusk, Boats, Reflection — Red sky at night, shepherd’s delight…. let’s see in the morning.

Daily video