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Alton Water, Stutton & Tattingstone

Suffolk Walk

County/Area - Suffolk

Author - Lou Johnson

Length - 5.5 miles / 8.9 km    Ascent - 200 feet / 61 metres

Time - 3 hours 0 minutes    Grade - easy

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Ordnance Survey Explorer 197Sheet Map1:25kBUY
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Walk Route Description

Photo from the walk - Alton Water, Stutton & Tattingstone
Click image to see photo description.

This Suffolk walk starts from the western side of Alton Water and follows the shoreline north to Tattingstone. Turning inland the route uses field paths and tracks to reach Stutton from where the walk turns north back to the shores of Alton Water. Close to the start is the Wonder folly which from the rear looks like a pair of cottages but from the front a church with a tower.

The start is The Wonder pay and display car park (grid ref. TM140364). After parking locate the cycleway and footpath close to the reservoir and turn west with the water on your right. Continue along the clear path for 1.5 kilometres to pass close to Tattingstone Place (on your left). Reaching the Dorothy Wright memorial bench, continue for 25 metres, cross the stile on the left and follow the path towards the village. Reaching a road (grid ref. TM138371), turn left and follow Church Road south around a right-hand bend. Just as the road bends left, turn right along a track (Back Lane).

After 200 metres turn left onto a signed footpath opposite a road on the right. The path initially heads half-right across a field and then maintains direction across four fields to reach Stutton Lane (grid ref. TM128361). Go straight ahead along Vale Lane and continue to Vale Farm where the path bears left off the farm's drive. Follow the waymarked path beside a plantation and cross a field. Reaching a track with a pond ahead, bear right and continue along the clear track to join tarmac Lewis Lane (grid ref. TM138349). After passing a pink bungalow, take the first signed path through a hedge on the left (grid ref. TM140348). If you reach another bungalow, you have gone too far. Follow the path along the right-hand side of a field.

At the end of the field continue ahead into Woodfield Lane. Reaching a T-junction, turn left almost immediately right onto a signed footpath. At the end of the first field, ignore the footpath heading left and continue into the next field following the path alongside the right-hand edge. Reaching a lane, turn left and then take the first signed footpath on the right. Again, the path the right-hand edge of a field. At the end of the field turn left again keeping the filed edge and continue through a gap in the hedge onto a clear track. Stay on the track for two kilometres to return to the car park.

Other walks nearby

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Walk 3658 Manningtree, Flatford Mill and Dedhameasy/mod7.1 miles
Walk 3660 Stour Valley & Dedham from Flatford Milleasy3.5 miles
Walk 2017 Pin Mill to Shotley Gateeasy5.5 miles
Walk 1639 Erwarton, Church End & River Orwell from Pin Mill easy/mod8.0 miles
Walk 3642 Shotley Gate & Ewarton from Chelmondistonmoderate10.6 miles
Walk 1648 Church End & Erwarton from Shotley Gate easy6.0 miles
Walk 3724 River Box from Stoke-by-Naylandeasy6.0 miles
Walk 3267 Ramsholt, River Deben and Shottisham Circulareasy/mod9.2 miles
Walk 2366 The Naze from Walton-on-the-Nazeeasy6.0 miles

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