Tides of Change 2 million years on the Suffolk Coast

Tim Holt-Wilson

Lottery Funded

Contents

Title page and preliminaries

1 Introduction

2 Origins of the landscape

3 Pakefield cliffs

4 Benacre Ness

5 Benacre Broad

6 Covehithe

7 Easton Bavents

8 Southwold

9 Dunwich

10 Thorpeness

11 Aldeburgh

12 Orford Ness and Shingle Street

13 East Lane, Bawdsey

14 Bawdsey

15 Sutton Knoll

16 Felixstowe

Glossary

Figures

How to use this book

This is an introduction to over 2 million years of change on the Suffolk coast. Rising seas and surging ice sheets have come and gone, leaving a legacy you can discover for yourself. We suggest you start by flicking through the book and finding a few sites that catch your interest, then plan a visit using the map and access details inside the back cover. Some words which may be unfamiliar to you are listed in the glossary. All sites can be visited at your own risk. Please stick to beaches and paths, and follow the Countryside Code.

Dead people don’t enjoy life

The seashore can be a dangerous place so treat it with respect. Don’t get cut off by a rising tide or crushed under a cliff fall (soft cliffs like ours can give way without warning even in fine weather). And don't push your luck by standing on the cliff edge.

Respect Nature

Please don’t trample on vegetated shingle, a surprisingly fragile habitat, and steer clear of fenced areas with ground nesting birds in spring. Dogs on leads near these places too please.

This book is published as part of the Touching the Tide Landscape

Partnership Scheme, with grateful acknowledgement of support from the Heritage Lottery Fund

Acknowledgements

Moira Chapman and Corinne Cappell (SCDC) – Felixstowe history

Alister Cruikshanks (UKGE Ltd) - Easton Bavents palaeontology

Roger Dixon (GeoSuffolk) – Red Crag stratigraphy

Bill Jenman — editorial

Ann Trewick (Felixstowe Museum) – Felixstowe history

Photograph credits: All photographs © TD Holt-Wilson unless otherwise credited.

Designer: Rolando Ugolini, Design & Print, Suffolk.

Resources and further reading

You can discover more about the origins and development of the Suffolk coast online at www.touchingthetide.org.uk

Visitor information

Useful information

Ordnance Survey maps

OS Explorer Maps 231 (Southwold & Bungay), 212 (Woodbridge & Saxmundham) and 197 (Ipswich, Felixstowe & Harwich). See www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/.

Tide Tables

Available for user-selected locations from the UK Hydrographic Office – see www.ukho.gov.uk/easytide/EasyTide/SelectPo rt.aspx

Access details

Pakefield Cliffs [TM 537 885] (approx). Accessible from Pakefield village via a walk (about 1 km) along the beach. Visitors to the Holiday Centre may use an access point in the cliffs near the coastguard lookout at Lighthouse Gap.

Benacre Ness [TM 539 860] (approx). Directly accessible on foot from Kessingland village.

Benacre Broad [TM 530 830]. Accessible along the beach via public footpaths from Benacre, Kessingland, and Covehithe. Visitors may use a bird hide which overlooks the south-east corner of the Broad.

Covehithe [TM 528 820] (approx). Accessible along the beach via public footpaths from Benacre and Covehithe. Please park cars carefully along roadsides, as there are no public car parks.

Easton Bavents [TM 514 777] (approx). Car parking north of Southwold pier. Charges apply — see www.southwold.info/local-info.html.

Dunwich Dunwich village — [TM 478 705] (approx). free car parking near the beach café, and limited parking in the village. Dunwich Heath — [TM 479 677] (approx). car park managed by the National Trust; charges apply – see www.nationaltrust.org.uk/dunwich-heath- and-beach/.

Sizewell [TM 47502 62786]. Car parking near the beach café; charges apply – see www.suffolkcoastal.gov.uk/yourdistrict/car parks/.

Thorpeness The Ness [TM 477 606]. Car parking near the beach and Thorpeness Mere café; charges apply – see www.suffolkcoastal.gov.uk/yourdistrict/carparks/.

Aldeburgh [TM 460 568]. Car parking in the town. Charges apply – see www.suffolkcoastal.gov.uk/ yourdistrict/carparks/.

Orford Ness [TM 450 490] (approx). Access is managed by the National Trust only through booked excursions via a ferry from Orford Quay. Charges apply – see www.nationaltrust.org.uk/orford-ness/. Limited car parking for the quay is available in Quay Street car park (charges apply) – see http://www.orford.org.uk/community/new- orford-town-trust/car-parking/ .

Bawdsey, East Beach [TM 356 395]. Access by car via East Lane, with free parking. East Beach may be reached by walking back up the Lane to a concrete track leading towards the Martello Tower.

Bawdsey Bawdsey Bar [TM 332 374] and Bawdsey Cliff [TM 340 380]. Access via footpath from Bawdsey Quay. Free car parking available at the Quay picnic site – see www.suffolkcoastal.gov.uk/yourdistrict/carparks/countryside.

Sutton Knoll [TM 304 440] (approx). The site is marked ‘Rockhall Wood’ on the map, and is only accessible via the footpath network. Interpretive panels are sited at the northern end of the site. The closest available car parking is at Shottisham.

Felixstowe Seafront Gardens — [TM 303 342]. Abundant car parking in town – see www.suffolkcoastal.gov.uk/yourdistrict/carparks/. Landguard Point — [TM 283 315]. Car parking at Landguard Fort courtesy of English Heritage — see www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/ landguard-fort/facilities

Fagbury Cliff - [TM 270 347]. The site is only accessible via the footpath network.

Figures

(Figure 47) Dunwich beach after a storm, 19th October 1911, showing building wreckage and the ruins of All Saint’s church on the cliff top. From a lantern slide by A.R. Fisk. © Trustees of Dunwich Museum

(Figure 48) Location map.

(Front cover) Front cover.

(Rear cover) Rear cover.