King Charles III England Coast Path reaches the Stour estuary

King Charles III England Coast Path reaches the Stour estuary
A 13-mile walking route along the Suffolk side of the Stour estuary has opened, connecting Cattawade to Shotley Gate.
A new section of the King Charles III England Coast Path opens today, giving walkers across Suffolk, and beyond, access to over 13 miles of estuary coastline.
The route runs from the White Bridge at Cattawade through Brantham, Stutton, Lower Holbrook and Harkstead to Shotley Gate, where it connects with the open section of the coast path to Southwold.
The Stour estuary is wide and shallow, meeting the River Orwell before flowing into the North Sea via Harwich Harbour. Its broad, sweeping bays and open, low-lying landscape create a striking coastal feel.
The path sits within the Suffolk and Essex Coast and Heaths National Landscape, internationally recognised for its wintering waterbirds, including Black-tailed Godwits and Dark-bellied Brent Geese.
The route passes a rich mix of history and nature at every stage.
From the White Bridge at Cattawade, the trail follows the locally promoted Stour and Orwell long distance walking route to Harkstead, passing the site of Britain’s first and only Xylonite works, the country’s first commercial plastics factory.
At Stutton Ness, the path has been carefully realigned away from the cliff edge in response to coastal erosion, offering walkers a safe route with estuary views.
A short walk from the trail at Erwarton leads to St Mary’s Church, connected to Anne Boleyn, whose heart is reputed to have been buried at Erwarton Hall after her execution in 1536.
At Holbrook, the skyline is dominated by the Royal Hospital School, built in 1933 to educate the children of seafarers.
Beyond Holbrook, the route takes a more coastal line, with new sections of path on higher ground above the estuary edge.
The route finishes at Shotley Gate, home to the former HMS Ganges naval training site, which trained over 150,000 recruits between 1905 and 1976, from where the coast path continues around the Orwell estuary.
Hannah Thacker, Natural England Deputy Director for Norfolk and Suffolk, said:
This new section of the King Charles III England Coast Path opens up another stretch of Suffolk’s stunning coastline to walkers. The trail formalises permissive routes and creates some brand new sections of access on 4.5 miles, enabling people to walk along one of the county’s most beautiful estuaries.
Opening during the summer holidays, it’s a great day out for families, with regular bus services running to Shotley Gate from Ipswich.
The route incorporates rollback provision, meaning it can adapt as the coastline changes over time, safeguarding long-term access for future generations.
Councillor Morgan Brobyn, Suffolk County Council’s Cabinet Member for Food, Waste and Rural Affairs, said:
With around 120 miles of the King Charles III England Coast Path already open to the public in Suffolk, this latest stretch means that you can enjoy walking continuously from Cattawade to Southwold.
There are now just a few miles of the path left to complete in Suffolk, giving residents and visitors access to so much of our county’s natural beauty.
Today’s opening brings England closer to completing its continuous 2,700-mile coastal walking trail. The King Charles III England Coast Path was officially inaugurated by the King in March. It is delivered by Natural England and funded by the UK Government in support of expanding and improving access around the whole of the English coast.
Background
- The section opening today is the Suffolk part of the Harwich to Shotley Gate stretch of the coast path, along the north shore of the Stour estuary.
- The path has been designed to be accessible by public transport, with regular bus services from Ipswich to Shotley Gate taking around 30 to 45 minutes. For transport information, visit the Traveline website.
- Essex County Council are planning establishment works for the coast path on the Essex side of the Stour estuary from Harwich to Manningtree, which are expected to open in due course.
- To find out more about the coast path visit the National Trails website: King Charles III England Coast Path - National Trails