St Edmund Way (Paperback)
New for Summer 2023 - Now including 18 Circular Walks exploring parts of the trail
Full Linear Route Directions
Maps showing the route, direction of travel, features and points of interest
Photos throughout the walk
18 short circular walks taking in parts of the St Edmund Way
The St Edmund Way is an 80 mile long distance walk that begins by the coast at Manningtree and ends in the Brecks at Brandon. This pilgrimage across the county of Suffolk visits numerous beautiful areas including the Dedham Vale area of outstanding natural beauty, the historic villages of Bures, Long Melford and Lavenham, and the ancient towns of Sudbury, Bury St Edmunds and Thetford. The Saxon King of St Edmund is a dominant figure on this trail as the route passes by St Stephen's Chapel, supposedly the site where King Edmund was crowned in 855AD and also visits Bury St Edmunds abbey, the site that King Edmund was finally laid to rest in 1013AD. Alongside all of this interesting history is of course the beautiful Suffolk countryside, with the River Stour dominating the first 25 miles, and the River Lark and Little Ouse explored in the final 25 miles. The rivers of Suffolk are natural havens for wildlife so there is every chance you may catch a Kingfisher feeding along the riverbank or an Otter swimming through the water. Dotted amongst the fields and waterways are several nature reserves that greatly increase the diversity of wildlife that can be seen along the trail and if walking days are short, the opportunity to visit one is highly recommended. There are numerous other historic points of interest along the trail too including Court Knoll, an ancient earthwork in Nayland, the Sudbury to Bury St Edmunds railway line and almost 10 miles of the ancient prehistoric trackway called the Icknield Way which once connected the south west with the Norfolk Coast.
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