Wrabness Walk

This walk is short but well worth it going through woods alongside a railway line, views across the the river Stour and you can see the Royal Hospital School at Holbrook which looks impressive and the best bit was sitting in the church yard having afternoon tea and cakes sold by the church.

Details of Walk

• Date of Walk: 02/08/2015

• Distance: 4.14 Miles

• Level of Difficulty: A Easy Walk

• Car Park: RSPB Stour Estuary Nature Reserve ( Free ) CO12 5ND

• Refreshments: None on en route

• Photos Taken on Walk

This walk started from the nature reserve car park and straight away we were in a wood by taking the exit on the left when facing the road. The path through the wood swung to the left and there was a immediate fork where we turned right. At the next fork we went left with a white arrow and ignored a path to the right then at the next junction we started following signs to the hides.

We had to climb a small hill and go through a barrier and continued alongside the railway line which is always good to have on a walk. At the next barrier we turned left and went over the railway line and yes there was a train coming and you can not miss having a photo of a train. Now it was another fork to the left through another barrier and left again picking up the Essex Way with the poppy sign. We were going to follow the Essex Way for 11/2 miles, soon we took a right hand fork and followed a white and yellow arrows and it was not long before we were glimpsing the Stour Estuary to the right. We followed the poppy signs and kept parallel with the estuary and we emerge from the woodland we went over a bridge and up some steps. At the end of the field we joined a fenced path and went along the bottom of Strandlands garden via deer gates and carried on straight through the next field.

When we entered another stretch of woodland East Cove again we kept alongside the estuary ignoring all the side paths. Soon after emerging from the woods we were at another attractive hedged path which brought us right to the edge of the estuary and here the dogs decided to go into the water. From here we got a good view of the Royal Hospital School at Holbrook across the water which is in Suffolk. We passed Shore Farm on the bank that forms a rudimentary sea wall and continued towards the caravan park. Just before we got to the park we turned left up a a broad sandy track at the top we turned right to go and look at the church about 200 yards down the road. When we got there they were serving tea and cakes in the church so as we had the dogs I went in and got the teas and cake and we sat outside on the grass this was one of the most unusual places we have had afternoon tea. The Bell cage at All Saints church fell to the ground in the 17th century when the the church's tower collapsed we have seen a bell cage before at East Bergholt which houses a lot of bells and they are rung on Sundays but this one looks like it is never rung.

After our afternoon tea we retraced our steps and continued along a quiet road that swings to the right and there is a bench with fine views overlooking the estuary. We crossed the bridge over the railway line and turned left to enter the village of Wrabness. On a corner there was a garden with various railway memorabilia and the station itself might be worth a look just to see mural along the back of the platform. We crossed the road at the corner and continued along Black Boy lane which took us across the railway again. We immediately turned right at a finger-post and emerged from the fenced path to walk on a right field edge. When reaching a bridge on the right we crossed the railway for the last time.Then we went left at a way-makers to follow a clear cross field path and over a stile into Stour Wood. We kept going forward to a track where we went right between gates and then left opposite a bungalow. We continued with the white and yellow arrows through the wood to go right at a junction to the car park.