New coastal path opens 13 miles of Suffolk shoreline

Walkers can now explore another 13 miles of the Suffolk coast following the opening of a new section of the King Charles III England Coast Path.

The route follows the Stour estuary from Cattawade to Shotley Gate, passing through Brantham, Stutton, Lower Holbrook and Harkstead. At Shotley Gate, it connects with an existing stretch towards Southwold. Regular buses from Ipswich also make the new route accessible without a car.

Opening continuous coastal paths gives more people free access to nature, exercise and local history. The estuary sits within the Suffolk and Essex Coast and Heaths National Landscape and supports internationally important wintering birds, including black-tailed godwits and dark-bellied brent geese.

Designers have responded to practical challenges along the shoreline. At Stutton Ness, for example, the path was moved away from an eroding cliff edge, while other sections use higher ground above the estuary.

The route will require careful management as coastal erosion continues, but it provides a safe new way for residents and visitors to enjoy an important landscape.