Suffolk Coast

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Boab
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Suffolk Coast

Post by Boab »

I've been pondering where to go for my last bivy of the year. Three out of my last four have been pretty local, and I fancy going a bit further and having one last proper adventure, before waving goodbye to this sub standard show of a year. The current plan is to cycle to the coast, kip the night, then cycle back again, all on quiet back road, lost lane, type affairs.

The current thinking, is to head towards Dunwich and The Ship, or Walberswick and The Bell (or Anchor). Then find somewhere to bivy near Dunwich Heath NT, RSPB Minsmere, Westleton Heath, or somewhere along the beach. Has anyone bivied along the stretch of coast between Southwold and Sizewell...? Or, does anyone have any recommendations for potential bivy spots further round the coast, either down towards Orford Ness, or up towards Lowestoft?
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johnnystorm
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Re: Suffolk Coast

Post by johnnystorm »

As a local I wouldn't head any further North than Covehithe. After that it starts getting built up and the beach narrows so you fall foul of the tide. There's a nice raised bird hide at Benacre broad that if you get up in time will give you a stunning view of the sunrise.

The cliffs between Covehithe have been regularly collapsing recently.

There are plenty of Dunes to bivi in between Sizewell and Dunwich, aside from the Forest and the heath itself. By Minsmere there is the canopy hide outside the main reserve if you're able to lift your bike up some stairs.

The remains of a chapel at 52.236319,1.620939 was reinforced during the war as a lookout post and has just had a stained glass window put it that'll keep a bit of the seabreeze out.

Edit: correct chapel linked this time!
Last edited by johnnystorm on Sat Jan 23, 2021 9:53 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Suffolk Coast

Post by Boab »

Thanks! That certainly gives me a few options to consider. The main driver was to get a nice sunrise, so an elevated hide, or somewhere with a clear view out is preferred.
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JKM
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Re: Suffolk Coast

Post by JKM »

Just wondering how you got on with this trip @K1100T?
As a local and total novice* from a bit further down the coast I was wondering about maybe taking a local trip to test out my setup for bikepacking.
A trip up to that area would be good and I probably should try to do more than just doss in my mother's garden when I get there.


*plenty of wildcamping nights, all onhills though, none on a bike
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Re: Suffolk Coast

Post by JKM »

johnnystorm wrote: Sat Dec 05, 2020 7:03 pm The remains of a chapel at 52.386201,1.668263 was reinforced during the war as a lookout post and has just had a stained glass window put it that'll keep a bit of the seabreeze out.
Do you have a national grid six digit ref for this place please? I keep getting a location on the yare outside Norwich when I try and put it into viewranger, or I'm getting wrentham chapel (not a ruin) on google.
Thanks.
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Re: Suffolk Coast

Post by Boab »

JKM wrote: Sat Jan 23, 2021 12:28 am Just wondering how you got on with this trip @K1100T?
As a local and total novice* from a bit further down the coast I was wondering about maybe taking a local trip to test out my setup for bikepacking.
A trip up to that area would be good and I probably should try to do more than just doss in my mother's garden when I get there.
Given the need to get out before Lockdown II hit, I just popped out for a local bivy. Going to save the coast for later in the year...
There are theories at the bottom of my jargon.
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Re: Suffolk Coast

Post by johnnystorm »

JKM wrote: Sat Jan 23, 2021 12:39 am

Do you have a national grid six digit ref for this place please?.
Not a six fig but that's the right one this time...

52.236319,1.620939

Just a couple of numbers out makes all the difference... :lol:

If you're heading this way Dunwich church is also worth a look and Sotterly chapel. And Blythburgh church is not far off and amazing inside. And the sad fate of Joe Kennedy jnr happened close by...
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Re: Suffolk Coast

Post by Boab »

K1100T wrote: Sat Jan 23, 2021 12:44 am
JKM wrote: Sat Jan 23, 2021 12:28 am Just wondering how you got on with this trip @K1100T?
As a local and total novice* from a bit further down the coast I was wondering about maybe taking a local trip to test out my setup for bikepacking.
A trip up to that area would be good and I probably should try to do more than just doss in my mother's garden when I get there.
Given the need to get out before Lockdown II hit, I just popped out for a local bivy. Going to save the coast for later in the year...
What a load of tosh I wrote last night, that was Novembers bivy, not Decembers. I didn't go to the coast, as I got cold feet due to the way the pandemic was heading. I had a local loop planned, that I then had to change it at the last moment, as various local areas I normally cycle through ended up in Tier 4. So I stuck to Tier 3 and tried not to go too far from home.
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Andiphim
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Re: Suffolk Coast

Post by Andiphim »

johnnystorm wrote: Sat Dec 05, 2020 7:03 pm
The remains of a chapel at 52.236319,1.620939 was reinforced during the war as a lookout post and has just had a stained glass window put it that'll keep a bit of the seabreeze out.

Edit: correct chapel linked this time!
I walked past that Chapel earlier in the year with the family, I thought it looked like a good spot for a night out. Its now on the list.

The Eels Foot pub down the road does lovely wood fired pizza in the beer garden, when open.
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Re: Suffolk Coast

Post by johnnystorm »

Andiphim wrote: Thu Jan 28, 2021 9:02 am
johnnystorm wrote: Sat Dec 05, 2020 7:03 pm
The remains of a chapel at 52.236319,1.620939 was reinforced during the war as a lookout post and has just had a stained glass window put it that'll keep a bit of the seabreeze out.

Edit: correct chapel linked this time!
I walked past that Chapel earlier in the year with the family, I thought it looked like a good spot for a night out. Its now on the list.

The Eels Foot pub down the road does lovely wood fired pizza in the beer garden, when open.
You just have to be wary of the "tin-foil hat" posters about Sizewell on the walls. :lol:
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Andiphim
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Re: Suffolk Coast

Post by Andiphim »

I never go out without mine, you never know who is trying to get in your head.
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Re: Suffolk Coast

Post by johnnystorm »

Andiphim wrote: Thu Jan 28, 2021 5:09 pm I never go out without mine, you never know who is trying to get in your head.
:lol:
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Re: Suffolk Coast

Post by Boab »

Time to go and check out this chapel...
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Re: Suffolk Coast

Post by robsmuddygloves »

K1100T wrote: Sat Jun 26, 2021 11:01 am Time to go and check out this chapel...
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Happy riding. Let me know how you get on, keen to do something similar in a months time.
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Re: Suffolk Coast

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Saturday morning, an hour and a half later than planned, I headed off in the direction of High Lodge. The intent was to pick up the last section of The North-South Divide: Aberystwyth to Southwold by Mountain Bike and grab of a poke of chips on the Blackshore, before heading for this chapel for a bivvy.

I haven't been up the Icknield Way since my September BaM ride last year. Some how I'd managed to forget the joys of your front wheel bogging down in the sandy breckland soil and spearing you off in all directions.
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Not sure what was going on here, looks like the Elveden Estate are preparing a load of land for something, maybe trees. Either way, big machines have been along the track and it's much, much sandier and heavy going that it used to be.
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The first stop was at High Lodge, as there's an outside drinking water tap. I took the opportunity to check out if the bike shop had any Shimano L03A brake pads, they only had L02A, I grabbed a pair anyway, as the levers and getting awfully close to the bars. I did find myself ragging it round bits of the Red and Blue routes, and having to back off as even though it was great fun ploughing past full suss MTBs on a fully loaded gravel bike, I was burning far, far too many matches.
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After leaving the waymarked trails, it was fire roads and single track to one of the roundabouts that pepper the A11. Thankfully traffic was relatively light, and I didn't have to wait too long before I could run over three different carriageways to get to the road into Thetford. The roads through Thetford were also relatively empty, which was nice, and I had no issues getting through and out onto the track that eventually spits you out near the big Tesco. I was properly hanging at this point, as I'd just not eaten enough, so I raided the supermarket for some fast calories, before heading off again. The bike facilities at Thetford Tesco are amazing... Not.
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The next section involved lots of road, with just a sort section of off-raod through the back of Thorpe forest. The route from the book was a bit of a mess at this point, as there's a massive byway through the forest, bit it speared you off down a track, into some paddocks and wanted me to cycle up an overgrown footpath. I retreated back to the byway and threaded my way back on route, via tracks I already knew.

After that, it was a long time before I saw another off-road section, with what felt like endless miles of back roads. Those matches I'd burnt earlier really came back to haunt me, and I really had to back off, as every time I tried to find any sort of rhythm, my heart rate started spiking. So I had to knock off a couple of gears and just spin, while trying to shovel in more food and liquid.

Eventually though, it was finally time to head off into the wilds again, no signage on the way in, a footpath sign on the way out at the other end...
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A machete would've been useful on this bridleway. Totally un-ridable, due to all the vegetation wrapping itself around the bars, or getting chewed up into the rear cassette and dérailleur. The only good thing about it being so overgrown, was plenty of cover to whip down the bib shorts and apply some more Chamois Butt’r®, as the bibs had started rubbing.
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The route takes in some small sections of the Boudica Way and Angles Way. Like this bit, which was basically bog trotting through a cow field.
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It's classic East of England riding, with lots of the bridleways and byways essentially being tunnels through hedgerows, or completely enclosed avenues that never dry out. It's either that, or the classic long grass field edges, where you can't see what you're riding on, and you spend most of the time waiting for the front wheel to drop into a hidden rut, which thankfully didn't happen.
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By the time I got to Halesworth, I was out of liquid, so I diverted to the local Spar and bought a 2 litre bottle of water. More over grown bridleways followed, which left my arms weeping blood from all the brambles, and my hands and legs covered in nettle sting welts. The under wheel conditions varied and the closer to Southwold I got, the more like the Brecks it became, with lots of loose sandy soil grabbing at the front tyre.

I was really quite knackered by the time I slowly rolled down the chuckies on the Blackshore, heading for the chip shops. As I passed some pedestrians, my rear tyre let go, spraying sealant everywhere, like an out of control fire extinguisher. Two anchovies, and a load of pumping later, I pushed to the bike the final fifty meters to the chips ships, to find they had all shut. Twenty to eight and all the chippies were shut, I was not impressed.

With no real options for food, as all the other establishments had we're full signs out the front, I swung into the caravan site, filled up my water bottles and headed for the Co-op. After shovelling more food down the hatch, it was relatively easy road riding, with a short section of byway, to get to Dunwich. Then a long bridgeway over Dunwich Heath to Minsmere, which was lovely.
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At East Bridge, I cruised passed The Eels Foot Inn, before turning onto the footpath that would take me to the ruined chapel. It turns out that the chapel is in a fenced off area, with a sign that not only says No Dogs, No Cycling, but also warns of Konik ponies and cattle.
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I pushed the bike up towards the chapel, noting the electrified fence, that further sectioned the area. Once at the chapel, I had a bit of a mooch around, but concluded that is wasn't suitable for a tent based nights sleep. The inside isn't very large, the ground isn't particularly level and it was all covered with nettles. The stained glass window was quite pretty, but wouldn't stop a gnats fart.
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Given all the signage, I wasn't too comfortable pitching the tent next to the chapel, so retreated to the main footpath. With long grass everywhere, it was difficult to find a spot where I wouldn't crush some sort of wild flower, or be too obvious to anyone out for a late stroll. I eventually saw what looked like another path spearing off towards the Minsmere New Cut drain, not that you could see the drain, or any of the wetlands due to the grass. I found a short track down to a gate, it was level and there were no flowers, so up when the tent.
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I stood around for a bit, inhaling a pot of hummus with some flatbreads, taking in the view and listening to the babble of the nearby birds. At one point, I thought I heard nearby voices, so sat down on the grass for a bit, praying that I wasn't discovered and asked to move on. Maybe it was a trick of the wind, or the cows in the field behind that gate, I don't know, but I wasn't discovered and eventually I ensconced myself in the tent, applied more Chamois Butt’r® and tried to fall asleep.
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Re: Suffolk Coast

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It felt like I didn't get any sleep. At least the usual sudden jarrings awake didn't happen and were replaced with endless tossing and turning. The wind was blustery and the tent pitch was just the wrong side of optimal, so every now and then, the tent would making a loud snapping noise as the wind caught it, which didn't help. The final straw came at 04:30, with heavy breathing next to the tent, followed by ten minutes of loud moo'ing from the bastard Spawn of Satan. I tried to go back to "sleep", but no joy. I eventually capitulated at 05:10 and got up to make a cup of coffee.

The moment the bastard Spawn of Satan saw me emerge from my tent, they all came charging over the field to stand in a line about 50m away and moo at me. I ended up having to hide behind the tent so they couldn't see me and then eventually got distracted by something else, and all charged off moo'ing to the other end of the their field. Coffee consumed, industrial amounts of Chamois Butt’r® applied gingerly, tent packed up, I retraced my steps from the previous evening back to East Bridge.

What I though were going to be naggery bridleways through the woods behind Sizewell Nuclear Power Station, instead turned out to be lovely wide gravel roads, which was nice. There was some sections of double track that were sandy and hard going, but over all, it was easy enjoyable riding. The plan was then to turn left and head for Sizewell beach for breakfast and to use the facilities, which open at 06:00.
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I didn't put that bit into the GPX file though, and as I was really enjoying the riding, I just cruised straight over the main road and onwards. The riding was varied, lots of sandy gravel, some grass, plenty of single track and an unfortunate shower courtesy of an irrigation sprinkler that was pointed, unmoving, over the bridleway.
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When I popped out into Leiston, I realised what had happened, but due to needing the facilities, I doubled back down the main road to the beach. Adventure porridge made, coffee bags steeping, I headed for the facilities and a proper inspection of the undercarriage; it wasn't pretty. After applying even more Chamois Butt’r®, breakfast and coffee were consumed, with a fantastic view of Sizewell A.
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I'd originally planned to stock up at the Co-op in Leiston, but as I had full water bottles and enough grub to get me to Framlingham, a further ~30km away, I just blasted straight back up the main road and onto the route home. As I came into Framlingham, I passed an open garage, but thinking garage prices, I headed for the Co-op, only to find it shut and not open for another 45 mins at 10 o'clock. I couldn't be arsed to cycle back up a hill to the garage and figured I had enough stuff to last the ~30km to Claydon, where I'd pass under the A14.

It wasn't until I got the the Co-op in Claydon, that I figured out what was going on. It didn't open till 08:00 on Sundays, which isn't what I'm used to, as all my local Co-op's are open 07:00 - 22:00 seven days a week. At this point I realised that the three Co-op's I'd been planning on stocking up in, weren't Co-op's, but were in fact, South of England Co-op's, and are a completely different entity. The one in Southwold was a Co-op though, not a SoE Co-op, which is probably why it was still open, go figure...

The riding had been entertaining, everything from bumpy back roads, bumpy field crossings, bumpy double track, bumpy field edges, bumpy grass tracks and bumpy muddy byways. I did end up on the deck at one point, with the bike perfectly balanced upside down, on the handlebars and saddle. I'd moved across a grassy byway, to go round a couple of 4x4's, only to find a hidden rut, thankfully I was going really slowly and the grass was soft. The two drivers did ask if I was OK and we all had a chuckle, before I carried on.
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I'd picked up enough sustenance at the SoE Co-op in Claydon, that I didn't need to stop again, but I wouldn't make it home without another water stop. As I was passing Great Waldingfield, I noticed a village hall with an outside water tap, which I quickly made us of, this meant I didn't have to stop at the Waitrose in Sudbury. Instead, I could just fly down the hill, jink around the roundabouts, career across the car park and get off road onto the old railway line and head for home.
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The undercarriage was really suffering at this point, feeling like some one was using a cheese grater on it every time I went over a bump. So I decided to adjust the run for home and use a few more back roads, rather than the planned bumpy bridleways. I don't know why, but the closer I get to home, the harder it gets, must be something to do with knowing you're nearly there and the pain will soon stop.
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I learned loads from this ride. I'd deliberately gone without enough food, with the plan to stock up along the way. I'll have to force myself to buy more than I think I need at each stop, plus, I'll need to check the opening hours of the shops I plan to use; assuming that all Co-op's were the same thing was a bit of a clanger.

I used the same bib liners and shorts on my ~430kmn September BaM last year, where my arse was pretty much fine, the only difference was the use of a Decathlon anti-friction stick. So it looks like I'm still on the hunt for some new arse cream, as Chamois Butt’r® and my Endura bib liners obviously don't get on, and I have no desire to experience that level of chaffing again.

Here's a Strava link to the route I followed, you can see where I went wrong occasionally and had to double back. 338km distance, with 16h 11m of actual cycling, but only 2,150m of climbing. It was a cracking adventure and I thoroughly enjoyed it, apart from the chaffing, and the fucking cows.
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Re: Suffolk Coast

Post by RIP »

Enjoyed that thanks KT! Trouble is the green pixels on my phone always burn out after your lovely sylvan photos :smile: . That Co-Op business is far too confusing isn't it. Any Spars round your way? Guess not. Usually a Spar is a Spar is a Spar.
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Re: Suffolk Coast

Post by Boab »

RIP wrote: Wed Jun 30, 2021 5:48 pm Enjoyed that thanks KT! Trouble is the green pixels on my phone always burn out after your lovely sylvan photos :smile: . That Co-Op business is far too confusing isn't it. Any Spars round your way? Guess not. Usually a Spar is a Spar is a Spar.
Yeah, not too many Spar's round these parts, unfortunately...
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Andiphim
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Re: Suffolk Coast

Post by Andiphim »

Hi.
Looks like a great ride.
I live somewhere in the middle of that route, I would like to give it a go sometime.
Any chance you have the route in another format, something I can use with Ride with GPS. I don't do Strava.
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Re: Suffolk Coast

Post by Boab »

I prefer the Ride with GPS route builder to the Strava one, so this is your lucky day - https://ridewithgps.com/routes/35975831 ... QnQnorr2Lc
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Re: Suffolk Coast

Post by Andiphim »

Thank for that, looks like a great route.
Not sure I could do it in two days like you.
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