Walkers enjoying the King Charles III England Coast Path now have a new route to take them round Ipswich.
The Ipswich Waterfront Walk passes under The Orwell Bridge and promotes the borough for people following the path (ECP) plus provides a link to it for residents.
In Suffolk, the route of the ECP between Felixstowe and Shotley opened in 2025. Around England the ECP follows estuaries to the first river crossing, and between Felixstowe and Shotley that first crossing is the Orwell Bridge.
The Ipswich Waterfront Walk is 5.5 miles long, and passes through Orwell Country Park, Pipers Vale, Landseer Park, and Holywells Park to Ipswich’s historic Waterfront.
From the Waterfront the route continues beside New Cut, follows the Wherstead Road to Bourne Bridge, and re-connects with the ECP by Suffolk Food Hall at Wherstead.
The ECP is marked by two ‘gateways.’ The east side gateway is immediately south of Pipers Vale below the Orwell Bridge, while on the west side it is just north of the Suffolk Food Hall, also underneath the Orwell Bridge.
Gateways feature a bench containing a QR code promoting walks across Suffolk, and a wooden finger post made by woodwork students at St Joseph’s College in Ipswich, which show local destinations in distance and walking times.
The benches were made by Dean Manning of Cuckoo Hill Workshop in Bures, who used locally sourced oak.
The gateways will also feature an interpretation panel depicting the route, plus historic and tourism information and links to National Landscape’s website and Suffolk County Council’s Discover Suffolk website, both of which promote access to the countryside for all.
Councillor Paul West, Suffolk County Council Cabinet member for Ipswich and Operational Highways, said: “The new walk is a fantastic addition to the King Charles III England Coast Path, giving walkers a richer and more engaging way to experience the landscape in and around Ipswich.
“By offering an alternative to crossing the Orwell Bridge the route not only enhances safety and accessibility but also invites visitors to explore some of our most treasured green spaces plus the historic Waterfront. This route supports public health and active travel and highlights the best of what Ipswich and the surrounding landscape have to offer.”
