64 Ipswich – Aldeburgh

The 64 is an absolute delight of a trip, linking Ipswich, one of England’s oldest and most thriving towns with beautiful green fields and villages of sleepy but charming Suffolk and the classic seaside resort of Aldeburgh, with its abundant culture, charm and upmarket feel.

The bus finds its way out of Ipswich through the valley of the River Fromus towards Saxmundham, which found its way in the Doomsday book of 1086. Passing charming Georgian and Victorian buildings through the market town, the bus then travels past picturesque farming landscape to Leiston, which was infamous for its smuggling community throughout the16th and17th century.

Then, it’s into Aldeburgh, passing lovely independent shops, including two great bookshops and straddling the back of the beach. This is a fabulous town renowned for its unspoilt coastline and promenade with pretty pastel-coloured villas and a fabulous seaside experience in this hidden gem of deepest Suffolk.

Route 64 has too many great places to see in a day – it needs a number of trips to do the route justice. The destination is Aldeburgh, but there are lots of places to stop and explore on the way as you pass through the lovely Suffolk countryside. Starting at Ipswich Bus Station the first stop off should be the ancient town of Woodbridge, we suggest you alight at the Turban centre, and walk up to the Thoroughfare to explore the independent shops and coffee shops and admire the Suffolk buildings. Then at the top turn right up Church Street and up past St Mary’s Church admiring the fine flint flushwork, the magnificent Tower to Market Hill in front of the Shire Hall bequeathed by one of Woodbridge’s most illustrious sons. Thomas Seckford in 1575. Then back down to the riverside and the Tide Mill Museum (open April to October– one of the last working tide mills – before getting back on the bus.

Onto Melton, Ufford, Wickham Market, Farnham and maybe stop for a coffee in Saxmundham with its interesting shops, then on to Leiston topping perhaps for a visit to the Long Shop Museum (again open April to October, and then back on the bus for the 15 minutes to Aldeburgh. First things first, for a walk along the promenade called Crag Path to take in the miles and miles long shingle beach, the fresh sea air and sea views, then back onto the High Street for a visit to the shops, tea and coffee shops and restaurants taking in the independent and excellent Aldeburgh Book shop and the independent and excellent Reed second-hand Books, next to the Co-op.

A must do is fish and chips to eat sitting on the beach wall, maybe pick up some fresh or smoked fish from the range of huts on the beach (anything fresher is still swimming!). And to work off the calories walk south along the beach wall to the Martello Tower for views east out to sea (maybe spotting a seal) and west back over the estuary and marshes) – or walk north to Thorpeness and hire a rowing boat over the mere.

Gateway to the 64

By Greater Anglia Railway from London Liverpool Street, Chelmsford, Norwich and Colchester to Ipswich