End: Audley End ← Start: Bawdsey
The first stage of the 52°N walk starts where the 52nd parallel hits the Suffolk coast at Bawdsey, then crosses into Essex, ending at Audley End station in the village of Wendens Ambo.
The walk crosses the Deben & Orwell rivers before reaching beautiful “Constable Country”.
Picture source: Suffolk Coast & Heaths AONB website (the River Deben estuary on the Suffolk coast)
The amazing places on 52°N in Stage 1 (shown as red boxes on the map above) are:
Day 1 – a defensive tower and the world’s first radar station (Bawdsey):
Pictures source: Historic England website
Picture source: Bawdsey Radar Museum website
Day 2 – a vast bridge (over the River Orwell)
Picture source: Highways England website
Day 3 – a community pub (the Lamarsh Lion)
Picture source: Lamarsh Lion website
Day 4 – an ancient castle (Hedingham)
Picture source: Hedingham Castle website
Day 5 – a rebuilt railway station (Colne Valley)
Picture source: John Saville website
Day 6 – a huge house (Audley End)
Picture source: English Heritage website
These different places together illustrate some of the variety of British construction over the centuries (a tower & transmitter block, bridge, pub, castle, station & house) and also some innovative modern uses of buildings however old they are.
Use the Stages menu above, or the links below, for details of each day’s walk:
Stage 1 Day 0 – Mon 24 Jun: Travel by train from Wokingham to Suffolk
Stage 1 Day 1 – Tue 25 Jun: Bawdsey to Ipswich
Stage 1 Day 2 – Wed 26 Jun: Ipswich to Raydon
Stage 1 Day 3 – Thu 27 Jun: Raydon to Lamarsh
Stage 1 Day 4 – Fri 28 Jun: Lamarsh to Castle Hedingham
Stage 1 Day 5 – Sat 29 Jun: Castle Hedingham to Great Sampford
Stage 1 Day 6 – Sun 30 Jun: Great Sampford to Audley End, and return by train to Wokingham