Lovely Easter Walk through the picturesque town of Lavenham, in Suffolk, then along the route of the old railway track. The track goes all the way from Lavenham to Long Melford, but I’ve not yet done that route.
If you are doing the walk, I’d recommend starting at the car park opposite the church, at the side of the Cock Horse Inn. Parking is free and toilet facilities are available.
Follow the route on this map (A to B) if you want to do the walk we did.
The Guild Hall in Lavenham is a fascinating building that looks like a film set for Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter. You can go in and explore it but the entrance cost is a bit steep. Entrance is free for National Trust members. If you’re visiting these sorts of place in the UK over any period of time, I’d recommned National Trust membership as once you’ve visited 3 NT locations you’ve covered the price of annual membership.
Passing down a narrow passage opposite the Guild Hall brings you back onto the main street where, turning right, you can walk down to the start of the railway walk.
Just before the road bridge out of town, there is a footpath that leads off to the left and onto the old track bed.
Lavenham Station was closed to passengers in 1961 and frieght ended in 1965 when the station closed completely.
In contrast to the bustling tourist town, the railway walk is quiet and peaceful as you can see in the video of our walk.
We came off the track after a while and looped back over a bridge and down a quiet lane back towards the town.
Lavenham church tower can be seen for miles so is a great landmark to make sure you don’t get lost at this point. As long as you keep walking towards the church, you’ll end up back at your starting point.
Do you know of a town like Lavenham? Comment below, I’d love to hear about it.
walks and wanders 