Log No 337. Fri 6th Jun 2014 - Felixstowe to Newbourne, 12 miles (5214 miles walked)

It was another bright sunny day and as it wasn't to be a long walk I didn't leave the campsite until just after 08.00.

I didn't expect to pass any shops today so I called into Lidls, just outside the campsite, to get enough to tide me over a couple days, I have a scheduled rest day tomorrow. While I was at the checkout another customer gave me a £5 donation.

I walked along Felixstowe promenade to the end at North Point then crunched some shingle to get to the next section of promenade with the usual array of beach huts.

It's quite interesting seeing the names some of them have been given, one was called "Huttingham Palace" which is quite appropriate when you consider that they can sell for tens of thousands!

Leaving Felixstowe a walkway followed the golf course to Felixstowe Ferry, the name of the place and where a passenger ferry runs across to the other side of the River Deben.

There was yet another Martello Tower here, how far north do they go, Orkney has two but I don't recollect seeing any on the east coast when I started the walk in Yorkshire.

The mud banks along the rivers often have boats moored, and even mired, in them with gangways built out into the river but it was unusual to see a hut at the end of these small piers.

The owner of one of these has a sense of humour as he named his hut "Hutomus Potamus" and had some hippopotamus heads sticking out of the mud next to his hut.

There was a good footpath all the way along the bank of the river and Suffolk Council must have known I was coming and cut the grass for me.

I was just enjoying the stroll today, taking a longer than normal break every hour since it wasn't to be a long walk.

In a couple of places the map showed a gap in the embankment but the footpath continued across it, I didn't know if there was a small bridge across or it was just low water access.

Fortunately I met Rod doing a circuit round some of the footpaths and he told me there was no way across the breaches, that saved me finding out the hard way!

I was camping at Newbourne and I left the river bank at Hemley and at Rod's suggestion walked along a bridleway and then a footpath to get to Newbourne, arriving at the campsite at 13.45.

12 very pleasant miles.

With a rest day tomorrow I will be here for 2 nights so I'll get my batteries charged and some washing done.

The warden of the campsite, Steadings Park, made me a drink of tea and the owners waived all the fees, thank you very much.