Compass Walk Series
7 miles
140 - 160 mins
Moderate
This is a 7 mile linear walk originating from Clare Castle Country Park. The route takes you to East Town Park in Haverhill. It is a very scenic route and partly follows the River Stour and a disused railway track. There are amazing views before Water Hall Farm; it is well worth treating this area as a resting place.
1 From the car park cross the railway bridge leading west towards the Priory. Walk along the old railway track bed with the Priory to your left or follow the parallel footpath alongside the New Cut (the Mill Stream of the River Stour).
2 At the iron bridge turn left and cross the road. Turn right immediately after the bridge and enter a field. Follow the path on the right-hand edge of the field. Cross a small bridge. The footpath then travels through the bottom of several gardens, beside the Stour. After a gate, the footpath turns left up through a private garden to the Ashen Road.
3 Turn right and take the pavement and follow the Ashen Road until you reach the top of the hill.
4 On the right-hand side, you will see an opening to two fields (by a large liquid fertilizer container). Take the left-hand field, keeping the hedgerow on your right. You will cross two fields and at the bottom you will cross a small foot bridge, at this point look straight ahead and proceed towards the weir gates.
5 Bear left and follow the footpath along the River to the road.
6 When you reach the road, turn right.
7 At the T junction turn right onto the road over the bridge (River Stour) and approximately 100M past the bridge there is a footpath entrance on your left which consists of a stile and gate.
8 Follow this footpath, with the river on your right, over a bridge by a weir. The grounds of Stoke College, a private school, are on the opposite bank. and eventually leads to a small coppice that you access via a kissing gate. There is often livestock in these fields so please keep dogs on leads. There are also many badger evacuations in the coppice that you need to be aware of. Follow the path through the grounds of Baythorne Park. At the end of the driveway you will reach the A1017. As you leave Baythorne Park follow the path next to the road straight ahead for a short distance.
9 At the T junction turn right towards Stoke-by-Clare and cross the bridge (River Stour again!).
10 On the bend take the second road left to Boyton End (under the railway bridge). Follow this quiet road for approx. 1 mile.
11 There is a footpath post on your left which directs you up the field, quite a steep hill. You will cross two fields and then you will come to a hedgerow.
12 Go through the hedge and take in the view of the valley and wetlands of Water Hall Farm below you. Keeping the hedge to your left proceed down the steep hill to a farm track. Cross the farm track through a small coppice which will bring you to a substantial river crossing.
13 Once over the bridge, keeping hedgerow to your left, you will come to a point known locally as Five Ways! At this point keep going straight ahead into a coppiced green lane.
14 Follow this path all the way through until you come to a road. Turn left and then turn right onto the disused railway track bed which is the start of East Town Park.
15 Follow the track all the way to point, turn right off the track and this will take you to the car park.
*Three-quarters of this walk follows the Stour Valley long distance Path closely but deviates from it in going along the Ashen Road rather than to Claret Hall, and from Mill Green, Stoke by Clare, where it follows the River rather than routing through the village.
A The bridge over the Stour was built of cast iron in 1813. The road was one of two main coaching routes from Bury St Edmunds to London until the 19C. To the left of the road is the former level-crossing keeper’s house. Under the road, rail tracks are still embedded below the surface. The Stour passes under the roadway.
B Once you have crossed the weir at Stoke by Clare the path runs beside the river giving views into the gardens of Stoke College. This is now an independent school built on the site of a major medieval monastic college. The college traces its name back to 1415 when a college for priests was founded on this site.
C You will be walking under the railway bridge at the Wixoe/Boyton End junction. This was the section of the line between Haverhill and Clare. This line was operational from 1865 to 1967 and was run by The Great Eastern Railway Line.
D There are great views of the Mere located by Waterhall Farm. This is a permanent wetland and home to a large range of water fowl. As you descend the steep hill towards the farm you will see Haverhill and Kedington in the distance.
E You will join the disused track bed at Sturmer, this is the official start of East Town Park. This length of track is approximately 1.5 miles long and takes you behind Haverhill Golf Course and into the main area of the park. The park is approximately 50 acres. It is open all year from8:30 to dusk. It features some unique wildlife habitats and natural woodland.
Really well worth doing this walk, particularly on a fine early summer’s day. The walk covers everything you need for a grand day out on the Suffolk/Essex border. Pretty villages, riverside, fine houses and glorious views over the Stour Valley. We have done this walk a few times and the last time we did it we met up with some friends for lunch in The Red Lion at Sturmer (famous for the apple named after it). If doing this walk during the winter months, it might be worth considering taking the higher route through Baythorne Park from point 7. This is a linear walk, so you either need a couple of cars, or you can get the bus if doing it during the week. Buses are a bit infrequent, so it may be advisable to get the bus to the start point of your walk.