St Edmund Way
A 79-mile long-distance path in Essex and Suffolk. St Edmund Way is a pilgrim’s route from Manningtree in Essex to Brandon in Suffolk, visiting Dedham Vale AONB, Melford Country Park, Bury St Edmunds, and West Stow Anglo-Saxon Village. With map, statistics, and GPX route file.
Statistics and Files
Grid Ref: TM 094 322
Distance: 79 miles (127 km)
Time: 30–39 hours
Duration: 5–8 days
Ordnance Survey Explorer Maps (1:25,000):
184 Colchester, Harwich and Clacton-on-Sea
195 Braintree and Saffron Walden
196 Sudbury, Hadleigh and Dedham Vale
211 Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket
229 Thetford Forest in the Brecks
Summary
The St Edmund Way is a long-distance footpath crossing much of Suffolk, using the Stour Valley Path (East Anglia) to Sudbury and Long Melford, and then going via Lavenham and Little Welnetham to Bury St Edmunds—the burial place of the martyr King Edmund, slain by the Danes in 869.
From Bury St Edmunds, it follows the waymarked Lark Valley Path to the Icknield Way Path at West Stow before striking over the Brecks to Thetford and the Hereward Way. From the beginning of the walk in Manningtree, the way goes via Flatford Mill, Dedham, Dalethorpe, Stoke by Nayland, Nayland, Wissington, Bures, Lamarsh, Great Henny, Ballingdon, Sudbury, Long Melford, Lineage Wood, Lavenham, Lawshall Green, Stanningfield, Cocks Green, Sicklesmere, Nowton, Bury St Edmunds, Fornham All Saints, Culford, The King’s Forest, Thetford, and Santon Downham to the finish of the way at Brandon.