Chelmondiston, River Orwell and Pin Mill

Beginning in Chelmondiston, the walk passes St Andrew's Church, which was destroyed by a flying bomb during World War II and rebuilt in 1957. Don't be fooled by the harsh exterior of the church; it is spectacularly colourful inside. From Chelmondiston the walk crosses arable farmland while offering grand views of the approaching River Orwell, with Butterman's Bay particularly attractive. The river is reached at Clamp House, so called because of the clamps (stacks) of peat stored there, ready for loading onto London-bound barges. From here the river is followed upstream for just over one mile to reach Pin Mill. This is achieved by way of Cliff Plantation, with an option to leave the woodland by a short road walk into Pin Mill or by staying close to the riverside.

Once a bustling industrial center, Pin Mill's waters now throng with leisure craft. Away from the hustle and bustle, birdlife is plentiful, with swans, wigeon, shelduck, coot, and several more species of waterfowl on the mudflats — particularly at low tide, when waders such as redshank, oystercatcher, dunlin, and turnstone can easily be spotted feeding. Pin Mill has other claims to fame: it is the setting for Arthur Ransome's We Didn't Mean to Go to Sea and for E. Arnot Robinson's Ordinary Families. Many artists have also painted Pin Mill scenes, including Edward Seago. From Pin Mill the walk leads uphill back to the finishing point where it started at Chelmondiston.

Acknowledgment: Text derived from the Out and Out Series; Discovering the Countryside on Foot. Pictures courtesy of Wikipedia.