Suffolk Coast and Heaths AONB

About Suffolk Coast and Heaths AONB

Founded in 1970, the Suffolk Coast and Heaths AONB covers 403 km2 of beach, marsh, estuaries, heath, forest and farmland in East Anglia, south east England.

Fauna and Flora

With three National Nature Reserves, many Sites of Special Scientific Interest and the RSPB’s Minsmere Reserve, the AONB is a significant wildlife area. The area is locally, nationally and internationally important for such birds as the avocet, bearded tit, bittern, marsh harrier, nightjar, woodlark and nightingale. Otters are found in local rivers and rare butterflies on the heaths.

Tourism

Many visitors come for the Aldburgh summer arts festival and others for the charming coastal towns such as Walberswick and Southwold.

Activities

Three long distance walking routes pass through the AONB – the Suffolk Coast Path, the Sandlings Walk and the Stour and Orwell Walk. There are also many other shorter routes as well as bridleways and cyclepaths.

Water sports are available on the estuaries, including sailing, kayaking, canoeing and even wind surfing. There are a wide range of options for fishing, from the coast, in the various rivers and in pools and large gravel pits stocked with specimen fish.