Text contributed by Angela; pic by David.
After a prompt start from Cordy’s Lane in Trimley St Mary, fifteen walkers and a dog embarked on a varied circular walk of approximately six miles. The temperature was a pleasant 19 °C, perfect for springtime walking, and after a very wet few months, we were blessed with blue skies and no signs of rain.
We followed the track and signs for Trimley Marshes Nature Reserve, with the eagle-eyed spotting a hare on the way, before soon arriving at Fagbury Point on the River Orwell, where there were views over the Port of Felixstowe with its iconic cranes dominating the skyline. Shotley Peninsula lay directly opposite lay across the river.
Continuing north along the raised bank, we enjoyed spectacular views as we approached Loompit Lake. Whether it is rafts of duck, colonies of avocet and oystercatchers or the razor-like wings of a peregrine in stooping flight, the sheer number of birds that Trimley Marshes attracts is amazing.
Beyond the lake, we pressed on towards Thorpe Common and then turned east. Upon reaching Goslings Farm, we turned south along a tree-lined trail, and near Alston Hall we entered a gloriously verdant lane, where trees and shrubs crowded in from all sides. South of Grimston Hall we reached a viewpoint over the Trimley Estate, before we completed the final stretch back to our starting point.