Shotley Peninsula

Championing local foods, creative dining experiences and family fun – plus stunning views of the mighty Orwell Bridge! The internationally-recognised farm shop is packed full of locally sourced food and drink and includes a butchers, artisan bakers, wine and beer merchant, greengrocer, grocery, even a chocolatier, hamper service. There’s a restaurant, café, fitness and beauty studios, cookery school, walks and farm animals too. A place to relax and enjoy together, where the little ones will love the play area, the grass picnic and run-around and of course, the bouncy pillows!

Explore footpaths around colourful heathland, along wooded riverside cliffs and enjoy spectacular views of the River Orwell – all just a short walk from Chelmondiston village. From ferns and fungi to bluebells and colourful butterflies, there is always something new to discover along the nature trail to iconic sailing haven Pin Mill.

The only ferry service connecting Suffolk and Essex, the 58 passenger foot and bicycle ferry operates a regular, daily service between Harwich and Landguard Point, Felixstowe via Shotley Gate. Crossing the River Orwell has to be the best way to experience the Haven, not only to recognise the sheer size of its ports and mega-ships, but to appreciate how the waterway is flanked by historic and military landmarks on both sides. The ferry service is seasonal and operates only in sage conditions. Booking recommended.

This charming Orwell-side hamlet on the outskirts of the village of Chelmondiston is a beautiful Suffolk Coast & Heaths National Landscape spot that’s popular with artists, photographers and those just looking for a pew with a view or an inspirational pint! Historic barges and houseboats are moored up along the water’s edge, close to the delightful green which is flanked by timeless boatyards. No wonder Arthur Ransome, children’s author of Swallows & Amazons fame, came to live near Pin Mill to enjoy the sailing!

Shotley Marina is a real favourite with those sailing and exploring East Anglia’s waterways for leisure and fun – and with those looking to while away an hour with a gentle stroll or simply sitting and watching the waterborn world go by. The variety and colourful comings and goings of the sailing craft, the spectacle of the lock and the relaxed places to eat, make it a much-loved place for locals and visitors alike. The Shotley landing stage for the Haven’s foot and bike ferry service to Harwich and Felixstowe is also located here.

Enjoy a range of watersports for all ages and abilities at Alton Watersports Centre. Get active and embrace new activities through open water swimming, fishing, walking and cycling trails, kit hire or courses with friendly and highly qualified instructors. Sign up for a aquapark sessions, spot of sailing, windsurfing, kayaking, canoeing or stand up paddle boarding. Boating, canoe and cycle hire available on site. Nature trails include woodland, butterfly gardens, wildflower meadows, ponds and bird hides.

Explore a wide range of outdoor active experiences at the Suffolk home of ski-slope, golf and adventure sports. Have some serious family fun having a go at skiing, snowboarding, tobogganing and ‘ringo-ing’ on the slopes. Head for the climbing wall or dare to walk the talk on the high ropes experience. Prefer your feet on solid ground? There’s also golf at the Ipswich Golf Driving Range, plus a mini golf course and putting green.

A working farm with farmyard favourites combined with the thrills of a wildlife park with exotic animals. See over 100 species from zebra and crocodiles to Artic foxes and wolves and even a rescued brown bear and polar bear! There’s also an adventure playground with bouncy pillows, woodland trails and den building, theatre in the forest events, plus shops and a restaurant.

Loads of ideas for gentle outdoor fun adventures in Shotley and around its peninsula, all devised specifically with young families in mind. Download the leaflet for maps, activity inspiration, directed discovery walks designed for little legs and for little ones to take the lead. Also includes information on parks and play areas at villages throughout the Shotley Peninsula.

A 58 acre community recreation and picnic area built into the wooded river cliffs with walks and viewing platforms on several levels. Have fun exploring – hunt out the ‘Gun Deck’, a former Bofor gun emplacement, climb to the ‘Quarter Deck’ and make it all the way to the ‘Crow’s Nest’. A beautiful place to be amongst nature, accompanied by great views along the foreshore towards Harwich Parkeston Quay and across the River Stour to Essex.

This eye-catching, red brick ornamental gatehouse was constructed in a Gothic folly style after the Reformation, around 1549-1575. It is on view from road through the village, in front of Erwarton Hall. Like the Hall it is Grade II* listed and been subject to some rebuilding over the centuries. The property was owned in the 1500s by Anne Boleyn’s uncle and she visited often as a child and during her brief marriage to King Henry VIII. Legend has it that the King visited the Hall too during their courtship and that her heart is buried in the village church.

The remote church of St Mary the Virgin in Erwarton is said to be the resting place of Anne Boleyn’s heart… buried in a crypt under the organ. The unfortunate second wife of King Henry VIII enjoyed stays at nearby Erwarton Hall before her sad demise. Look out for the early medieval monuments to knights and their ladies inside, and follow the churchyard path outside for some amazing panoramic views of the Stour estuary.

St Mary’s Shotley is a fine, tower-less hilltop church dating from the 1400s. Inside, it is renowned for its fine hammer-beam roof and amazing feeling of light, courtesy of some unusual Venetian-style classical windows. Outside, the hillside Naval Cemetery also leaves a lasting impression – filled with the graves of Royal and Merchant Navy sailors, Dutch and German Navies who died during WWII and young lads from the HMS Ganges training establishment who never made it to sea.

Suffolk’s only railway pier, Shotley Pier stretches for 160 metres (540 feet) and has a history like no other. Originally commissioned in 1865 by the Marquis of Bristol (hence the Bristol Arms opposite!), and completed in 1894, it was built to take the Royal Mail to the ferry for onward transportation to Harwich and the continent. Other cargos included coal and munitions and young trainee sailors serving at HMS Ganges. The charity which has saved the Pier have a long-term goal to reinstate the narrow gauge railway.

Between 1905 and 1976 over 150,000 Naval Cadets passed through the Royal Navy Training Establishment – HMS Ganges – located at Shotley Gate, on the site where the designated Conservation Area and Shotley Marina are today. This fully accredited museum tells the touching story of young lives in disciplined service through photographs, artefacts and exhibits. Trainees were known as the ‘Button Boys’ because learning to scale the 43 metre mast and stand on the ‘button’ at the top, was all part of their schooling. Free Admission.

Discover the beautiful Stour Valley and Dedham Vale, part of the Suffolk Coast & Heaths National Landscape immortalised by the famed 19th century artist, John Constable. Located where the Shotley and Harwich peninsulas meet as the River Stour narrows to head inland, ‘Constable Country’ is easily explored on foot, following waymarked footpaths and trails from Manningtree Station to National Trust site, Flatford Mill. These gentle landscapes punctuated by churches and villages, the water meadows and the meandering river have all changed little since traditional ‘lighters’ (sailing barges) graced the waterway. Look out for Constable connections at East Bergholt, Dedham and Flatford Mill.