Felixstowe

Felixstowe is a major port and 'garden resort' on the east coast of England, in the county of Suffolk.

Understand
Old Felixstowe Village Sign

Lying on the coast between the Rivers Orwell and Deben, the town is normally considered to include the adjoining town of Walton and the area known informally as Old Felixstowe. A seaside town that is famous for its container port (the largest in the UK).

Get in

By car

Felixstowe is about 90 minutes - 2 hr drive from Central London. It is easily reached by road from the Midlands via the A14.

By train
Wikivoyage has a guide to Rail travel in the United Kingdom.
  • 🌍 Felixstowe Station, Railway Approach, Felixstowe, IP11 9UD. On the Felixstowe Branch Line from the Great Eastern Mainline. Managed by and services provided by Greater Anglia. Regular train service from Ipswich (updated May 2017)

By boat

By bicycle

Get around

Buses routes 75, 76, and 77 start from Ipswich. The 77 route runs to Landuard fort and port viewing area, but the town is best explored on foot or bicycle.

See

Felixstowe is long past its heyday as a tourist resort, and is best visited now as a place to enjoy some seaside calm.

Felixstowe Ferry is perhaps the most charming part of the town. It's in the far north, beyond the golf club, at the mouth of the River Deben. It's a popular place for sailing and walks. It has good real ale pub (see below). It is best to park at the cliff top car park as there is little parking at Felixstowe ferry.

The promenade stretches 1 mile north and south of the pier two limes in total, and expect for a small length there is a good path (it is part of the Suffolk Coast long distance path) between Landguard Fort and Felixstowe Ferry. North is generally quite pleasant, with landscaped gardens and quiet shingle beaches.

In the centre of the tourist area, by the sea, there are some excellent arcades, including the famous Mannings Amusement Park (including crazy golf). There is a Sunday market beside Mannings, and a car boot sale on Saturday

Further south the beach gives way to a very industrialised dock area. In the middle of this is a little wildlife haven, around Landguard Fort. It's popular with bird watchers.

The sea shore is the site of the last opposed invasion of England in 1667 and the first land battle of the Royal Marines. The fort was built in the 18th century, modified in the 19th century with substantial additional 19th- and 20th-century outside batteries. The fort is open every day from Easter to October.

The nearby submarine mining building houses Felixstowe museum’s collections of local interest and is open Sundays & Wednesdays in summer.

Martello Tower
  • 🌍 Landguard Fort, View Point Road, IP11 3TW, ☎ +44 1394 675900. adults £4.00, children £1.50, concessions £3.00.  
  • 🌍 Bawdsey Radar, Bawdsey , IP12 3AT (24 miles by road (round the River Deben), to get the 5 miles direct!), ☎ +44 7821 162 879 (mobile), e-mail: . Closed until Sept 2017 for conservation works. Whilst radar was invested in Slough, the technology was developed to at Bawdsey Radar. Free parking. (updated May 2017)
  • 🌍 Sealand (The Principality of Sealand) (Need to organise your own boat). A sea fort in the North Sea, 10 km off the coast of Suffolk. It is best known for its (unrecognised) claim to be the world's smallest sovereign nation. However, it is regarded as a micronation by most non-Sealanders, despite its cult internet 'fanbase'. (updated Apr 2016)
  • 🌍 Spa Pavillion (Theatre), Undercliff Rd, Felixstowe, IP11 2DX, ☎ +44 1394 284 962. Also café & restaurant. (updated May 2017)

Do
Beach at Felixstowe

The fantastic amusement parks are a great day out, and for those looking to party away the night, you won't forget the über-cool bandbox nightclub.

Between the promenade and Felixstowe Ferry there's about a mile of beaches known as "The Dip". It's dominated by beach huts but not a bad place to enjoy the beach in the summer.

There are a variety of pleasant country walks around Felixstowe, particularly in the Orwell and Deben estuaries. However, you need a car to get to these areas from the town.

Buy

The best thing that Felixstowe has to offer on the shopping front are two exceptional second-hand bookstores. The Treasure Chest and Poor Richard's are in the town centre. The former in particular is remarkably well-stocked and both are reasonably priced. The presence of two such shops in close proximity is justification for a visit to Felixstowe for any book affecionado.

Supermarkets
  • 🌍 Morrissons (Supermarket), Grange Farm Ave, Felixstowe, IP11 2XD, ☎ +44 1394 671333. M-Sa 7AM-10PM; Su 10AM-4PM. ATMs. Petrol station (different hours). Pharmacy (different hours). (updated May 2017)
  • 🌍 Lidl (Supermarket), 2-4 Langer Rd, Felixstowe, IP11 2BU. M-Sa 8AM-10PM; Su 10AM-4PM. (updated May 2017)

Eat

There are a few restaurants of note, a few very good Fish & Chip shops, and a decent Indian and Chinese on the lower Hamilton Road.

Drink

The few pubs in Felixstowe offering a wide of atmosphere to suit all tastes. The young and trendy should try either the Grosvenor which is behind the main shop street on Ranleigh road, or The Alex on the sea front. The Cork has a balcony with views across the sea.

Sleep

Felixstowe being an English seaside resort, there is no shortage of overpriced, poor-quality B&B accommodation.

Go next
Routes through Felixstowe

Birmingham ← Ipswich ←  W  E  → END


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