Lackford Lakes
This walk visits the pretty Lackford Lakes Nature Reserve near Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk.
There's some pleasant walking trails taking you around a series of picturesque lakes with lot of wildlife to see. There's bird hides dotted around the site where you can look out for birds such as kingfisher, great crested grebe and tufted duck.
There's good facilities too, with a free car park, cafe and visitor centre.
The site sits right next to West Stow Country Park where you can enjoy more nice paths and visit the interesting West Stow Anglo-Saxon Village. There's also riverside trails along the long distance Lark Valley Path to try. Just north you'll find miles of peaceful woodland cycling and walking trails around the expansive King's Forest.
Postcode
IP28 6HX - Please note: Postcode may be approximate for some rural locationsPlease click here for more information
Lackford Lakes Ordnance Survey Map 
- view and print off detailed OS map
Lackford Lakes Open Street Map 
- view and print off detailed map
Lackford Lakes OS Map 
- Mobile GPS OS Map with Location tracking
Lackford Lakes Open Street Map 
- Mobile GPS Map with Location tracking
Dog Walking
The site includes an on lead dog walking area.
Further Information and Other Local Ideas
The lakes are located near the pretty village of Tuddenham where you can enjoy the flora and fauna at Cavenham Heath Nature Reserve. In the village you can also visit the historic Tuddenham Mill - an ancient watermill surrounded by 12 acres of gardens and Suffolk countryside. There is a high quality restaurant at the mill where you can sit outside by the river in a very picturesque location.
Follow the Icknield Way Path north and it will take you towards the Elveden Estate where there's miles of walking trails surrounding an historic Georgian mansion. The estate also includes a number of fine shops selling quality produce, the excellent Elveden Courtyard restaurant and the Elveden Inn. The inn is considered to be the 'home of Guinness' in England as the estate is the seat of a direct descendant of the Guinness family. You can find them just a few miles north east of the walk in the village of Elveden at postcode IP24 3TJ.
Cycle Routes and Walking Routes Nearby
Photos
Lackford Lakes Nature Reserve. Viewed from Bill Hide, one of several named bird hides on the Reserve.
Egyptian geese at Lackford Lakes. These geese have just realised that some interlopers have grabbed their favourite spot and are running across a spit of land to oust them.
Sailing clubhouse. The clubhouse for the St Edmundsbury Sailing and Canoeing Association (SESCA), at Lackford Lakes.
Willow pollarding. The Suffolk Wildlife Trust ensures that willow trees are managed in the traditional way. These willows will re-grow from the point at which they have been cut; in this case it is at eight to nine feet. The re-growth is vigorous and provides a fantastic habitat for a range of insects and nesting sites for birds. The ditch will also have increased sunlight, improving it for dragonflies and damselflies.
Plover Lake. One of the former gravel pits, now flooded, that form the Lackford Lakes Nature Reserve.
Lackford Church
Hanging out to dry. This cormorant is drying its wings, on a post in one of the former gravel pits. Behind, on a small island, are a number of canada geese and other birds.
Track to Lackford Estate. This is a private track leading to the Lackford Estate, which is a large area of farmland between Lackford and Tuddenham. The photo is taken from the road between Cavenham and Lackford, which is part of the ancient Icknield Way.