Wrabness Walk

This walk visits Bradfield and the lovely Wrabness Nature Reserve in Essex.
The walk starts off from the village of Bradfield though you could start from the reserve car park on Wall Lane at postcode CO11 2TE.... Wrabness train station is also nearby.
From Bradfield you can pick up the Essex Way and follow it east along the coast to the Wrabness Reserve and the Oakfield Wood Reserve. You can head up to Wrabness Point and Stone Point where there is a beach and fine views across the River Stour estuary. There's also lots of wildlife to look out for with plenty of waders in the estuary. Keep your eyes peeled for black-tailed godwit, turnstones, knot, owls, yellowhammers, whitethroats, turtle dove, song thrush, nightingales and bullfinches.
You can extend the walk by continuing east along the path to Copperas Bay and Stour Wood.
Postcode: CO11 2TE
Pubs and More Info
The Wrabness Community Shop And Café is located close to the site. You can buy essentials in the shop or enjoy some refreshments in the friendly cafe. It's located at postcode CO11 2TL for your sat navs.
Back in Bradfield there's The Village Maid pub. There's a good menu and charming interior with a cosy fire. You can find them on Heath Road at postcode CO11 2UZ.
Head west along the Essex Way and you can visit Manningtree. There's a very pleasant riverside path in the town and you can also pick up the long distance St Edmund Way here.
The Harwich Walk visits the reserve from the nearby town. You could follow the Essex Way from the town's train station to the reserve and then catch the train back from Wrabness. The town has an interesting maritime trail to try which will take you to some of the historic highlights of the area.
For more walking ideas in the area see the Essex Walks page.

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Essex Way Manningtree

Photos

Strandlands, Wrabness. From the footpath that leaves the shore and crosses the railway. Looking across the Stour/Orwell Estuary to the cranes of Felixstowe port.

Wrabness beach. Taken from just to the east of Wrabness cliff.

Essex Way footpath between Bradfield - Wrabness

Wrabness Nature Reserve. The reserve was a naval mine depot until 1963. Plans to develop the site were never fulfilled and it became a nature reserve in 1992. 

 Hide on the edge of Copperas Bay. A quiet and remote spot yet easily walkable from Wrabness station, the facilities, apart from walking trails and a nature reserve is this roofless bird-watching hide. There was plenty of evidence of waders and other estuarial birds around here.

Stilt houses at Wrabness Point. A long line of houses like these stand snugly side by side beside the Stour at Wrabness Point. Presumably floor level is above the highest tides.

Copperas Bay on the River Stour. Coastline near Shore Farm, Wrabness. The Essex Way footpath runs along the bank on the right.

 Oakfield Wood. This is Oakfield Wood it was probably the first woodland cemetery in the country (it has been widely copied). For each grave a native broadleaf tree is planted. When the former arable field is full it will be handed to the care of the Essex Wildlife trust.

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