Sandlings Walk: Woodbridge to Tangham

Woodbridge

Woodbridge is a pretty town situated on the banks of the tidal Deben. The entire settlement seems focussed on the river, which can only be accessed by crossing the railway line that runs alongside. The river is often lined with boats, as is the marina. Additionally, it is well known for the high-quality food served at many of its establishments. The Fynn Valley Walk and the Sandlings Walk both follow the river through the town. It is the last settlement of any size directly on the Sandlings Walk before it ends at Southwold (although Aldeburgh is a short distance to the south of the trail).

It is home to a picturesque tidal mill, clad in white Suffolk boarding and with a Dutch roof. A mill was on this site in at least 1170; the current building probably dates from the 17th century. After falling derelict after closure in 1957, it was restored from 1968 - a massive job that took five years. It is open to the public.

River Deben

The River Deben rises near Debenham in Suffolk before making a slightly circuitous route towards the sea. It becomes tidal to the northeast of Woodbridge before flowing past the town and widening as it heads south towards the sea. It flows out into the North Sea immediately to the north of Felixstowe. The tidal sections of the river are very popular with boaters, and the river bank between Woodbridge and Melton are often filled with moored boats. A foot ferry operates across the mouth of the river to Felixstowe Ferry.

Bromeswell and Bromeswell Heath

Bromeswell is a small village situated a short distance from the eastern bank of the River Deben. It is centred around a beautiful 15th-Century flint-towered church. A short distance to the south, and across the main road, is Bromeswell Heath that borders the western end of Rendlesham Forest. It is home to a golf course; the Sandlings Walk passes through the village and the edge of the heath.

The village seems a quiet place, but it has not always been so. In 1803 a camp was formed to garrison soldiers preparing to fight in the Napoleonic Wars.

Bromeswell and Bromeswell Heath

Bromeswell is a small village situated a short distance from the eastern bank of the River Deben. It is centred around a beautiful 15th-Century flint-towered church. A short distance to the south, and across the main road, is Bromeswell Heath that borders the western end of Rendlesham Forest. It is home to a golf course; the Sandlings Walk passes through the village and the edge of the heath.

The village seems a quiet place, but it has not always been so. In 1803 a camp was formed to garrison soldiers preparing to fight in the Napoleonic Wars.

RAF Woodbridge

RAF Woodbridge was one of two large airfields built in Rendlesham Forest during World War II (the other being RAF Bentwaters). Over a million trees were cut down to make the base. It was built with an exceptionally wide runway of five times the usual width to allow damaged bombers returning from Germany to land safely. Because the complex had been cut out of the forest, it was often bedevilled by fog. For this reason a system called FIDO was introduced. This burnt up to 100,000 gallons of fuel per hour along the sides of the runway to lift the fog.

In 1952 the USAF took over the base, and from 1958 they used it in conjunction with Bentwaters as part of the 81st Tactical Fighter Wing. Both bases were closed by the USAF in 1993 after the conclusion of the Cold War. Whereas Bentwaters is now in civilian use, in 2005 the MOD started used the airfield as an army base.

Rendlesham Forest and aliens

Rendlesham Forest is the largest of the three forests in the Sandlings area of Suffolk.

An incident at the end of 1980 led to the forest's biggest claim to fame. In what has become known as the 'Rendlesham Forest Incident', strange lights were seen within the forest by staff at the Bentwaters airbase. Fearing a crashed plane, they investigated the lights and failed to find a cause. The lights were seen for three nights in total and UFOs have widely been blamed. Extra credence has been placed on the reports because the phenomena were seen by trained air force personnel.

No explanation has been accepted for the lights, but it is perhaps coincidental that the period of the flashes corresponds with that of a lighthouse on the coast, a relatively short distance away. Changes to the shape of the forest and lines-of-sight since that date probably mean that determining the cause of the lights is now impossible. Not being a UFO believer, I think that a number of men on cold nights let their imaginations run away with them. You may well disagree, so it may be worth keeping your eyes and ears peeled for any strangeness amongst the trees.

Rendlesham Forest lost nearly a million trees in the 1987 storm, the area being rendered virtually unrecognisable by the time the storm abated on the 16th October. The forest has slowly recovered and there are several trails (including a UFO trail) through the trees. There is also a visitors centre and a camping site in the forest.