A free guided railway walk is being staged next weekend, providing an opportunity to discover some of the industrial, maritime and wartime heritage of Lowestoft.
Organised by the East Suffolk Lines Community Rail Partnership, the four-mile walk will start from Oulton Broad South Railway Station at 10.45am on Saturday, August 26.
The route will run through Nicholas Everitt Park, alongside Oulton Broad and under the railway swing bridge before heading through current boat building areas along the north bank of Lake Lothing. It will continue across the site of the original Brooke Marine shipyard before crossing the railway near East Suffolk Line Junction into Normanston Park.
The ramble will then follow the route of the former Lowestoft to Great Yarmouth line railway cutting to near the site of the former Lowestoft North Station. Crossing the Ravine Bridge, the route will go past the Royal Naval Patrol Service Memorial in Belle Vue Park before heading towards Lowestoft Station via the lighthouse, Sparrow's Nest Gardens and Ness Point - the most easterly point in the British Isles.
Those taking part will also be able to discover more of the town's railway heritage as the walk is being led by Trevor Garrod, chairman of the East Suffolk Travellers Association (ESTA). The organisation celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2015 having originally been formed to campaign against the closure of the East Suffolk Railway Line as part of the notorious Beeching Report in the 1960s. Having successfully fought to save the line, ESTA has continued to promote and campaign on behalf of those using public transport.
The East Suffolk Lines Community Rail Partnership have published over 130 miles of walks which link with railway stations across the east of the county.
The walk from Oulton Broad South to Lowestoft, which will take around two and a half hours, is known as The Easterling and named after the holiday express services which once traversed part of the route.
Twenty of the walks are free to download at www.eastsuffolklines.co.uk
There is no need to book for the walk although those taking part are advised to wear suitable clothing and footwear. Dogs on leads are welcome and there will be a chance to purchase refreshments. The walk will contain some ground which is uneven and steps.
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