[1] From the car park cross the B1456 and go down the lane (Church Street) opposite to the church. Continue ahead down the bridleway signed for Pin Mill, which takes you through a meadow. At the bottom cross a stile, then cross another and carry on along the edge of this meadow to reach a boatyard at Pin Mill. Go left and then right around the yard. (After the first stile you can also bear right to the car park/road and turn left down to Pin Mill.)
(A) Pin Mill is a most attractive spot with a long history of boat and barge building. The setting is used in Arthur Ransome’s classic book, We Didn’t Mean to Go to Sea.
[2] The walk continues east from here through National Trust-owned woodland.
At high tides, when the foreshore by the Butt & Oyster pub is under water, you will need to go up the road a short distance and turn left up the steps to follow a higher level path.
Otherwise you can follow the lower path through the woodland at the far end of the pub, which joins up with the higher path further on. (Note: if you take the higher path, do not turn right at an National Trust waymark which is for a circular walk.) Eventually you emerge from the woodland and continue beside the River Orwell along the easy shoreline path (with Stour & Orwell Walk waymarks).
Before rounding Collimer Point, you’ll get your first glimpse of the cranes at Felixstowe port and – as you get closer – the vast container ships come into view. It’s a fascinating sight: birds, boats and behemoths all juxtaposed.
[3] At Shotley Point you arrive at a marina and continue around it to cross a lock gate. There is a wooden plank along it for the benefit of dogs! The gate is normally closed, but if not, it shouldn’t be a long wait.
You now have good views across to Harwich.
Just past the Bristol Arms the road turns right with a signpost indicating the Stour & Orwell Walk does, too. But continue ahead along the shoreline of the River Stour, signed as a Restricted Byway. Before long (at a sign warning you not to walk on the sea defences) turn right uphill to a residential estate and go left. Follow the shoreline path via Erwarton Ness for a couple of miles.
[4] Having gone through a large hawthorn hedge, turn right inland along a path, bearing left when you reach a track that leads to a road junction. Turn left and keep ahead to a T-junction, with Harkstead church opposite (worth a look inside). Turn right to return to Chelmondiston.