Fascinating day out at the port of Felixstowe. Getting close up to these massive container ships makes you feel like a citizen of Lilliput. And then there was that old fort. Brilliant stuff from the Tudors, Napoleon, two world wars and the cold war, all jammed into this ancient building with great views across the big harbour to Harwich.
My route: disembark from the Ipswich branch line train at Trimley, walk to the coastal path, close-up views of the container port. You’ll need a mobile phone to call the signalman to get across the railway crossing and into the town. Long march down a straight road to the beach, turning right by the sea to the Landguard Fort. Later 76 bus into the town where I discovered cliffside cafes and gardens and the most amazing second-hand bookshop outside of Hay-on-Wye – Treasure Chest books, opposite the Odeon, a maze of little alcoves with more volumes than a Waterstones, only don’t expect the glitz. If you’re into trains, take a suitcase to cart off your treasures!