Suffolk coastal walk: Minsmere and Leiston Abbey circular

Put yourself in the shoes, or medieval sandals, of the poor abbot of Leiston Abbey. It's the 1360s, another year has dawned, and he's still struggling to keep his little religious community of Premonstratensian priests going in the marshes by the Suffolk coast.

Half the year the wind howls in off the North Sea, gales so strong he can barely stand up. Raging storms turn the surrounding marshland into an inland sea, flooding the abbey's cellars and devastating their meagre food supplies. In summer this little 'sanctuary' is invaded by mosquitoes. The Minsmere marshes are far from an ideal place to live. Look what happened to Dunwich just up the coast. Austerity is one thing, but surely God would settle for a little less hardship?

One of his predecessors clearly thought so. According to the Curia Regis Rolls (the legal and administrative records of the time) at least one of the abbots of Leiston indulged in a spot of piracy to supplement the abbey's income and restock the cellars. It is recorded that in 1293 the abbot, aided by others, beat up the captain of a ship destined for the nearby harbour of Dunwich, seizing the vessel and its cargo and sailing it up a channel to the abbey.

Goodness knows if the abbot in 1363 was still taking advantage of local shipping in this way. If so, he was prepared to forego the booty in favour of abandoning his miserable existence among the marshes of Minsmere. After almost two centuries, since the Premonstratensians made it their first and only abbey in Suffolk, they decided to move . . . literally. The priests dismantled their abbey and, stone by stone, carted it a couple of miles inland, where they rebuilt it on a piece of land just outside modern day Leiston.

The new abbey was magnificent. Not only did it look good, featuring the latest architectural trends, it was comfortable and, importantly, dry, with extensive drainage channels to safeguard against flooding. It took them just seven years, but their new-found comfort was short-lived as a fire in 1380 damaged the priests' living quarters and they had to be refurbished all over again.

So, happily settled in their new abbey, did the priests completely abandon the Minsmere site? Clearly not, since if you go there today you can see the remains of a little chapel, which they continued to use until dissolution in the 1530s. What's more, archaeological surveys showing the remains of the abbey church and cloisters, have also revealed a mysterious rectangular feature, about 100m long, originally thought to be a fish pond. Now remote sensing, plus studies of the abbey’s historical documents and a map drawn in 1783, show that it might once have been a docking facility with a navigable channel. Did the priests continue to use Minsmere as a channel for moving goods - legally or illicitly obtained - inland to their new abode?

Leiston Abbey lies in ruins now, but under the custodianship of English Heritage it is hoped to explore and conserve the site so that we can learn more about life there. It's a fascinating and romantic story, so where better to start than in Lovers Lane . . .

The walk

(S) To get to the start, head north through Leiston along Abbey Road. As the abbey comes into view, turn right at the sign for Sizewell Beach and Woodland Walks. This is Lovers Lane, a misnomer since it's a fairly busy little road where no lovers would wish to tarry. At a little under a mile, there's a low brick building and a radio mast on a sharpish bend. Turn left onto a track. This is the car park for the woodland walks.

Follow the trail through the woods; you can either take the Sandlings Walk, or a smaller path which follows a fen between Kenton Hills (another misnomer) and Sizewell Belts. This meets the Sandlings Walk at Nursery Covert where you turn right and follow the walk to the coast - about 2.25 miles from the start. The woods are a lovely, dense mix of plantation pines and silver birches shimmering in the winter sun. There are also glossy green rhododendron bushes thriving here, possibly the plantings of landowners who once ran the ancient abbey lands as estates. Study the map and there are several clues - farms and buildings named 'Old Abbey', 'Upper Abbey' and 'Lower Abbey'.

Great British Life: The woods along the Sandlings Walk, with views to Sizewell Belts The woods along the Sandlings Walk, with views to Sizewell Belts (Image: Jayne Lindill)

1 After walking in the shady woods, it's a delight to reach the beach and emerge into the winter sunshine. At the grassy fringes of the beach, two camera-shy Exmoor ponies from RSPB Minsmere are quietly grazing on gorse, safe behind an electrified fence. The North Sea is gently crashing onto the beach and washing around the remains of some World War II tank traps, giant concrete cubes which are scattered all along this part of the beach. Suffolk's coast harbours so much history.

Walking along beaches, I find it impossible not to look down in the hope of making some amazing discovery. Sure enough, after a few yards I spot something - a spent bullet casing from (I think) a .303 rifle. Not amazing, but probably wartime. I have my souvenir.

Great British Life: A camera-shy Exmoor pony grazing at the edge of the woods along the Sandlings Walk A camera-shy Exmoor pony grazing at the edge of the woods along the Sandlings Walk (Image: Jayne Lindill)

2 I leave the beach and walk along the grassy footpath. This is the familiar Suffolk Coast Path, 60 miles in total between Lowestoft and Felixstowe. The tidy ruins of Minsmere Chapel come into view, marooned in the marshes. After about 1.5 miles, I reach the red brick housing of Minsmere Sluice and turn inland, following the path towards the chapel.
The path winds around the chapel, where artist Arabella Marshall's marvellous stained glass installation radiates from one of the window spaces. It's been in place since October 2020 and is part of her ongoing A Wing and a Prayer project, using art to highlight the vulnerability of nature (awingandaprayer.org.uk).

Great British Life: Remnant of Suffolk's World War II defences are found all along the coast. Remnant of Suffolk's World War II defences are found all along the coast. (Image: Jayne Lindill)

Great British Life: Tank traps were part of the World War II effort to withstand invasion. Tank traps were part of the World War II effort to withstand invasion. (Image: Jayne Lindill)

Bleak and exposed it may be, but during World War II, the chapel remains provided an excellent vantage point on the East Anglian coast and pillbox was built inside. The site was restored in 2011 and is now a scheduled ancient monument.

I press on towards the village of Eastbridge, following the path around the southern edge of Minsmere Nature Reserve. I follow the cry of a marsh harrier and spot it swirling above the reeds. In a channel just off the path, a magnificent heron stands sentinel, then rises lazily into the sky.

Great British Life: Looking south, towards Sizewell. Looking south, towards Sizewell. (Image: Jayne Lindill)

Great British Life: A lovely sunny, winter day on the beach between Sizewell and Minsmere. A lovely sunny, winter day on the beach between Sizewell and Minsmere. (Image: Jayne Lindill)

3 After about 2.5 miles I reach Eastbridge. The footpath threads between paddocks and the backs of houses, emerging at a road. I turn right towards the village, going past the Eels Foot pub, then sharp left and arrive at the village sign. I go straight on until I reach a crossroads, then head left or about a mile along a quiet lane (Potters Street) in the direction of Leiston, passing Theberton House, an impressive 18th century mansion.

4 Potters Street meets the busy B1122 which I need to cross over, then turn left and pick up the footpath across a field towards the ruins of Leiston Abbey. It's a busy road, so my advice is to walk along the field edge once you've crossed over.

Great British Life: Minsmere Chapel, all that remains of the original abbey built in the marshes, which was dismantled and rebuilt further inland. Minsmere Chapel, all that remains of the original abbey built in the marshes, which was dismantled and rebuilt further inland. (Image: Jayne Lindill)

5 It's about half a mile to the abbey and it's a thrill when it comes into view. It may not be Whitby, Rievaulx or Lindisfarne, but seeing it close up I can appreciate just how important it is to Suffolk, and how further investigation of how the idiosyncratic Premonstratensians lived here will add so much to our county's story.

According to English heritage the first Premonstratensian community was founded in 1120 by Saint Norbert in Premontre, France, five years after a dream in which he saw white-clad figures walking in procession and carrying lights. Norbert instructed his followers to ‘fear the company of men as a fish shuns dry land’, so they sought out the most remote, desolate locations in which to build their settlements. Great British Life: Leiston Abbey is in the custodianship of English Heritage which has plans to conserve the site. Leiston Abbey is in the custodianship of English Heritage which has plans to conserve the site. (Image: Jayne Lindill)

But, unlike other monastic orders, the Premonstratensians were active teachers, preachers, doctors and corrodians (pensioners), and looked after the sick and the elderly, often caring for them in an on-site infirmary. New research suggests that far from being reclusive, the Premonstratensians were outgoing members of the medieval economy.

As latecomers to the British monastic scene, they missed out on large donations of high-quality agricultural land, so turned to industry, such as silver smithing, coal mining, cloth weaving, tile making – even counterfeiting – for their survival. It's hoped that by exploring Leiston Abbey, the true character of Leiston’s Premonstratensian priests will emerge.

6 After a stroll around the ruins, I pick up the footpath that passes the abbey and emerges onto Abbey Lane. I turn left and head down to the B1122, cross over and head up Lovers Lane once more, with care, back to the woodland walks car park.

Leiston Abbey is one of those Suffolk places I've passed so many times but never visited. I'm glad I have - it's brought to life the very real (and romantic) human story behind the ruins of not just one, but two ancient communities.

Great British Life: The mainly 14th-century remains of Leiston Abbey are among Suffolk’s most impressive monastic ruins, with some spectacular architectural features. The mainly 14th-century remains of Leiston Abbey are among Suffolk’s most impressive monastic ruins, with some spectacular architectural features. (Image: Jayne Lindill)