Gorleston-on-SeaLowestoft

Gorlow one
Not verified

Slow Way not verified yet. Verify Gorlow here.

By a Slow Ways Volunteer on 07 Apr 2021


Distance

12km/7mi

Ascent

100m

Descent

91m

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So far it has been reviewed by three people and surveyed by zero people and there is one issue flagged with this route.

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Description

This is a Slow Ways route connecting Gorleston-on-Sea and Lowestoft.

Know of a better route? Share it here.

This is a Slow Ways route connecting Gorleston-on-Sea and Lowestoft.

Know of a better route? Share it here.

Status

This route has been reviewed by 3 people.

This route has been flagged (1 times) for reasons relating to safety.

Photos for Gorlow one

Photos of this route will appear when they are added to a review. You can review this route here.


Information

Not verified

Route status - Live

Reviews - 3

Average rating -

Is this route good enough? -  Yes (2) Maybe (1)

Problems reported -  Safety (1)

Downloads - 14

Surveys

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Geography information system (GIS) data

Total length

Maximum elevation

Minimum elevation

Start and end points

Gorleston-on-Sea
Grid Ref TG5291203382
Lat / Lon 52.56944° / 1.73075°
Easting / Northing 652,912E / 303,382N
What3Words fortress.segments.rewriting
Lowestoft
Grid Ref TM5476692892
Lat / Lon 52.47447° / 1.75001°
Easting / Northing 654,766E / 292,892N
What3Words issues.couple.report

Gorlow One's land is

Arable 18.4%
Natural grass 15.3%
Urban 66.3%

Data: Corine Land Cover (CLC) 2018

reviews


Danny Dring

22 Jun 2023 Summer

I reviewed this walk yesterday and found it really pleasant to walk, It had so many variations on what you would walk thought to even walking on from sandy beach to woodlands and urban area's.
I encountered a lot of locals and all of them very nice and said hi when approached.
i would recommend anyone that is capable to walk this to do so it really shows off the shoreline norfolk has to offer.


Genevieve Rudd

25 Jan 2023 Winter

The walk from Gorleston-on-sea to Lowestoft is a pleasant one, taking in the coast, woodland, grass landscapes in caravan parks and a golf course, and pedestrianised walks through villages. This mix of views and terrains to enjoy, which makes for an interesting route. I found this experience really heightened my awareness of the coastal changes we're experiencing here, so I'd suggest you download the route onto an app, such as the OS App (Ordnance Survey), as you will need to reroute away from the dangerous edges, and this will help you rejoin the path.

The route at Gorleston-on-sea starts at the upper promenade and heads south, away from the small stretch of beach cafes and shops, down to the 'wilder' end of the beach. Make use of the cafes, toilets and facilities in Gorleston before heading along the route, as there aren't any until walking through the village of Corton and then into Lowestoft.

The route leads off the promenade onto the sand, meaning walking between wooden sea defences and an eroding cliff at Gorleston - this is the start of a difficult and dynamic stretch, between Gorleston-on-sea, Hopton on sea and Corton, that is being actively impacted by coastal climate change.

The beach at Hopton has been shut for many years, and so after carefully weaving along the coastal edge Gorleston Golf Course, it's now impossible to walk on the beach for a consistent stretch of time. At this point, the only route through is via the caravan holiday parks. There is some signage dotted around for access to the 'Coast Path' and its new 'Alternative route'. I was using the OS Map on my phone, so it was clear to follow a route back onto the suggested Gorlow Slow Ways path.

Between Hopton and Corton, I was walking in caravan parks and fields, as the coastal path has dramatically fallen into the sea, and so either parts of it didn't exist, or it didn't feel safe to be close to the edge, as much of it is unprotected.

Once at Corton, the route comes into the village, with more caravan holiday parks, and therefore a couple of pubs and cafes. This is where the route briefly changes from a coastal trek to a village stroll, edged with woodland and bracken. Every so often, between the houses, there are views down to the sea and coastal edge. On the day I was walking, it was very misty so this view was quite obscured!

From Corton into Lowestoft, Gorlow comes back to meet the sea. This time, instead of sand, the route is on the concrete solid sea defences, with the large wind turbine up ahead, and another caravan park. I thought the route would go right to Ness Point, the most easterly point, but instead it comes into the industrial estate, and then onto the A47 to lead into Lowestoft town centre.

Following along the curve of the harbour at Lowestoft, the last stretch of the route is built up and busy, finally coming to an end at the train station. At Lowestoft, there are lots of shops, cafes and pubs, as well as transport links at the train station and the bus station, which is another 5-10 mins through town. The walk took me just over 3 hours, and the bus back to Gorleston is 40 mins.

I really enjoyed walking this route, but it also comes with much concern, due to the accelerating coastal erosion. If you're planning to walk this route, I'd suggest operating active caution, particularly between the middle stretch of the walk at Gorleston-on-sea (south end), Hopton on sea and Corton (north end). It's not worth taking the risk of trying to walk down by the sea or up on the edge of the coast path, at some points, so why not weave into the caravan parks, golf course and fields, and enjoy the change of terrain.


Matt Tre

06 Oct 2022 Autumn

I walked this route from Lowestoft up to Gorleston.
The route takes you from Lowestoft station and follows the main road round near the docks, before switching to Whapload Road at a roundabout. There were no difficulties faced here with crossing roads or pavements.
At one point, the pavement on the East side of the road opens up into a path called The Ness (which I assume links to Ness Point), however this particular route didn't indicate to use that, so I did not use it, but stayed on the path on the other side of the road.
The road eventually reaches a caravan park which you need to walk through in order to reach the main promenade pathway alongside the sea. This was very wide and had step free access.
Following this North, you are eventually made to turn left; again this was step free access. The route then follows this road inland which did involve quite a steep incline (shown in the distance in one of the photos, with a white vehicle descending the hill).
Once on Corton Road, there is a pavement on this all the way out of Lowestoft, going past the back of Pleasurewood Hills, before arriving in Corton. Again, the path is easy to navigate through Corton, but on the outskirts of Corton is where the path becomes a dirt track, and from this point on this would not be suitable for pushchairs or wheelchairs.
The path then follows close to the cliff tops, apart from one part where you are forced to go inland (and where this original route carries straight on in error). The actual path that you have to follow is easy to navigate though.
The path then goes back towards the clifftops, and through the grounds of a holiday resort (which is clearly signed about where you need to stay).
At different points along this clifftop walk, there are 1 or 2 gates and steep steps to navigate, which I have included a few photos of where possible.
Eventually, the path goes alongside a number of different caravan parks, and at the end of these, the path is forced down onto the beach. (Also, at one point alongside the caravan parks, the actual path was between a fence and the clifftop edge and was very, very narrow - at this point, I kept to the left of the fence instead)
There are lots of sea barriers along this stretch of coastline, but from here to the edge of Gorleston, the rest of the route is on the beach. This was a very pleasant walk on a dry day, but in worse weather conditions, this could make the beach much more difficult for walking on.
Once on the edge of Gorleston, you can join the promenade, and this route is shown to go onto the higher walkways, which are accessible via ramps.
Once in Gorleston, there are toilets and shops, and right at the end of the route, near the boating lake are cafes and takeaways.

It should be noted however, that pretty much once setting off from Lowestoft, there were no public toilets to speak of, until you actually arrived in Gorleston. (Although Corton did feature a pub, which would be just a bit before halfway on this route).

The cliff walk was very pleasant, and there was only a stretch of about 40m or so at the north edge of Corton where there was no pavement next to the road, but at this point it was a very quiet road.

Marked as 4* due to the route being not quite right with the actual path, and the relative lack of facilities enroute.


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