I’m falling in love with the Brecks a bit at the moment and this was somewhere we’ve wanted to visit for a long while!
Knettishall Heath is a SSSI and there are six trails to choose from, ranging from 1.5 – 2.5 miles in distance. We opted for the long riverside trail which was 2.5 miles and had a mix of riverside views and woodland.
It was an okay length for a six-year old. She enjoyed the woodland part the most where she could climb in the trees. We found a bridge half way round and stopped for Pooh sticks.
Some of this trail was rather bumpy by the river. I spoke to a family with a pushchair and they said they made it all the way round but her arms were “a bit jangly”. There was one kissing gate to get through which they squeezed their pushchair through, but it didn’t look like a great trail for pushchairs.
My daughter liked the start of the walk the most – I think we could have stayed for ages by the river and messing about on the play equipment! It wasn’t anything flash, but sometimes she seems to enjoy that rustic kind of stuff more!
- Length: a range from 1.5-2.5 miles
- Café: Currently no but a new catering van is coming soon.
- Play area: a nice and basic little assault course at the start – my daughter loved it.
- Pushchairs/Wheelchairs: The short riverside walk (1.5 miles) is marked as a wheelchair/mobility scooter friendly trail, although just to warn, this looked quite bumpy and a bit rough half way round too. The long riverside trail is just about do-able with a pushchair, but it will be a bumpy ride and there is the kissing gate to negotiate – I’d opt for a baby carrier.
- Dogs: Allowed on a lead, allowed off lead on the Pine Trail
- Toilets: Yes – open April-October (disabled toilet but no baby-change)
- Seats: Yes
- Picnic area: Yes
- Opening times: Open 7 days a week
- Entrance fee: Fee for parking from June 2021 onwards
- Parking: Several large car parks – postcode IP22 2TQ; what3words ///rider.trackers.clearing
- Other: Beautiful weir and paddling spot. Ponies in the fields along the riverside trails. Check out the website as they have “Wild Tots”, “Wild Babies”, “Wild Families” and “Wild in the Week” events on
- Website: Great website for information: https://www.suffolkwildlifetrust.org/knettishallheath
- Plus a trail map here: https://bit.ly/3hrfoEY (this is also on site with extra info)
