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The Suffolk Walking Festival
The Suffolk Walking Festival is putting its feet up…
The Suffolk Walking Festival has now ended.
Since the very first festival in 2008, the festival grew and grew to become one of the largest and longest running walking festivals in the country.
Thank you to everyone who was involved in delivering the festival over the past 18 years.
Special thanks goes to the many walk leaders. Many were volunteers who had a deep passion for Suffolk and a love of sharing that passion with others.
Thank you also to the District Councils of Suffolk who supported the event every year.
And very special thank you to the festival Patron, Lesley Dolphin who, as afternoon presenter on BBC Radio Suffolk, gave the event valuable promotion.
The festival started life in 2008 as the Heart of Suffolk Walking Festival with 30 walks in the central part of the county.
In 2010 it gained support across Suffolk and developed into the Suffolk Walking Festival.
In 2012 a long-distance multi-day walk named The Challenge Walk was launched. Over the years The Challenge Walk explored The St Edmund Way, The Suffolk Coast Path, The Angles Way, The Stour Valley Path, The Brecks Trail, The Sandlings Walk, The East Suffolk Lines Walk, and in 2023 it helped launch a brand new long distance trail called The Wool Towns Walk.
In 2018 a Fringe Festival, with activities that got you close to nature in the very heart of the countryside, was introduced. And in 2021, when the festival had to be cancelled due to the pandemic, a Virtual Festival was held with the Suffolk Walking Festival Podcast launched.
Over 18 years the festival grew, evolved, changed and developed. It made friends with thousands of walkers and explored every corner of Suffolk.
Thank you to everyone who took part in the festival over the many years. You gave us many lovely memories, became our special friends, and left millions of footprints across Suffolk!
Walking Groups in Suffolk
Do you like walking with others? We are lucky in Suffolk to have many walking opportunities and events to choose from. Use the link below to find out about a few options available for walking groups in Suffolk.
Home Start Hike 2025
The Home Start Hike is a new fundraising event for 2025, working in partnership with Abbeycroft and Explore Outdoor.
Sunday 28th September 2025
Kingfisher Leisure Centre Sudbury
Various distances from 3 to 26 miles
Hospital Hero Hike 2025
Back by popular demand! You can choose to fundraise for a current appeal : Butterfly Appeal, Cancer Wellbeing, Radiotherapy, Staff Wellbeing or for a particular ward or department.
Saturday 4th October 2025
Colchester Hospital to Ipswich Hospital
21 miles
