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East Town Park

Park

East Town Park — Photo: Hugh Venables, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Original Geograph photograph · Report the wrong picture

Explorer Tom

East Town Park in Haverhill has a trick up its sleeve: a stroll can lead you through meadows, past a pond and onto an old railway route, as though Suffolk quietly built a countryside escape hatch. Bring your best explorer's legs; this place has several stories to tell before you've finished the first lap. The park covers about 50 acres, with paths joining a wider Haverhill network. Its five-kilometre Railway Walk follows the Haverhill to Sudbury line, which ran from 1865 to 1967; the rails have gone; butterflies and blackthorn have taken over. The avenue once led towards The Coupals, a Victorian house associated with the textile-making Gurteen family. Tom reckons its rooks still conduct roll calls for late trains, though they decline to confirm it. Choose your own expedition. The 400-metre easy-access loop crosses Millennium Meadow and passes a pond where frogs, toads and dragonflies gather. East Meadow has mature walnut trees, early snowdrops and yellow aconites; the old osier beds recall willow once used by Haverhill basket weavers. Look out for the brook too: the council records kingfishers, grey wagtails, moorhens and water voles along it. If your party includes younger adventurers, there is a play area as well as picnic space and toilets. Admission is free. West Suffolk Council lists park hours as 7am to 6pm from October through March, with longer evenings in warmer months, subject to ranger availability; the visitor centre and kiosk keep separate seasonal hours. Parking is available at Coupals Road; the easy-access loop suits wheelchairs and pushchairs. Start with one path, then let another lure you onward: East Town Park is good at turning a quick leg-stretch into a splendid detour.

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From OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors) w469090358

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East Town Park, Haverhill — East Town Park, Haverhill · Photo: Hugh Venables · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Original Geograph photograph

East Town Park, Haverhill — East Town Park, Haverhill · Photo: Hugh Venables · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Original Geograph photograph

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Robert Edwards, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
Bob Jones, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
Colin Park, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
RRRR NNNN, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
Keith Edkins, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
Keith Evans, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
Adrian S Pye, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0

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