Skip to content
Suffolk

Melford Hall Windmill Hill walk

Sheep in foreground with Melford Hall in background
Melford Hall with sheep in foreground | © National Trust

Get away from the traffic and enjoy the simple pleasures in life. Take in the Suffolk countryside on this circular walk with hidden gems, woodland, open fields and spectacular views of Melford Hall and the church of Holy Trinity (take a peek at the stained-glass windows).

Start point

Melford Hall, Sudbury, Suffolk CO10 9AA. Grid ref: TL866483.

Trail information

Difficulty*

Accessibility**

Full trail

DistanceMiles: 3.75 (km: 6)
Duration1 hour 30 mins
Dog friendly***
  1. *Dirt or grassy paths and fields, with stiles and some roads. May be muddy. For further details, please see Terrain section.

  2. **Not suitable for wheelchairs/personal mobility vehicles. For further details, please see section marked Access.

  3. ***Dogs welcome but must be kept under close control. For further details, please see section marked Facilities.

  • Total stages: 12

    Total stages: 12

    Start point

    Melford Hall, Sudbury, Suffolk CO10 9AA. Grid ref: TL866483.

    Stage 1

    Leave Melford Hall, cross over the road and turn left.

    Grass with some frost beyond a wrought iron gate, with trees in background in the gardens, Melford Hall, Suffolk
    A frosty day in the gardens, Melford Hall, Suffolk | © National Trust Images/Graham Tombs

    Stage 2

    Very shortly, turn right down the bridleway (see signpost) between the car park and the village hall. Follow the wide grassy path.

    Stage 3

    Go straight over the distinct track junction, with Long Lane track on your right.

    Stage 4

    Follow the track straight ahead and at the next track junction, observe the three houses at the top of the hill on your right along the A1092.

    Stage 5

    Pass by the sewage works along the concrete road.

    Stage 6

    At the barn with the partly hidden thatched Cranfield Cottage on your left, turn left down the track, ignoring the road to your right.

    Stage 7

    With a metal gate a short distance in front of you, turn right by the small signpost, walking along the fence line, with the open field to your right.

    Fluffy purple flowerhead of a thistle at Trelissick, Cornwall
    Purple thistles in flower | © National Trust Images/Hilary Daniel

    Stage 8

    When you reach the telephone post right beside the fence, with a wood line 218yd (200m) in front of you, turn right and walk uphill on the right-hand side of the tree line. There's no signpost here. As you move uphill, the path diverts into the wood line by a small signpost on the left-hand side of the wood.

    Stage 9

    At the end of the wood line, go forward and left across the busy A1092 and walk along Cranmore Green Lane, passing Bridge Farm cottage immediately on your right.

    Stage 10

    Directly opposite Parsonage Farm on your left, follow the signpost on your right entering a wood. Follow the path along, turning left across a small bridge, walking uphill in the open. The path then goes right and then left through a hedge line. At the end of the hedge, which is now on your left, follow the path straight across the field until you reach the B1066.

    Stage 11

    Turn right and walk on the left-hand side of the road around the double bend for some 330yd (300m). Virtually opposite a field entrance on the right-hand side, across a field to your left you will see a tree line a short distance away running parallel with the road, with a distinct gap at the start of the treeline. A footpath leads off the road to your left straight to the gap. Take that path to the left going straight through the gap or archway.

    Stage 12

    Follow the track downhill, heading for Holy Trinity Church in the near distance. Turn right at the hedgerow, then cross the stream to your left facing an open wooden fence line. Follow the fence line to your left and head straight on up, go over two stiles and through a gate. Go through the churchyard, then passing the almshouses on your left, with Melford Green in front of you, it's a very short walk across and back to the start.

    End point

    Melford Hall, Sudbury, Suffolk, CO10 9AA. Grid ref: TL866483.

    Trail map

    Melford Hall Windmill Hill walk map
    File name Melford Hall Windmill Hill walk map | © Crown copyright and database rights 2013 Ordnance Survey

    You made it

    Share your experience

More near here

A typical view of Suffolk countryside behind Long Melford church in Suffolk
Trail
Trail

Melford Hall countryside walk 

Enjoy views of open fields, gently rolling hills, beautiful vistas, distant churches and clear running brooks on a walk through Suffolk countryside.

Activities
Walking
DistanceMiles: 6 (km: 9.6)
The half-timbered medieval exterior of Lavenham Guildhall, Suffolk
Trail
Trail

Lavenham to Long Melford railway walk 

Walk amid wild flowers, birds and animals along the disused Great Eastern railway line between two medieval ‘wool’ villages, starting at the Guildhall and finishing at Melford Hall, Long Melford.

Activities
Walking
DistanceMiles: 4.5 (km: 7.2)
Cream-walled, red-tiled Willy Lott's House is reflected in the River Stour at Flatford, Suffolk, surrounded by trees showing autumn colour
Trail
Trail

Flatford and Constable country walk 

Explore the Stour Valley and Dedham Vale, captured on canvas by artist John Constable, on this relaxing walk with short and long options.

Activities
Walking
DistanceMiles: 4 (km: 6.4) to miles: 7 (km: 11.2)

Get in touch

Long Melford, Sudbury, Suffolk, CO10 9AA

Our partners

Cotswold Outdoor

We’ve partnered with Cotswold Outdoor to help everyone make the most of their time outdoors in the places we care for.

Visit website 

You might also be interested in

Catering assistants serving visitors in the cafe at Melford Hall, Suffolk
Article
Article

Eating at Melford Hall 

The tea-room at Melford Hall in Suffolk is the ideal place to treat yourself to a cuppa and a tasty treat before, during or after your visit.

Family walking on a footpath through the heather on Dunwich Heath, Suffolk

Walking in Suffolk 

From strolls around famous historic sites to wanders through patchworks of purple heather, these are some of the best winter walks in Suffolk.

Visitors walking in the parkland at Lyme Park, Cheshire

Walking 

Explore some of the finest landscapes in our care on coastal paths, accessible trails, woodland walks and everything in between. Find the best places to walk near you.

A couple are walking outdoors
Article
Article

Cotswold Outdoor: our exclusive walking partner 

Learn about the National Trust’s ongoing partnership with Cotswold Outdoor. Find out how they help us care for precious places and the exclusive discount available for National Trust supporters.

A visitor carrying a backpack and walking along a footpath at Divis and the Black Mountain with stone walls either side, the countryside visible in the background.
Article
Article

Follow the Countryside Code 

Help to look after National Trust places by observing a few simple guidelines during your visit and following the Countryside Code.

Two female visitors standing on the rocks at Giant's Causeway, County Antrim
Article
Article

Staying safe at National Trust places 

The special places in National Trust care sometimes come with a few risks for visitors, be it coastline or countryside. Find out how to keep safe throughout your visits.