East Suffolk

East Suffolk sits on the east coast of England, extending from Lowestoft in the north to Felixstowe in the south. The district was created in 2019 by merging the former Waveney and Suffolk Coastal councils and includes towns such as Lowestoft, Felixstowe, Woodbridge, Aldeburgh and Leiston. Several rivers cross the area, including the Waveney, Blyth, Alde and Deben, and the coastline contains estuaries and marshland that meet the North Sea. Local settlements range from port and seaside towns to inland market towns, with rail links connecting many communities along the coast and inland valleys.

The district’s economy mixes port activity, energy and land-based industries. Felixstowe handles much of the country’s container traffic, while Leiston sits beside the Sizewell nuclear site. Conservation and birdwatching are concentrated on stretch of coast that includes RSPB Minsmere and portions of the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Fishing, arable farming and visitor services remain important to smaller towns and villages, where tidal creeks and shingle banks mark the shoreline.