Fodor's Expert Review Leiston Abbey & Beach
This Augustinian abbey, founded in 1186, was one of the most important religious orders in the area until it fell victim to Henry VIII's troops during the dissolution of the monasteries. It has a highly unusual feature—a 17th-century church built inside (and partially out of) the abbey ruins, effectively making it a church-within-a-church. Just opposite the row of little cottages leading up to the abbey, you'll see a small sign for a walking path to Leiston Beach. The track starts rather unpromisingly by crossing a pig farm, but persevere, because the ¼-mile trail across fields, woods, and cliffs is the only way to access this beautiful sandy beach, one of the area's best-kept secrets. The water here is good for swimming, and the seclusion can be heavenly. There are no facilities whatsoever, but plenty of locals make the trek on a sunny day. Look out for the scattered remains of a few brick houses on your way down. These are all that's left of a village that was completely... READ MORE
This Augustinian abbey, founded in 1186, was one of the most important religious orders in the area until it fell victim to Henry VIII's troops during the dissolution of the monasteries. It has a highly unusual feature—a 17th-century church built inside (and partially out of) the abbey ruins, effectively making it a church-within-a-church. Just opposite the row of little cottages leading up to the abbey, you'll see a small sign for a walking path to Leiston Beach. The track starts rather unpromisingly by crossing a pig farm, but persevere, because the ¼-mile trail across fields, woods, and cliffs is the only way to access this beautiful sandy beach, one of the area's best-kept secrets. The water here is good for swimming, and the seclusion can be heavenly. There are no facilities whatsoever, but plenty of locals make the trek on a sunny day. Look out for the scattered remains of a few brick houses on your way down. These are all that's left of a village that was completely destroyed by coastal erosion in the 1960s. Leiston Abbey is 5½ miles north of Aldeburgh.
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