Dunwich Beach and Overnight Parking.

scotjimland

scotjimland

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Since 1983.
Dunwich beach on the Suffolk coast.

Large Free car park with a cafe and toilets .. really nice place, beach and walking on the cliff footpath, but it's daytime parking only .

For overnight parking, you can park in the Dunwich Church Car Park with a donation of £5 .. honesty box

It's near the Ship Pub, a small Museum and the ruined Greyfriers Friary worth the short walk, and on the way, you can also see the Last Grave of a graveyard and church that were lost to the sea..

Google Map

Search For Sites Location

A few photos to give some idea what it's like.



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Church Car Park..
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That area will be a walking area from December , we’re staying on Cliff House campsite for 3 months.
In previous years there have been a couple van lifer type vans park overnight but the signs for no overnight parking were more visible last January.
 
Manic said:
In previous years there have been a couple van lifer type vans park overnight but the signs for no overnight parking were more visible last January.
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There is a 'local' who apparently has a intense dislike for motorhomes.. . several reports of him on S4S app.. abusing and shouting at people staying all night.. as far as I know, the No Overnight Parking signs are home made and not enforceable.. ?

Also a report of raw eggs being thrown during the night at camper vans on the Nature Reserve car park on the Dunwich Rd.

The church car park (field) gets favourable reviews
 
There are some sad people about, we stay on Cliff House because it gives good long stay winter rates
 
We have stopped on more than one occasion in the large park where the café and toilets are. We did mention this to one of the staff in the café and she said "there are often MH parked there overnight and she's never been aware of any problems"

I think its like anything else, providing your not making a mess or a nuisance, most people will turn a blind eye.

Now I know about the church yard 2mins down the road I'll probably use that, for £5 what's not to like.

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They do a cracking full English if you're there before 11am. After that its ham egg and chips for me, the wife's a bit more refined and goes for the fish & chips.
 
I did an overnight there last year, and having made a donation in the pot, I was disinclined upon later spotting the discouragement of overnighting, to move. It was the following morning that I discovered the church "car park" up the road.
 
scotjimland said:
Dunwich beach on the Suffolk coast.

Large Free car park with a cafe and toilets .. really nice place, beach and walking on the cliff footpath, but it's daytime parking only .

For overnight parking, you can park in the Dunwich Church Car Park with a donation of £5 .. honesty box

It's near the Ship Pub, a small Museum and the ruined Greyfriers Friary worth the short walk, and on the way, you can also see the Last Grave of a graveyard and church that were lost to the sea..

Google Map

Search For Sites Location

A few photos to give some idea what it's like.



View attachment 818143View attachment 818144View attachment 818145View attachment 818146View attachment 818147View attachment 818148View attachment 818149View attachment 818150View attachment 818151View attachment 818152

Church Car Park..
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Click to expand...



Thank you for the info scotjimland . Just a question,on s4s it shades out a large tag axle motorhome. But on google maps the car park looks a big one. Would my 8 m tag axle be ok to park there over night?
 
If are there in June, ensure you do not clash with the Dunwich Dynamo

That car park (and the Flora tea rooms and the Ship Inn) becomes the main staging area for thousands of cyclists who arrive between 3am and mid day having ridden the 200km from London where they started about 8pm the previous evening.

One year I saw a motorhome who had made that mistake.
I can't imagine they got any sleep much after midnight and well before dawn were completely blocked in by thousands of cyclists, lorries, coaches and other support vehicles.

Mind you, on Dunwich Dynamo night, the pub opens at 3am, so if you can't sleep, you can always get in a few pints and clap the cyclists who make it to the beach before dawn ;)
 
Jo662 said:
Thank you for the info scotjimland . Just a question,on s4s it shades out a large tag axle motorhome. But on google maps the car park looks a big one. Would my 8 m tag axle be ok to park there over night?
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car park is indeed large , but the roads down to Dunwich are quite narrow in places, but you should be fine.. only concern I would have is getting stuck, so if there has been a lot of rain I would check to make sure it wasn't too soft .. I had walk around and it felt fine and there was no evidence of anyone being stuck..

field , gate and approach road

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re

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Last edited:
Jo662 said:
Thank you for the info scotjimland . Just a question,on s4s it shades out a large tag axle motorhome. But on google maps the car park looks a big one. Would my 8 m tag axle be ok to park there over night?
Click to expand...
Not just the Dunwich Beach location, but I have often seen large MHs crossed out on S4S locations, when in fact there is no need for the exclusion.
This makes me think that it is down to one's interpretation, when initially visiting and completing an online survey.
I suppose it depends on what you are used to driving, ie, Rita will often say, "You are surely not going to park up there" :whatthe: whereupon it's clearly not an issue for me, having already assessed accessibility. (y)

Cheers,

Jock. :)
 
scotjimland said:
Dunwich beach on the Suffolk coast.

Large Free car park with a cafe and toilets .. really nice place, beach and walking on the cliff footpath, but it's daytime parking only .

For overnight parking, you can park in the Dunwich Church Car Park with a donation of £5 .. honesty box

It's near the Ship Pub, a small Museum and the ruined Greyfriers Friary worth the short walk, and on the way, you can also see the Last Grave of a graveyard and church that were lost to the sea..

Google Map

Search For Sites Location

A few photos to give some idea what it's like.



View attachment 818143View attachment 818144View attachment 818145View attachment 818146View attachment 818147View attachment 818148View attachment 818149View attachment 818150View attachment 818151View attachment 818152

Church Car Park..
View attachment 818153View attachment 818154View attachment 818155View attachment 818156View attachment 818157View attachment 818158



View attachment 818184
Click to expand...
Whilst the Car park is currently Free, there is a large notice that says NO OVERNIGHT PARKING.... they are right it is special, there are ground nesting birds and other wild life that can be affected by human intrusion so by not parking overnight my guess is it gives nature some respite.

tempImagebAIoZf.jpg
 
Unless you are a cyclist, avoid the area on Saturday 20th July 2024 as it's Dunwich Dynamo night !

If however you are a cyclist, then it's one of the great (very) amateur classic rides that every cyclist should do at least once!
It can be ridden on any bike, you will see Bromptons, Boris Bikes, Christiania bikes and even the odd Penny farthing !
Thousands of cyclists of all shapes and sizes migrating like animals across the Serengeti, all aiming for the car park and the Flora tea rooms for dawn on Sunday.
 
Gaston aires said:
usually overnight
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Be warned No parking at Sizewell for vehicles over 5m. Huge car park, we always parked out of the way on the grass area We live close, and used to go all year, for over 40yrs
About 2yrs ago got a parking ticket, March (empty car park,) saying we were either too high, too long, or too heavy
Appeal. apparently new parking regs in most Suffolk Coastal Car Parks, no vehicles over 5m.
No signage to say over 5m not allowed, did have the ticket cancelled, but told we could no longer park here as this huge car park, “ is for people who want to go to chill”
Don’t know what they think we were doing, we enjoy “chilling” , also advised us to park on the road, as no restriction, narrow road already full of residents vehicles, no where to fit a 7.5m van
Don’t mind taking our Council Tax.
So many restrictions, at the places,( SuffolkCoastal) we used to use.
 
If intending to use the field opposite the church at Dunwich, beware there are now the obligatory pot holes opposite the entrance, I believe I spotted a Ford Anglia in the bottom of one of the holes it’s that deep. 😀

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Phileas Dog said:
Be warned No parking at Sizewell for vehicles over 5m. Huge car park, we always parked out of the way on the grass area We live close, and used to go all year, for over 40yrs
About 2yrs ago got a parking ticket, March (empty car park,) saying we were either too high, too long, or too heavy
Appeal. apparently new parking regs in most Suffolk Coastal Car Parks, no vehicles over 5m.
No signage to say over 5m not allowed, did have the ticket cancelled, but told we could no longer park here as this huge car park, “ is for people who want to go to chill”
Don’t know what they think we were doing, we enjoy “chilling” , also advised us to park on the road, as no restriction, narrow road already full of residents vehicles, no where to fit a 7.5m van
Don’t mind taking our Council Tax.
So many restrictions, at the places,( SuffolkCoastal) we used to use.
Click to expand...
Shame. We’ve been parking overnight on the green area for years. Also always bought a weeks Suffolk coastal car parks ticket which seems to have been withdrawn since Covid. Council’s just love to screw motorists.
Bury St Edmunds still allow overnight in designated spots at Ram meadow car park cheaply. Great stopover.
Phil
 
Dunwich car park today at 11 am.. by 1pm it was rammed full.. mostly cars with a smattering of campervans.. plus a coach that disgorged an army of pensioners..

Lovely day out but a bit windy on the beach,, so had a nice walk along the cliff top and around Greyfriers wood and the Abbey ..

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A hardy pair having a picnic on the beach ..

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In the woods..

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scotjimland said:
Dunwich car park today at 11 am.. by 1pm it was rammed full.. mostly cars with a smattering of campervans.. plus a coach that disgorged an army of pensioners..

Lovely day out but a bit windy on the beach,, so had a nice walk along the cliff top and around Greyfriers wood and the Abbey ..

View attachment 883145

A hardy pair having a picnic on the beach ..

View attachment 883146


In the woods..

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Click to expand...
Know it well, there are tree creepers in that forest
 
Brains said:
Unless you are a cyclist, avoid the area on Saturday 20th July 2024 as it's Dunwich Dynamo night !

If however you are a cyclist, then it's one of the great (very) amateur classic rides that every cyclist should do at least once!
It can be ridden on any bike, you will see Bromptons, Boris Bikes, Christiania bikes and even the odd Penny farthing !
Thousands of cyclists of all shapes and sizes migrating like animals across the Serengeti, all aiming for the car park and the Flora tea rooms for dawn on Sunday.
Click to expand...
Are you doing it this year?
 

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