Old Railway Bridge

The Old Railway Bridge near Sudbury is one of those Victorian structures that makes you stop and stare - all cast iron and solid engineering from an era when railways were the height of progress. It's a proper survivor, carrying the River Sudbury beneath its arches and looking every bit as sturdy today as it must have 150 years ago.

Walkers get the most from this one. There's a decent riverside path that takes you under the bridge, and the approach from either side gives you time to appreciate the metalwork and the sheer scale of it. You're not looking at much more than twenty minutes here unless you're the type who sits sketching Victorian ironwork - which, fair play, is rather appealing if you are.

The location works well if you're based at one of the nearby parks like Lake View Lodges Suffolk or The Huts at Woodthorpes. It's an easy detour on a morning walk rather than a destination in itself. Bring the kids and they'll be mildly interested; bring a camera and you'll leave happier. There's no admission charge because there's nothing really to admit to - you just turn up and look at it.

Best visited on a clear day when the light catches the ironwork properly. Autumn's particularly good, when the river traffic of ramblers picks up and the whole area feels properly used. It's the sort of place that reminds you Suffolk's got a proper industrial history hiding beneath all that rural charm.