St Margaret’s Church stands on a hill overlooking the village of Shottisham. The village centre is focused around the church and The Sorrel Horse Public House. At the junction of The Street and Church Lane, cottages form a close-knit group known as The Knoll. Church Lane is also part of the village centre and ends as a short cul-de-sac. The church on the hill and the group of cottages known as The Knoll therefore provide two concrete points of reference for understanding the structure of the village.
Village Centre and Countryside
The entire parish of Shottisham lies within the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Water meadows extend through the Shottisham valley, giving way to marshland towards Shottisham Creek, on the eastern bank of the Deben. The countryside around the village changes character depending on the direction: to the west is a damp valley, to the south and east are sandy fields, and to the north are heathland and woods. From the village road, there is a view across meadows and woodland at the crossing of Shottisham Creek. The creek is a tributary of the Deben.
Footpaths and Connections
The designated public footpaths Nos. 37, 32 and 31 lead from Shottisham to fields and Bawdsey Road. Footpath No. 4 connects the western section of The Street, through the grounds of Mill House, with the B1083 running north. The paths thus differ in their stated starting points and destinations. A bridleway is also described: from New Cottages, it leads left towards Shottisham at the junction with the main B1083 road.
A walk from Shottisham to Ramsholt follows Church Lane and a footpath near the village gardens. The route description, published in October 2024, also crosses a bridge over Shottisham Creek. The route thus connects named village paths with a crossing over the creek. For orientation, it is worth distinguishing the specific path names and destinations: paths 37, 32 and 31 lead to fields and Bawdsey Road, while the described route to Ramsholt follows Church Lane.
Church, Mill and Village History
St Margaret’s Church is a Grade II listed church dating from the early 14th century. Work was carried out in the 16th century; around 1867, architect G.C. Hakewill was involved in further work. During the 1867 restoration, he added the north aisle and lowered the nave roof. The churchyard also has its own historical details: it contains notable 18th- and 19th-century monuments that are of historical interest in their own right. Shottisham Water Mill probably dates from the 18th century. The church, the monuments and the mill thus represent different aspects of local architecture and history.
Pub and Travel Choices
The Sorrel Horse Inn is a historic 16th-century pub in Shottisham. It serves hearty pub food and works with local food suppliers. The food offering and suppliers may change; check these current details before your visit. When choosing what to focus on during your trip, you can weigh up different options: the architectural history of the village centre, the changing landscape, or the paths described here. If you are particularly interested in church architecture, St Margaret’s and its restoration phases offer specific points of interest. If landscape and route choices are your priority, the destinations described and the surroundings of Shottisham Creek differ clearly from the historic details in the village centre.
Discover more destinations: Leiston, Freckenham, Hartest, Felixstowe, Thorpeness, Rendlesham, Newmarket, Brandon.
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