Spectacular views and giant ships
Located between Landguard Fort and the Port of Felixstowe is the John Bradfield Viewing Area.
From here you can enjoy stunning views across the estuary to the Shotley Peninsula and the towns of Harwich and Dovercourt (both in Essex). If the weather is really clear you can even see the off-shore wind turbines beyond The Naze. Though the scenery is beautiful it is not what most visitors are here to see, they come to watch the hustle and bustle of the Port of Felixstowe and the vast container ships that come into the harbour following the natural deep water channel to berth up at the docks.
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The Port of Felixstowe
The Port of Felixstowe is the UK's largest container port and the sixth busiest in Europe. Strategically located on the east coast, Felixstowe is the nearest UK container port to the major ports of north Europe. Over 40% of the UK’s container cargo passes through here.
Berths 8 and 9 are now open and are the latest section to be completed of the quayside expansion project of the Port of Felixstowe. They are the only terminals in the UK that can handle the next generation of container ships - some reaching 400 metres in length with containers 24 wide on deck. This is equivalent to 5.6 Boeing 747 aeroplanes or 35 train carriages! To handle this size of ship, the new berths are equipped with some of the biggest ship-to-shore cranes in the world - each one weighing approximately 2,000 tonnes and standing at 85m, that's heigher than Nelson's Column in London. If laid end to end, the containers handled by the Port over the course of a year, would stretch all the way from the UK to Australia.
Harwich Harbour Foot and Cycle Ferry
The Harwich Harbour Foot and Cycle Ferry runs from the Ha'Penny Pier in Harwich to the John Bradfield Viewing Area at Felixstowe. It is the only public ferry service connecting Essex and Suffolk. The vessel runs from Easter to the end of September - please check their website for days and times.
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Things to Do
- Stroll along the shingle beach to the wooden jetty which offers even more spectacular views.
- Watch the little tugs as they help the giant ships to arrive and depart.
- See some of the world's biggest cranes unloading and loading up the ships.
- Take a trip across the water and back on the Harwich Harbour Foot and Cycle Ferry.
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Further Information
Visit the Port of Felixstowe's sailing schedule to see what is arriving and departing.
Check out the regularly updated webcam of the Port of Felixstowe.
Explore the interactive map at the Marine Traffic website and trace ships right around the world.
Check out our online View Point Gallery