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Felixstowe ( ) is a port town and civil parish in the East Suffolk district, in the county of Suffolk, England. The estimated population in 2017 was 24,521. The Port of Felixstowe is the largest Containerization port in the United Kingdom. Felixstowe is approximately northeast of London.
The old Felixstowe hamlet was centred on a pub and church, having stood on the site since long before the Norman conquest of England. The early history of Felixstowe, including its Roman Britain, Anglo-Saxon, Normans and medieval defences, is told under the name of Walton, because the name Felixstowe was given retrospectively, during the 13th century, to a place which had expanded to a form beyond the boundaries of Walton alone. In the Domesday Book, for instance, only Walton is shown, and not Felixstowe, which at the time held little more than a few houses scattered over the cliff tops. Walton was a settlement on the River Orwell and in 1844 had a population of 907 compared to the relatively small Felixstowe Parish holding only 502 people. Walton had always preceded Felixstowe as a settlement as seen by the presence of Walton Castle, built by the Romans in the 3rd century, but today Walton is generally considered part of Felixstowe due to modern expansion.
Felixstowe is situated at the tip of the Colneis peninsula, and was in the ancient Colneis Hundred of Suffolk.
The Felixstowe area as a whole provided a linchpin in England's defence, as proved in 1667 when Dutch soldiers landed near the Fludyers area and tried (unsuccessfully) in the Battle of Landguard Fort to capture Landguard Fort due to its strategic location. The town only became a major port in 1886 when the docks opened, following the initial construction of the dock basin in 1882.
In 1810 or 1811 seven Martello Towers were built along the shore, of which four survive. Tower P on Wireless Green, off Old Fort Road, is the home of the local CoastWatch group. Q Tower, in the town, was the HQ of the Harwich-Ipswich-Martlesham Heath anti-aircraft guns between 1941 and 1945, earlier it had been in Landguard Fort.
At the turn of the century, tourism increased, and a pier was constructed in 1905, some of which is partially functional to this day as an amusement arcade. Indeed, during the late Victorian period (after circa 1880) it became a fashionable resort, a trend initiated by the opening of Felixstowe Town railway station, the pier and a visit by the Germany imperial family in 1891.
It was in this buoyant period that Felixstowe was the first British town to adopt beach huts as stationary permanent structures (rather than wheeled bathing machines) and there are photographic records of beach huts at the "spa area" in Felixstowe dating back to 1895. It is therefore known as the home to British beach huts. Some of the beach huts in the spa area (a conservation area) date back to c.1900, so are probably the original beach huts. On the cliffs above this area sits Harvest House, which was built as The Felix Hotel in 1903, and was known as "the millionaire's hotel", because of the gentry and royal visitors it attracted. The Floral Hall was built in 1909, and subsequently became known as The Spa Pavilion. Felixstowe remained a fashionable seaside destination until the late 1930s.
In April 1914 as part of the suffragette bombing and arson campaign Bath Hotel, which was popular with elite visitors, was burnt down.
Felixstowe played an important role in both world wars; in the first as Royal Naval Air Service and RAF seaplane base RNAS Felixstowe, and in the second as the Coastal Forces MTB, Motor gunboat and ML base HMS Beehive. Between the wars the seaplane station housed the RAF experimental establishment which tested seaplanes and flying boats. Its sheds and piers were incorporated in the MTB base and later the container port.
On 11 August 1919, the Felixstowe Fury sideslipped and crashed into the sea 500 yards offshore soon after take-off while on a test flight. It was preparing for an 8,000-mile flight to Cape Town, South Africa. The wireless operator, Lt. MacLeod, was killed, and the six passengers were rescued. The wreckage was towed ashore.
Wallis Simpson stayed in Felixstowe in 1936 in order to claim residence for her divorce from Ernest Simpson so that she could marry Edward VIII. The divorce and marriage sparked the abdication crisis in the same year.
Most of the south-western area of Felixstowe Urban District, between the Dock, Landguard Point, and Manor Road, was occupied by the Navy, RAF and Army. with Landguard Fort and several ruined gun emplacements and bunkers a reminder of the 1939–1945 era. (1994). 9780952155522, J P Foynes. ISBN 9780952155522
It was the first base from which Second World War German and coastal convoys were systematically attacked—by flotilla led by Lt-Commanders Howes, Dickens, Hichens and Trelawney. Felixstowe was also HQ of the Harwich Harbour coast and anti-aircraft defences, and accommodated the RAF's 26th Marine Craft (Air-Sea Rescue) Unit. In 1944 the piers near the Dock were used to load troops, tanks and vehicles onto the British and American landing craft of "Force L", which reinforced the Normandy Invasion on its first and second days.
In 1945 the German naval commanders in Occupied Holland arrived in E-boats at Felixstowe Dock to surrender their boats and charts to the Royal Navy.
In 1953, at least 48 people died in the town during the North Sea flood.
In 1993 'Fast Eddie Maher', a security van driver, stole £1.2m cash from outside Lloyds bank. He went on the run and was eventually arrested in 2012.
In the two world wars the Fort was variously the HQ of the Harwich Harbour coast and anti-aircraft defences, the signal/control station for the harbour entrance, and a radio and radar station.
Landguard Fort is in the care of English Heritage, and is managed by the Landguard Fort Trust to make it accessible to the public.
In its prime the railway station saw more than twenty services a day and is now served by an hourly service to . The station now has only one platform, which has been created from the far end of one of the original platforms. Felixstowe Beach railway station was demolished in 2004, despite a storm of protest from many local people keen on saving the historic building which the council had branded as "unsafe". The station was originally opened in 1877 and was used continuously until 1959, after which it was the site of a small printers for many years until its demolition. Felixstowe Beach Station Destroyed
From 1877 until 1951 there was also Felixstowe Pier railway station, sited inside the area of the modern day docks at a small pier popular with pleasure boats, and with a paddle steamer link to London. A dock next to the pier was approved in 1879.
The main navigation channel is dredged to below chart datum and a depth of up to alongside the quay. Felixstowe boasts deep-water able to accommodate the world's latest generation of deep-draughted Panamax vessels. There is a continuous quay of 2.4 km, equipped with 25 ship-to-shore gantry cranes.
The town has road links to English Midlands, via the A14, and to London, via the A12 road. The single-track railway line to Ipswich has been upgraded recently to allow larger containers; many more are now transported by rail.
The port is owned by Hutchison Port Holdings Ltd with additional land on the peninsula owned by Trinity College, Cambridge. The port has its own Police Authority, which also currently has jurisdiction over the area local to the port, with permission from Suffolk Constabulary's Chief Constable. Alongside the Port Police, they also have their own joint ambulance and fire service; one of the port ambulances, call sign Alpha 1, can also come off port to attend 999 emergencies in Felixstowe.
The National Express coach service 481 provides a connection to London with intermediate stops at other major towns, such as Ipswich, Colchester, Witham, Chelmsford and Brentwood. A weekday service departs daily at 07:20 and returns at 18:00, while the weekend service departs at 07:55 and returns at 18:00.
Felixstowe lies within the Suffolk Coastal parliamentary constituency; Jenny Riddell-Carpenter of the Labour Party was elected as the Member of Parliament in the 2024 General Election.
In 1894 an urban district called "Felixstowe and Walton" was formed which contained the parishes of "Felixstowe" and "Walton", in 1889 it became part of the administrative county of East Suffolk. In 1914 Walton parish was merged with Felixstowe and the urban district was renamed to just "Felixstowe". On 1 April 1974 the district was abolished and became part of Suffolk Coastal in the non-metropolitan county of Suffolk. A successor parish was formed covering the same area as the former district and its parish. In 2019 Felixstowe became part of East Suffolk district.
Felixstowe has a recently refurbished sandy beach south from the pier, and a stoney beach north of the pier. A Victorian promenade runs along part of the beach, from the nature reserve in the southwest to Cobbolds Point (Maybush Lane in east), with traditional along most of that length. An amusement arcade with snooker halls and food outlets occupies the southern end. The pier, incorporating a cafe and amusement arcade, stands before a leisure centre, with swimming pool, owned by the local council, now managed by a contractor.
Cobbolds Point takes its name from Felix Cobbold, who built Felixstowe Lodge, now known as Cranmer House, and associated sea wall at the bottom of Maybush Lane in 1885. It is a Grade II-Listed building mock Elizabethan mansion by Thomas Cotman. Its listing describes it as "a fine house of the period reflecting the wealth of this important Suffolk family of brewers". However Felix was involved in the banking and insurance interests of the family rather than its brewing assets.
Cotman, the architect, designed a number of buildings in Felixstowe including the railway station, Harvest House (Felix Hotel), the Orwell and Bath Hotels, Barclays and Lloyds Banks plus many others. He also designed and lived in the original bungalow that forms the lower two floors of Cotman Lodge care home. He was the nephew of John Sell Cotman, the famous Norwich water-colour artist.
The Art Deco style of architecture has been used for some buildings. The Cavendish Hotel in Sea Road, demolished in 1988, was in this style. There is another example in Undercliff Road West, which has been home to the Felixstowe Tourist Information Centre.
From Brackenberry Fort to Felixstowe Ferry there is a walkway and is the start of the 50-mile Suffolk Coast Path. At low tide from Jacob's Ladder, it is possible to glimpse the seaweed-covered remains of a Roman fort, which could possibly be the place of Dommoc, in the water about 50 yards from the coast, where it suggested St Felix first landed in England.
Felixstowe field hockey Club has three men's teams and three ladies' team. The men's first team play in Eastern Division 2 North East. The club was voted England Hockey's "club of the season" in 2014
The town's only senior football team, Felixstowe & Walton United, compete in the Isthmian North Division (Step 4). Felixstowe and Walton also have junior teams as well as a reserve team.
The town has a sports centre, the Brackenbury in High Road East, and football, hockey and rugby pitches, together with four bowling greens and other sporting facilities. The sports centre, owned by the council, is managed by a contractor.
Felixstowe Golf Club is a links course to the northeast of the town centre. The now defunct Eastward Ho! Golf Club first appeared prior to the First World War. The club closed at the time of the Second World War. "Eastward Ho! Golf Club" , "Golf's Missing Links".
Felixstowe Ferry Sailing Club is located beyond the golf course at the Bawdsey Ferry end of the town. It sometimes plays host to national and international championships for various dinghy classes, and has a clubhouse with bar and dining facilities which were refurbished following the tidal surge of December 2013.
The library was refurbished in 2006 at a cost of £1,500,000 and has since won national awards.
Felixstowe has a Royal Air Force Air Cadets Unit, 356 (Felixstowe) Squadron Air Training Corps which has been active since 13 February 1941. The squadron's headquarters is built on the site where the former RAF Felixstowe guardhouse once stood.
The grounds are home to the Felixstowe Rugby Union Football Club which as of March 2015 had a Pitchero Club Ranking of 1205th. It also provides facilities for junior football and cricket, which is home to the Felixstowe Corinthians Cricket Club. These facilities are accompanied by a car park and changing rooms.
Local radio stations are BBC Radio Suffolk on 103.9 FM, Heart East on 97.1 FM, Greatest Hits Radio Ipswich & Suffolk on 106.4 FM and, community based station Felixstowe Radio on 107.5 FM.
The local newspapers are the Ipswich Star and East Anglian Daily Times.
Radio Caroline ship MV Caroline was outside the three-mile limit at Easter 1964. It was the very first UK radio station aboard a ship in the North Sea, and intended to break the monopoly of the BBC. Radio Caroline had about seven million listeners in its first week on air. The station's slogan was Your all-day music station, and it initially broadcast from 6am to 6pm, seven days a week. The transmitter had a power of 10 kW on 199 metres – 1.520 kHz. The ship moved to waters off the Isle of Man in July 1964 to become Radio Caroline North, while MV Mi-Amigo of Radio Atlanta on 201 metres became Radio Caroline South, broadcasting on first 199 later on 259 metres – 1.178 kHz with 50 kW of power on medium wave. Mi Amigo remained in waters off Clacton-on-Sea, Essex.
Felixstowe Museum installed an offshore radio display in their tearoom in 2015. This is being moved and expanded into the Museum itself from 2019, as part of a 1960s themed display.
Poet John Betjeman briefly lodged in Felixstowe and wrote a poem called Felixstowe or "The last of her order".
Author Liz Trenow set her 2020 novel Under a Wartime Sky in Felixstowe and at Bawdsey Manor, just the other side of the Deben estuary where in the years leading up to the Second World War, and under great secrecy, Robert Watson Watt and his team invented and perfected radar systems, and which became RAF Bawdsey, site of the first radar station.
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