From the car park, follow the well-signposted nature trail that starts between the toilets and the visitor centre. The path is waymarked with red arrows and there are occasional interpretation boards describing the flora and fauna to be seen along the way. After walking through a woody glade, you reach the open space of West Stow Heath. Pass through one gate then ignore the first gate on your right and go through the second gate marked 'St Edmund Way'

Turn right at a junction of paths to walk around the lake, a flooded former gravel pit used in the construction of Lakenheath airfield during World War II. You should see ducks and Canada geese here, and great crested grebes nest on the islands in spring. Returning to the start of Point 2, keep right following a 'Lark Valley Path' sign, where if you are lucky you might spot herons and kingfishers. When the trail turns left by a bench, keep straight ahead on a grassy riverside path, following yellow arrows. Stay on this path as it swings to the left, then climb an embankment and turn right towards an old pump house. A short diversion to the right leads to a bird hide overlooking the Lackford Wildfowl Nature Reserve.

Turn right at the pump house and follow the Lark Valley Path, winding through pine woods and clockwise around the edge of a clearing, turning sharp right to return to the river crossing a track with a house to your right with views over a lake. Turn left here and stay close to the river as you pass behind a sewage works.

When you hear a small weir ahead, turn left on a narrow path alongside the fence of a paddock and then left onto a wide Forestry Commission track leading towards West Stow village. Go past a yellow and black barrier and behind a group of houses to the road. Turn right, passing a 30mph sign, then go left along a tarmac lane marked by a red Forestry Commission sign (No. 205). Walk along this lane to Forest Lodge.

Turn left across the car park and take the path behind the notice board to enter the forest. Follow this path round to the left, then turn right where it joins a track. Stay on this track, forking right where a track marked by two posts goes left and carrying straight on over and into the forest beyond. Between March and July every year, herons breed in these woodlands and it is essential to stick to the path to avoid disturbing nesting birds.

Continue into the woods for for 150yds (137m) after the clearing, then turn left along a narrow footpath, turning left again as it nears a gate to an equestrian centre to return to the road directly opposite the car park. If you reach a back entrance to the Wideham Farm Equestrian Centre and a '209' sign you've missed the narrow footpath. In that case, retrace your steps and turn right down it.