Formerly owned by the Ministry of Defence, wind-whipped, remote Orford Ness is the largest vegetated shingle spit in Europe. The lonely shoreline is dominated by a line of forbidding-looking pagodas that were used to test the explosive triggers (fortunately, without the radioactive parts) for nuclear weapons. Today, you're more likely to spot wading birds, madcap hares and rare coastal plants. Ferries run from Orford Quay, but were suspended in 2020 because of pandemic concerns – call to check if they've resumed and the latest opening times.
Unusually, National Trust members also have to pay the admission/ferry fee.
