[citation needed] The old Felixstowe hamlet was centred on a pub and church, having stood on the site since long before the Norman conquest of England.

[3] In the Domesday Book, for instance, only Walton is shown, and not Felixstowe,[4] 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.

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 German imperial family in 1891.

In April 1914 as part of the suffragette bombing and arson campaign Bath Hotel, which was popular with elite visitors, was burnt down.

[10] 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.

[11] It was the first base from which Second World War German E-boats 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.

The Fort hosts regular military re-enactments, including Darell's Day, which is a celebration of the last invasion, children's events and open-air theatre.

[14] A museum telling the story of Felixstowe, with a reference library, historic maps, photo archive and fourteen rooms of artefacts from Roman finds, the Martello towers, military social and domestic history through two world wars and into the new millennium is managed by volunteers from the Felixstowe History and Museum Society.

During the Second World War the majority of the pier, at the time one of the longest in the country and complete with its own train, was purposely demolished by the Royal Engineers to prevent it from being used as an easy landing point for enemy troops.

[16] The pier in its current incarnation features an amusement hall with a gambling section, traditional fish and chips and ice cream kiosks, and a restaurant/bar with indoor and outdoor seating.

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".

Felixstowe boasts deep-water able to accommodate the world's latest generation of deep-draughted ultra post-Panamax vessels.

[24] 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.

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.

Its listing describes it as "a fine house of the period reflecting the wealth of this important Suffolk family of brewers".

It sometimes plays host to national and international championships for various dinghy classes, and has its own clubhouse with bar and dining facilities which were refurbished following the tidal surge of December 2013.

Its north and south parameters are given by the Lidl superstore and Beach Station Road accordingly, giving the park a long rectangular-like shape.

[44] The park itself is mainly covered by open green space in which to partake field sports, and is also accompanied by a what once was a small play area.

This park is situated alongside Coronation Drive and Mill Lane, with a sectioned-off children's play area and open green space for specific sports use.

The largest and most northern of the Felixstowe parks consists of a woodland named The Grove, adjacent to Eastward Ho playing fields.

The Grove woodland is formed mainly of ash, oak and sycamore trees, whilst allium ursinum or wild garlic grows here during the spring.

Eastward Ho was originally a golf course[40] but nowadays is a public recreational space featuring a number of football pitches, changing facilities and an enclosed children's play area.

Additionally by this date, the Felixstowe Town Council had already set aside £30,000 for the project, as well as £15,000 agreed upon by the Suffolk Coastal cabinet and £40,000 from the playspace fund.

As the name suggests the park sits atop cliffs overlooking the North Sea, Deben Estuary and golf course.

[74] 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.