Beyond Felixstowe, Hollesley Bay runs north to Orford Ness and the old port of Orford (pop. 650), now a quiet little village on the Ore, which flows parallel to the coast, behind the Ness, for more than 12mi/19km. The moated castle (1165-76) has a polygonal keep. The church has a ruined Norman tower and choir. Orford Ness is a nature reserve
where many seabirds nest.
Orford Ness is the largest vegetated shingle split in Europe. It contains a variety of habitats and is an important location for breeding, passage birds and shingle flora.