Alton Water

Alton Water is Suffolk's largest lake, a reservoir south of Ipswich ringed by meadows, small woodlands and quiet inlets, with a long circular trail popular with cyclists and walkers. The scenery is gentle and expansive - big water, big skies - and tempting for aerial work, but the access position needs care. The reservoir is Anglian Water land, and their parks generally do not permit recreational drone take-off and landing on site without prior permission; the realistic, lawful approach is to launch from an adjoining public footpath or lane and keep the aircraft clear of the sailing centre, anglers and the busy visitor hub near Lemons Hill. Treat the water and its margins as sensitive: the reservoir draws good numbers of wintering wildfowl, so avoid the roosting bays and never push toward rafts of birds. Airspace is straightforward, with no flight restriction zone close by - Wattisham lies roughly eighteen kilometres to the north-west. A still winter weekday will give you mirror-calm water, low crowds and soft light, while summer weekends are far too busy near the honeypot areas. Rinse the airframe if you have been over spray, watch for gusts across the open water, and always give sailors and other users a wide berth.