The River Gipping can be seen flowing past the railway station towards the Orwell estuary though it is tidal for only part of the image. The land is generally low and flat and is part of the river's flood-plain. In the past the area would have been marshes but it has been used by industry. This is due to the availability of cheap land, space for development and easy access from the A12.

The town centre and C.B.D. are in the top left of the image with Victorian terraced housing radiating out from the centre. These are small 'back to back' type houses which would have been on the outskirts of the city when built. Sainsburys new Hadleigh road superstore can be seen under construction in the lower right of the image.

The River Gipping cut off channel and modern warehouse type retail units can be seen along the left side of the river while Portman Road, The Ipswich Town football ground and Princes Street can all be seen in the distance.