Suffolk

The Suffolk Coast and Heaths ‘Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty’ and Suffolk Coast National Nature Reserve have miles of windswept shingle beaches, unspoilt wildlife-rich wetlands and ancient heaths for you to explore. Its inlets and estuaries are ever popular with yachtsmen and The Alde, The Deben and The Orwell all offer interesting boating and even more interesting waterside pubs and restaurants.

Coastal gems include Southwold, with its brightly coloured beach huts, and Aldeburgh, both home to flourishing arts and culinary scenes. Nearby Snape Maltings is renowned for an eclectic programme of events including the world famous Aldeburgh Festival of music and its association with composer Benjamin Britten.

Step back in time with a visit to Somerleyton, one of Britain’s most well-preserved stately homes and gardens, or climb the ramparts at Framlingham Castle, once a fearsome fortress where Mary Tudor was proclaimed Queen of England, for great views of the surrounding countryside. Lavenham, Sudbury and Long Melford are home to magnificent churches, well worth a visit and the Church of the Holy Trinity at Blythbrugh is a stunning medieval building rising alongside the Blyth estuary, sometimes affectionately called ‘The Cathedral of the Marshes’. Across the River Deben, the historic market town of Woodbridge has a working tide mill, a fabulous riverside walk and an abundance of delightful pubs and restaurants. The multi-million pound regeneration of county town Ipswich has turned it into a vibrant, exciting waterfront town with shops, restaurants, bars and culture. Modern buildings jostle with period architecture and the annual Maritime Ipswich festival celebrates the towns rich maritime history with themed events. Famed for its winding lanes and pastel painted thatched cottages, the countryside is dotted with idyllic villages such as Nayland and Dedham. The hills and valleys on the Suffolk-Essex border open up to the stunning skies of ‘Constable country’ in the South of the county and Dedham Vale ‘Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty’ is the perfect place for walking, cycling and a leisurely picnic.