Visiting Suffolk - advice needed

Lord Snooty

Lord Snooty

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'Er indoors reaches a landmark birthday this year, the big 50 and I am planning on taking her away for a weekend. I quite fancy Suffolk as I have not done a lot in the east of the country and Suffolk seems to have a lot going for it - Constable and Gainsborough, coastline, lots of history, ancient villages and towns and so on.

Any suggestions with regards to accommodation and places to stay and visit? Would prefer somewhere which has some history, has some interesting buildings and architecture and would prefer to avoid staying in a city/large town. Somewhere which has easy access to exploring the county over a 3 day weekend would be ideal.

Thanks :thumb2
 
I couldn't recommend any accommodation as I've not stayed anywhere.. but Bury St Edmunds has loads of history, and lots of interesting buildings, the 'Medieval Grid' is the centre of town.. also Lavenham, a lovely little place full of old timber framed houses...
 
And Long Melford of course, steeped in history, beautiful place to include Kentwell House and Melford Hall.

10 miles from Bury St Edmunds which, i agree, is similarly beautiful.
 
I'm from down that way originally, and I would back up the suggestions above. Lavenham, Monks Eleigh, Bury, the Hedinghams... all nice bits of the county. Somewhere around Lavenham's a beautiful area and decent place to stay with nice roads and reasonably central, although Bury's easier if you'd like to be near major routes. Finchingfield and the Burnham bends are worth a visit for a ride out if you like twisties. Of course, it's not a patch on the North East, but it's not bad ;-)
 
Good point, Castle Hedingham, finest kept Norman Keep in W. Europe, setting for Ivanhoe, etc, etc, etc.
 
Framlingham is also worth a look as is the coastline between Dunwich and Southwold. Nice boozer in Dunwich - treat your Mrs to a pint of ale and a packet of pork scratchings as a special birthday treat. As mentioned above, finchingfield is the biker hangout of choice - nice(ish) figure of 8 loop available but not many truly great biking roads which is one of the reasons I moved away. If the coast is your thing it's also worth considering North Norfolk - some truly stunning beaches.
 
Suffolk

As above , all those places very interesting, with regards to accommodation are you looking for posh hotel, pub with rooms or guest house, and would Sir and Madam like rural, small village, small town or larger town, and ancient or modern building in which to stay? There is a lot of choice here in Suffolk! ( oh and seaside or country!?) Can then offer some recommendations if I'm aware of what you might like. Cheers:beerjug: John B
 
Flatford, Dedham and the whole Constable area is lovely....there are a number of really nice looking Inns and B&Bs in Dedham.....I pass through there when out riding a lot but I've never tried one as it's so colose to home, but Mike, take a Google Streetview drive through Dedham and that area and you'll see what I mean :thumb2

Up on the coast you've got my favourite town for a fish and chip followed by specialist ice cream lunch....Aldeburgh :clap

(do a search on the forum and it's been mentioned many times)

Woodbridge is quite a nice little town as well, and there are some nice roads out from there along the coast and Rendlesham forest (wonderful camping in there, if you weren't looking to have a proper bed)

Just outside Woodbridge, you've got Sutton Hoo.....make sure you take your National Trust card with you :thumb2 (As historical sites go, the things that came out of that site are probably as instantly familiar to most people in the UK as the Crown Jewels :) )

Not Suffolk I know, but Colchester is the oldest recorded town in Britain, and there's a good museum in the castle (which is a bit disappointing as a castle, frankly, but it has nice gardens) and some nice shops etc....it's only a 20 min blast down the A12 from Dedham (which is where I'd stay, in your shoes)

If you want history from the other end of the time line from Sutton Hoo, the Landguard fort] (English Heritage site) is interesting, although the route through Felixstowe to get to it isn't particularly lovely :blast

Let me know if you fancy a day's guided ride Mike......I'm only in Harwich and Rosie would enjoy it I'm sure, we often go out through Constable country on the backroads......There's an ace real ale pub here and a few interesting bits of Olde Harwiche to look around and if you fancied it (and a beach), there's always a spare bed here (not very romantic for a 50th birthday trip I know :blast) which you'd be more than welcome to occupy :thumb2
 
Lavenham, Bury, Long Melford are all a bit 'twee' in my humble opinion. And the Hedinghams are in Essex! I'd go to the coast. Orford, Aldeburgh, Walberswick etc. They're all a bit more 'real' suffolk.
 
John B said:
As above , all those places very interesting, with regards to accommodation are you looking for posh hotel, pub with rooms or guest house, and would Sir and Madam like rural, small village, small town or larger town, and ancient or modern building in which to stay? There is a lot of choice here in Suffolk! ( oh and seaside or country!?) Can then offer some recommendations if I'm aware of what you might like. Cheers:beerjug: John B
Click to expand...

John, the budget won't stretch to posh but a 3 star type of hotel/pub/b&b would be about right, something old with a bit of history and character. Somewhere central I think rather than on the coast - small to large town so there is something to explore on foot in the evening. ;)
 
Fanum said:
Flatford, Dedham and the whole Constable area is lovely....there are a number of really nice looking Inns and B&Bs in Dedham.....I pass through there when out riding a lot but I've never tried one as it's so colose to home, but Mike, take a Google Streetview drive through Dedham and that area and you'll see what I mean :thumb2

Up on the coast you've got my favourite town for a fish and chip followed by specialist ice cream lunch....Aldeburgh :clap

(do a search on the forum and it's been mentioned many times)

Woodbridge is quite a nice little town as well, and there are some nice roads out from there along the coast and Rendlesham forest (wonderful camping in there, if you weren't looking to have a proper bed)

Just outside Woodbridge, you've got Sutton Hoo.....make sure you take your National Trust card with you :thumb2 (As historical sites go, the things that came out of that site are probably as instantly familiar to most people in the UK as the Crown Jewels :) )

Not Suffolk I know, but Colchester is the oldest recorded town in Britain, and there's a good museum in the castle (which is a bit disappointing as a castle, frankly, but it has nice gardens) and some nice shops etc....it's only a 20 min blast down the A12 from Dedham (which is where I'd stay, in your shoes)

If you want history from the other end of the time line from Sutton Hoo, the Landguard fort] (English Heritage site) is interesting, although the route through Felixstowe to get to it isn't particularly lovely :blast

Let me know if you fancy a day's guided ride Mike......I'm only in Harwich and Rosie would enjoy it I'm sure, we often go out through Constable country on the backroads......There's an ace real ale pub here and a few interesting bits of Olde Harwiche to look around and if you fancied it (and a beach), there's always a spare bed here (not very romantic for a 50th birthday trip I know :blast) which you'd be more than welcome to occupy :thumb2
Click to expand...

Thanks Bill, some great stuff there. Meeting up with you and Rosie for a day out would be fantastic, I am looking at the weekend of June 20-23rd as Alena's birthday is the 17th.
 
I grew up in suffolk :D

Lavenham is very nice indeed, the Swan may be out of your budget break, but the Angel will give you just as nice an evening in a proper Suffolk pub!

One of the nicest parts of Suffolk is actually the suffolk Essex borders. Places like Thaxted and Finchingfield (big biker meet here on sundays - the roads around Finchingfield are to die for ..).

Plot a tour through Finchingfield, Clare (a pint in the Bell - you'll probably meet my old Dad in there..), Long Melford and on to Lavenham ... :thumb
 
Try and use Bury St Edmunds as base, it's central in the county and roads spider out to most destinations.

Check out the Angel for a traditional hotel overlooking the cathedral or the Regency for something a bit cheaper but still in town. Bury is a great town, once voted as Britains most interesting architectural town, have a pint in the Nutshell, Britains smallest pub.

If you like old quaint or medieval Clare, Long Melford, Lavenham, Kersey have either simple walking or the odd Elizabethan manor house.

There's a good road that takes you to Southwold in 1hr 25mins, dropping south to Aldeburgh for lunch some nice pubs, plus you can buy your fish and chips and take them in the pub as long as have a pint , then further to Snape Maltings, further south to Woodbridge nice small town, tidemill river walk and nearby Sutton Hoo, back to Bury via A12 then A14.

Enjoy your time!
 
Southwold and Aldeburgh get my vote too ... :thumb
 
Southwold being the home of the Adnams brewery is def worth a visit and they own two hotels The Swan and The Crown both decent but no idea on prices. Aldeborough as pointed out is famous for fish and chips and a nice place in general.
 
Giles said:
I grew up in suffolk :D


One of the nicest parts of Suffolk is actually the suffolk Essex borders. P
Click to expand...

Agreed......
My favourite local road in fact is the one out of Harwich (no real surprise there then!) that goes to Mistley then Manningtree (nice views of the Stour and some fantastic bends, I know to within a few seconds how fast I can do it in dry quick, dry bimble and wet modes :D ) then through Brantham, right onto the B1080 Holbrook Road to pop out alongside the Orwell (after passing through the Royal Hospital grounds) and then under the Orwell viaduct. From there, there's a 100MPH uphill curve to the A14 junction then 400 metres along the A14 you turn off (Highley illegally, it's a dirt track and barred, with big plod warning signs saying they will shoot you on sight) towards Belstead then out through Copdock to Hadleigh, Monks Eleigh and Lavenham

PS there's a hidden airfield at Kersey....WWII, not a lot of people know that ;)
 
Suffolk

Hi There, if you would like town and central then I would recommend the Cannon Brewery in Bury St Edmunds, It's a small pub that brews its own beer , excellent food (and beer) and has rooms and secure parking in it's courtyard, it's also in a quiet residential area close to the centre. Bury has lots of things to see and has two excellent theatres if that's your thing (Apex as a music venue and royal for plays etc.)as well as lots of eateries in the evening. Clearly there are other villages with good accommodation (the Bell in Clare as mentioned by Giles) but you will probably seem all of Clare in one evening!
Cheers:beerjug:John B
 
I know it well. Brought up in Dovercourt, left in 1995. Ah, I miss some of those backroads.

Then I go for a blast up to Kielder, and remember why I love the North East!
 
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