Suffolk is undoubtedly a county for tourists. But the range of places to visit here is much wider than anything that could be associated with the phrase ‘tourist trap’. When out visiting places in Suffolk you’ll find far more wide open spaces than busy roads. Here are just a small handful of the places in Suffolk that we love to visit. Scroll down the page until you find something that tickles your fancy, then click the title for more information.
Stonham Barns Leisure & Shopping Village is situated just around the corner from Woodfarm, and is home to a collection of unique and independent business units. The have a Golf driving range there and an indoor virtual Golf simulator.
Long Melford is a beautiful village on the Suffolk and Essex border, packed with things to see, a rich variety of shops, galleries, eateries, and walks nearby.
Suffolk has so much to offer, so if we haven’t given you enough ideas to keep you busy during your stay in Suffolk, then here we have listed some of the Tourist Information Centres across the county that can help provide additional inspiration!
Serena Hall is a professional artist, resident in sunny Southwold, Suffolk since she was twelve
She opened her first gallery in 1999 and now has her well-established, Serena Hall Gallery in the popular seaside town. Her style is very recognisable, with broad brush strokes and vibrant colours, the subject matter inspired by Southwold
In addition to her own work, the gallery also plays host to other artists, the full details of which can be seen on her website
An RSPB reserve on what is one of the few remnants of the ancient woodland that used to cover East Anglia
They manage it using traditional coppicing, which means that the wood has a wide variety of birds, plants and mammals
Head over early on a spring morning to hear the chorus of up to 20 species of bird, including the rich, musical song of the nightingale. Bring your wellies as the woods can be muddy
No dogs allowed, except registered assistance dogs
FREE entry but they rely on donations so do dig into your pockets
My favourite river in Suffolk
The Stour stretches all the way from Sudbury, out through the meandering Suffolk countryside of Bures, Wormingford, Nayland, Stratford St Mary, Dedham and then to Mistley and Manningtree where it heads out to the sea. Admittedly it’s now ventured across the border into Essex but it’s still beautiful. The river path is full of stunning landscapes and the river itself makes for some wonderful boating. This stretch is my favourite kayak route
Possibly the most breathtaking part of the journey and closest to Woodfarm is the bit between Dedham and Flatford, with beautiful scenery and old houses, culminating in the National Trust site at Flatford
From its source river, the Gipping, Orwell heads out to the sea on the Suffolk coast
We have named all the barns in the meadow after local Suffolk rivers; Alde, Deben, Gipping, Orwell and Stour. The River Gipping is the source river for the River Orwell (the barn next door!), and also hooks up with the river Stour
Charles Dickens wrote about the Gipping and Orwell rivers and the latter is where the writer Eric Blair took his pen name ‘George Orwell’ from after his love of the river and the area
The River Gipping is the name given to the River Orwell above its tidal limit
The River Gipping flows through Stowmarket to Stoke Bridge in Ipswich via Needham Market, around 4 miles from Woodfarm
We have named all the barns in the meadow after local Suffolk rivers; Alde, Deben, Gipping, Orwell and Stour. The River Gipping is the source river for the River Orwell (the barn next door!), starting in nearby Mendlesham Green and was altered with the addition of 15 locks between Ipswich and Stowmarket. In recent years the navigation, as this section was known, has undergone restoration and offers a great walk known as ‘The Gipping Way’, which uses the towpath for most of its route
Charles Dickens wrote about the rivers Gipping and Orwell
The river Deben gives nearby Debenham its name, where it starts its journey through 25 miles of Suffolk to the sea near Woodbridge
Debenham is a quaint little village and a popular place to visit, as many of our guests do. And yes, it is where the department store gets its name as the founder lived here before setting off some 300 years ago to London to set up his high class haberdashery. He did quite well!
We have named all the barns in the meadow after local Suffolk rivers; Alde, Deben, Gipping, Orwell and Stour
Superb traditional smokehouse by the quayside in Orford
They smoke two types of cheese for six days; mature English Cheddar and Long Clauson’s blue Stilton
Garlic Bulbs, locally made sausages, including Pork and Venison, Pork and Garlic and a very hot Chorizo, three different type’s of Pate, Salmon, Kipper and Mackerel as well as Salmon Fish Cakes
My personal favourite is their smoked Hock of Ham, which is phenomenal. They marinate them in a mixture of Cider and Black Treacle, boil them for hours, cover them in Brown Sugar and flash roast in the oven until they are black and crispy! Wow!