Suffolk (sandy beaches, windmills, pretty villages)
Suffolk is a large county just below Norfolk, that faces the cold North Sea. Home to sandy beaches, native seals, pretty beach huts and villages with windmills.
If you want a lovely seaside town, then Southwold is your man! This is a beautiful little place, with pretty buildings (many alas now holiday lets, rather than homes). Alongside real greengrocers and independent bookshops. And a lighthouse (which still guides ships today), despite being set back from the shore, in the middle of the high street!
If out walking, always follow the Countryside Code, to keep all creatures safe. Seasonal dog beach bans apply (read more on keeping dogs safe by the seaside).
The promenade leads to the small pier. But instead of fruit machines, you’ll find a unique amusement arcade of simulated games: train for the future on a Zimmer frame, or take out your frustrations on the ‘Whack a Banker’ machine!
The name is from the Anglo-Savon for ‘south forest’.
One local resident was the writer George Orwell, who with his poet wife adopted a baby at 3 weeks, due to being unable to conceive (his wife died 9 months later after an allergic reaction to anaesthetic, age just 39). George left Southwold for London, and he too died young from TB, age 46.
The Guardian reports that Southwold is lovely, but can be a bit snooty! It has its share of famous residents. But like St Ives and Salcombe, property prices have heaved upwards, with many Londoners buying holiday homes, and ‘rolling in on Friday nights with BMWs full of goodies from M & S for the weekend’.
Of course, this is the problem. Because Southwold is full of lovely little independent shops. And if Londoners do a big shop at a retail park before arriving, that money is not coming into the town.
We want holidaymakers who spend money here, not tourists who come and leave rubbish. Local councillor
When a proposal was put for the council to approve plans to build a swimming pool called ‘Splash 2000’, they refused it, saying ‘No, let them swim in the sea’.
Why Suffolk is Known as ‘Constable Country’
If you grew up with a painting of ‘The Hay Wain‘ on your living room wall, it was painted here. John Constable grew up here, and featured Suffolk countryside in many of his paintings.
Flatford is the home of Willy Lott’s Cottage and Flatford Mill (above). East Bergholt is a friendly Suffolk village and the artist’s birthplace. The house where John Constable was born still stands.
Dedham Vale sits on the border of Suffolk and Essex. The open fields, willow-lined rivers, and old tracks remain much as they looked 200 years ago. You can walk along the River Stour, to take in the views.
John Constable had deep affection for the landscape of his home, writing ‘I should paint my own places best: painting with me is but another word for feeling.
As a child, he attended school in Dedham, so walked from his home in East Bergholt along the River Stour, which later became the scene, for many of his paintings.
Just like Van Gogh, Constable sold very few paintings in his lifetime (although he had more success in France, winning a gold medal for his Hay Wain painting).
Today ‘Constable Country’ is a designated National Landscape (the new name for an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty’. So here’s hoping the buildings and landscape will never be turned into blocks of flats. The National Trust owns Flatford Mill, and there is also an RSPB nature reserve nearby.
History Behind ‘The Hay Wain’
When Constable painted what was voted Britain’s second-favourite painting, it did not sell! But many of us grew up with a copy of it on our living room wall.
The house is Willy Lott’s Cottage (Willy was a farmer who inherited the estate and lived there all his life, save one or two nights away). He never married, he lived with his sister, and died age 88.
Can you guess what Britain’s favourite painting is? If you thought ‘sunflowers’, you’d be wrong. In fact, it’s the lesser-known J.M.W Turner’s painting The Fighting Temeraire. Third was Manet’s A Bar at the Folies-Bergère.
Walberswick: A Quiet Suffolk Coastal Retreat
Known as one of Suffolk’s ‘posh villages’, Walberswick sits on the Heritage Coast, a pretty place of tiny cottages in narrow lanes, often loved as retreats for writers and artists.
It’s an affluent area, with many well-heeled people enjoying a bolthole here, where privacy is respected. One local told The Guardian ‘Celebrities come here, because we don’t make a fuss. I don’t even know who this ginger-haired chap is, who everyone’s talking about. And I don’t much care’.
The name likely comes from ‘Walhbert’ which means a Saxon landowner, For many years, the area was a thriving port trading corn and timber. It used to have trade disputes with the neighbouring village of Dunwich, which even resulted in a royal enquiry!
But silt and coastal changes caused the decline of injury, and today it’s more a sanctuary for creative types, who enjoy coastal walks along the quiet beaches. Nearby is a large nature reserve, enjoyed by many rare birds.
The village is also known for its local ferry service. Unusual in that it’s by rowing boat, a local ‘wherry boat’ so there is no engine. The ferry is based on the traditional Suffolk punt, and can take up to 12 passengers (it’s also dog-friendly).
During winter it may use a motor launch for safety (or if too busy). If you want to contact them, you have to email (because the staff can’t hold a phone, while rowing the boat!)
The Suffolk Broads: Wherry Boats and Waterways
We’ve all heard of the Norfolk Broads, but this National Park also extends south into Suffolk. These channels were filled in water hundreds of years ago, and now provide essential habitats for wading birds.
Known as ‘England’s Amazon’, the Broads are home to many creatures you likely won’t find elsewhere in England these days: bitterns, marsh harriers, swallow butterflies and fen raft spiders all find safe haven here. As do avocets, the wading birds with upturned beaks that are the RSPB’s emblem.
Wherry boats are the traditional way to get around here. Most rely on human power or wind, so they don’t pollute the water either. They also don’t have engine noise, a bonus for local wildlife.
The Broads are also one of England’s most popular boating holiday destinations, so be a sustainable sailor, to protect local birds and wildlife. Canoeing is also popular, with plenty of quiet corners to explore. Moor up at a riverside pub, or just drift along and watch the world go by.
Beccles is the main market town in the Suffolk Broads, sitting by the River Waveney. These streets have old buildings, little shops and cosy cafés. There are great views from the tall church tower in the centre of town.
Home to Many of England’s Seals
Suffolk is home to many of England’s native seals. There is presently a campaign to ban flying rings. Add your signatures (over 45,000 so far!) If passed, the UK would become the first nation to do so. It’s also good to avoid flying kites, for the same reasons.
Thousands of flying rings are bought and discarded/lost at sea or beaches each year. The aftermath is that curious seals get them stuck around their necks on land or at sea (they start playing with them). One seal was found almost decapitated, but thankfully was rescued and survived.
It’s best to avoid playing with beach toys near seals anyway. If you use them, avoid ones with hollow centre, as these easily trap around seal necks. And choose biodegradable solid ones, in case they get lost at sea.
The Suffolk Coast Path: Rugged Beauty, Sandy Beaches
The Suffolk Coast Path is a 50 mile long distance path known for its diverse landscapes (salt marshes and heathland), running from the port town of Felixstowe (south Suffolk) to Lowestoft (north Norfolk).
Nearby Ness Point is the most easterly point in England, if you want to be the first person in England to watch the sun rise).
Dogs must be on leads near livestock and during bird breeding season from March to July – check signage for updates).
Also don’t walk on sand dunes (home to nesting birds, endangered natterjack toads and seals often hide their pups). Some dog seasonal beach bans apply.
Wildlife Wise is a project run by local people, to educate residents and visitors on how to avoid disturbance wildlife on the Suffolk coast (due to its vast estuaries of mudflats, saltmarsh, reedbeds, sea grass, lagoons, heathlands and freshwater wetlands and sea grass). Unique shingle and sand attract unusual plants and creatures.
Its projects include secure fencing, and a special ‘dogs-off lead’ area so dogs can play free, without disturbing local wildlife – what a great idea!
Orford Ness: Windswept and Wild
This former military site (where England’s first atomic bomb was tested), is now a nature reserve , run by National Trust. You can only reach it by a seasonal foot ferry, and that’s a good thing to prevent over-tourism.
It’s the largest vegetated shingle spit in Europe, so a habitat for many rare birds and plants. Who love the lagoons, reedbeds and marshes.
