Suffolk is a beautiful flat and quiet county, which looks like Norfolk and resembles its over-the-water cousin The Netherlands. All windmills and marshy lands, there is also the lesser-known Suffolk Broads, as beautiful as its northerly cousin. If you ever had a picture on your living room of Constable’s The Hay Wain – well, that was here!
Wildlife abounds here in a less populated area of England. From otters and Chinese water deer to badgers, water shrews, common shrews, pygmy shrews to wood mice. Find more ways to help your local wildlife rescue and animal shelter.
Flatford Mill was owned by John Constable’s father (Hannah Cole)
You’ve likely heard of the Norfolk Broads, but did you know there are Suffolk Broads as well? This peaceful oasis of lakes and reservoirs contain five big rivers and is a boater’s dream, reaching out to the coastal town of Aldeburgh (home to the largest Martello tower in England (and the village of Orford (a pretty gem that’s home to a shingle spit linked to to the mainland, which unfortunately has been used for atomic weapons research, due to being so remote – today thankfully it is a protected nature reserve). There is a local legend of this place: fishermen caught a wild man of the sea (a ‘merman’ in their net, and imprisoned him in the local castle. He ate raw fish and did not speak – but soon escaped back to the sea – and often appears in the castle, church or at the local market!
The Walberwick to Southwold is an affordable shortcut around the mouth of the fast-flowing river Blyth. Only a few people can travel at a time.
Southwold Pier reaches over 600 feet into the North Sea. Originally built from steamships landing from London Bridge, it was part-exploded during the Second World War, to stop becoming a landing strip for German soldiers.
