Suffolk: Beaches, Wherry Boats and Constable Country
Suffolk is on England’s east coast, facing the cold North Sea (opposite Belgium and The Netherlands). With similar scenery: sandy beaches with beach huts, marshes, windmills and the Suffolk Broads (manmade wetlands that are popular with wading birds).
Always follow the Countryside Code, to keep all creatures safe.
If at the coast, read our post on keeping dogs safe by the seaside.
Southwold: Suffolk’s Coastal Gem
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!
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 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 (above), wading birds with unique upturned beaks (they are the emblem of the RSPB).
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.
Suffolk is Classic ‘John 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.
Suffolk Coast Path: Rugged Beauty, Sandy Beaches
The Suffolk Coast Path runs from Felixstowe (a port town in South Suffolk) to Lowestoft (North Suffolk, on the border with Norfolk – not a pretty town). But nearby you can visit Ness Point, to be the first person to watch the sun rise – the most easterly point in England.
Be sure never to walk on sand dunes (and keep dogs away) as they are home to nesting birds, seals and endangered natterjack toads.
Orford Ness: Windswept and Wild
This was once a secret military site. But today it’s a wildlife haven, with rare plants clinging to old buildings that remain. You can only reach it by foot ferry from Orford Village. A good thing, to prevent over-tourism.
Walberswick: Suffolk’s Best Kept Secret
Walberswick sits on Suffolk’s Heritage Coast. Tiny cottages line narrow lanes, many once home to artists and writers. Walberswick gained fame in the early 1900s as a retreat for painters, actors, and poets.
It’s an affluent area, with many artists and writers having bought homes here, as it’s a bolthole 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’.
