_Plan your stay in Suffolk

Plan your stay in Suffolk with recommendations for places to visit, places to stay and things to do.

Why do people visit Suffolk?

People visit Suffolk because of its slower pace of life, its tranquillity, huge landscapes and big skies. It also has a superb culture and arts offering. This is the place to relax and spend time enjoying your surroundings.

Where is Suffolk in England?

Suffolk is the southern county of East Anglia in the East of England, the bit that juts out into the North Sea.

Is it easy to get to Suffolk?

It’s very easy to get to Suffolk – by rail from London in a little more than an hour and by road from across the country.

What is Suffolk famous for?

Southwold and Aldeburgh rate highly, but we’d point you to Bury St Edmunds, a quite wonderful heritage market town of amazing architecture from across the ages, not least a Regency theatre and abbey and cathedral. Bury is named for the first Patron Saint of England and part of the Wool Towns.

We’d also draw your attention to Newmarket, the world headquarters of flat horseracing, and the overlooked Heart of Suffolk which contains the most quintessential market towns and villages you’ll come across in England, with characterful independent shops and pubs.

What landmarks are there to see in Suffolk?

• The Shotley Peninsula is where the River Stour reaches the North Sea. Going inland the Stour Valley and Dedham Vale is also known as ‘Constable Country’, gorgeous landscapes that inspired one of our greatest painters, including Flatford Mill that was the backdrop for The Hay Wain. Its home is the National Gallery in London, but for the next year you can see it at Christchurch Mansion in Ipswich for Celebrating Constable 250.
• The River Deben is overlooked by National Trust Sutton Hoo, the famous Anglo Saxon burial site, and has Woodbridge, a picturesque waterside market town.
• Orford Ness is one of the most extraordinary places in the country. Now it’s a National Nature Reserve managed by the National Trust and an internationally important site for nature conservation.
• The River Blyth’s estuary at Blythburgh is one of the great sites of Suffolk, revealing itself as you head along the A12.
• Managed by the RSPB, Minsmere is a National Nature Reserve that is one of the best places in the country for wildlife watching.
• The River Orwell has a bridge outside Ipswich that is emblematic of wonderful Suffolk.
• Carlton and Oulton Marshes is a National Nature Reserve, endorsed by Sir David Attenborough, and becoming one of the best wildlife-watching spots in the UK.

What are Suffolk’s top historical sights?

The National Horse Racing Museum at Newmarket will take you through the last few hundred miles of the history of the Sport of Kings, so-named because it was King Charles II who made it popular... at Newmarket.

A visit to Sutton Hoo will take you back to Anglo Saxon days – this is the famous burial site of King Raedwald and his amazing treasure.

Norman Framlingham Castle's exterior walls are complete and there's a good walk of the battlements from where you can view the lovely market town.

Bury St Edmunds is named for another Anglo Saxon king, Edmund, martyred by the Vikings for his devout Christian beliefs.

Don't just visit the Wool Towns. Also make time to explore Suffolk's historic market towns set in lovely rolling countryside in the Heart of Suffolk - places like Eye, Woodbridge, Stowmarket.

Which is the nicest area of Suffolk?

They’re all nice and each offers a different short break or holiday.

The Heart of Suffolk is a treasure trove of charming villages and market towns set in gently rolling countryside and river valleys.

Constable Country covers Dedham Vale and Stour Valley and is famously the backdrop for much of the work of English painter John Constable.

The Broads is a National Park made up of 125 miles of navigable, lock-free waterways that provide a wonderful backdrop for quiet, relaxed breaks on the water or by foo or bike.

The Brecks has the best overall climate in the country, with low rainfall and particularly warm summers, and includes landscapes such as Thetford Forest that are ideal for walking and cycling.

The Wool Towns are a lasting and very picturesque legacy of the days when East Anglia was the most prosperous part of the country because of its wool and textile trade – left behind are wonderful higgledy-piggledy half-timbered houses and majestic churches.

The Suffolk Coast is 40 miles of shoreline that takes in dynamic estuaries, the longest shingle spit in the UK between Aldeburgh and Orford, charming seaside towns, brilliant wildlife watching and some wonderful sandy beaches.

Frequently asked questions about Suffolk

Why are houses in Suffolk pink?

There’s lots of conjecture about the true origin, but a commonly held view is that the traditional white lime wash for houses was coloured with pig’s blood.

What food is Suffolk famous for?

There’s plentiful seafood and shellfish on the coast, particularly at Orford and Aldeburgh.

What is Suffolk named after?

Suffolk is named for the ‘South folk’ of the East Angles who ruled the area before the Norman Invasion of 1066. You can see how they lived at the recreated Anglo Saxon village at West Stow.

What is the ‘Lost City of Suffolk’?

Dunwich was one of the largest medieval ports in the country but two devastating storms destroyed it. The quaint museum on the village’s single street has a diorama of how it once was.

Is there anything to do in Suffolk?

Suffolk has things to do year-round – visitors can enjoy amazing wildlife, local food from the countryside and sea, charming villages and vibrant market towns.

Why is it called Silly Suffolk?

Folklore suggests that ‘Silly Suffolk’ is a corruption of the Middle English word ‘seely’ which means ‘sacred’, ‘blessed’ or ‘holy’. Wherever you go in Suffolk you’ll find an incredible ecclesiastical heritage.