Seeing in the New Year at Windmill Lodges

Many of us have family commitments over Christmas – but what about the New Year? This can be the ideal time for a short break to recharge your batteries, and where better to do this than at Windmill Lodges’ log cabins, in the rural heart of Suffolk? Here we describe a few of the attractions and activities you can enjoy while getting away from it all.

Eating Out or Eating In

If you fancy making your own New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day meal with plenty of fresh local produce, then the local market in Framlingham is scheduled to be open on both Saturday, December 28 and Tuesday, December 31 on the Market Hill from 6am-4pm. Alternatively many of the local pubs and restaurants should be open on New Year’s Eve as people gather to see in the New Year.

A Spot of Stargazing

Westleton, near Saxmundham, around 12 miles east of Windmill Lodges, has been designated a Dark Sky Discovery site. This means it has good public access and excellent sightlines in all directions, so it is easy to identify and appreciate all the stars and the beauty of the night sky – hopefully it won’t be too cloudy.

Alternatively, you could just stay in and look up at the heavens from your own private hot tub, as Saxtead, like much of Suffolk, also has low levels of light pollution. (At Windmill Lodges we regularly offer Dark Sky Holidays involving both astronomy and astrophotography. Whilst we have held an astronomy event our Sky-Watcher SKYLINER-200P Parabolic Dobsonian Telescope is available for guests to hire at any time for their sole use during their stay, and guests can also benefit from tuition from a local expert – keep checking our website for the next event).

A Good Brisk Walk

There are plenty of routes you can try on our doorstep, as we are close to Suffolk’s Heritage Coastline, which includes an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. If you opt for a walk along the beach at either Southwold, Aldeburgh, Walberswick or any of the neighbouring resorts, you can also take your dog with you, as the restrictions on canine companions are lifted after the summer season is over.

If you do want to bring your pet with you, then we have two dog friendly lodges at our site in the heart of East Anglia.  Both the Woodpecker and Wagtail cabins come with a basic lead and two average-sized dog bowls.

A Trip to a Panto

A trip to the panto is part of the British festive tradition, and there are plenty on in Suffolk on New Year’s Eve. In Ipswich, the Regent Theatre is showing Cinderella, and New Year’s Eve is the day of the final performance.  Also in Ipswich, the New Wolsey Theatre’s latest rock’n’roll panto, Aladdin, runs right through to February 1, including performances on New Year’s Eve and January 2.

The Theatre Royal in Bury St Edmunds is offering a matinee and an afternoon performance of its production of Aladdin on December 31. The Marina Theatre in Lowestoft’s panto is Snow White, and it too has two shows on New Year’s Eve (and one on New Year’s Day). The Spa Pavilion in Felixstowe’s seasonal show is Dick Whittington, which also has performances on December 31 and January 1. In all cases, tickets are subject to availability, and you might be advised to book quickly to avoid disappointment.

Short Breaks at Windmill Lodges

You can enjoy short breaks in one of our log cabins in East Anglia at any time of the year. All our lodges come with fully fitted kitchens, en suite bathrooms and free wifi – not forgetting their own private hot tub. If you would like to find out more about the current availability of any of our authentic log cabins, follow this link and fill in the email form or call us on 01728 685338.