Aldeburgh

A pretty little seaside town on Suffolk’s unspoilt coastline, Aldeburgh has an olde worlde charm and an appeal you’ll find hard to resist. You can still see the fishermen haul their boats onto the beach and watch as the seagulls gather for any tasty titbits. The famous Aldeburgh music festival takes place throughout the summer with some wonderful performances of both classical and contemporary music.

Bury St Edmunds

The ancient market town of Bury St Edmunds is full of history and Suffolk charm. Take a walk through the grand stone gateway to the ruined abbey, which forms the backdrop to some quite beautiful gardens. The town boasts some wonderful attractions; a breathtaking cathedral, fascinating abbey ruins, interesting monuments, galleries and museums as well as great shopping and the chance to grab a swift half at The Nutshell, the smallest pub in Britain

Covehithe

Visit Covehithe while you still can. The elements are doing their very best to steal this lovely part of the Suffolk Coast from us and as they do so, it is fascinating to watch the effects of coastal erosion in action.

Debenham

The scenes of Debenham are probably best viewed through the lens of a camera. This chocolate box village presents photo opportunities aplenty with some lovely houses and beautiful architecture. It is a place for contemplation and quietude, walks in the countryside and leisurely lunches.

East Bergholt

A beautiful village on the Suffolk/Essex border, East Bergholt was the birthplace of John Constable and the inspiration behind many of his paintings. The church here has an unfinished bell tower, not ruined or collapsed, just unfinished. The Bell housing sits on the ground next to it, as if the builders stopped for tea and never returned to finish the job.

Framlingham

This quiet and picturesque market town boasts many interesting buildings, not least of which is the superb 12th century castle with its impressive curtain wall. The Castle itself is now in ruins but it is still possible to walk the wall and look out from each of its thirteen towers. The town itself is very pretty and there is a fascinating town walk marked out in the pavers that visitors can follow with an interesting audio accompaniment.

Gunton

The village of Gunton, north of Lowestoft is famed for its wood as a popular place amongst walkers. Many paths crisscross their way through the wood and one of them will lead you straight to the Pleasurewood Hills leisure park.

Holbrook

Located on the Shotley Peninsula, Holbrook is a beautiful village with some stunning views and lovely walks, particularly around the Alton Water reservoir. Visitors to Holbrook will be struck by the similarity of the houses around the entrance to the Royal Hospital School. The area is extremely pretty and well worth a visit.

Ixworth

Ixworth, standing on the River Thet, is another of those beautiful little villages that this region is so good at. Boasting many buildings of historical interest including a bi-gabled, parggeted timber framed construction, buildings with attractive Georgian doorways, an early medieval church and a lovely restored water mill.

Kessingland

Kessingland has a huge, unspoilt beach making it ideal for a quiet getaway. It remains largely undiscovered so even on the hottest summer days, you should find plenty of space for quietude and reflection. Unfortunately as with some other parts of the Suffolk coast, this area is slowly, but surely, disappearing into the sea.

Lavenham

Much has been written of Lavenham and rightly so. It is quite possibly, the most beautiful town in Suffolk. Timber framed buildings exist here, perfectly preserved, exactly as they were in the 14th and 15th centuries and art dealerships and antiques emporia proliferate.MildenhallThe market town of Mildenhall is rich in history and full of tourist attractions. Situated on the River Lark the town is conveniently placed close to Bury St Edmunds, Lakenheath, Brandon, Lavenham and Newmarket which makes it ideal for visitors who wish to take in the other villages and historical towns in the north-west of Suffolk.  The famed Thetford Forest is only a short drive away, as is the city of Cambridge.

Needham Market

Sitting on the banks of the River Gipping, the town of Needham Market boasts all the amenities of a larger town with the friendliness and pace of a small village. There are some quite lovely walks to be had on the outskirts of town and Needham’s lake is very popular among anglers. It is well stocked with, Bream, Carp, Chub, Perch, Pike, Roach and Tench. The lake plays host to a number of live events, particularly through the summer months.

Orford

There is a relaxed pace to life in Orford and a visit here will leave you feeling chilled out and refreshed. It isn’t the easiest place in the world to get to, but once there, you won’t want to leave. It is just perfect place for a leisurely outing and you are bound to want to purchase a momento of your visit. You’ll find it a relaxing haven, far enough away from it all but with plenty on offer to keep you entertained.

Pakefield

Sitting on some off Suffolk’s most dramatic coastline atop the cliffs, Pakefield is a thriving village, close enough to Lowestoft for access to many Suffolk attractions, and yet a great day out of its own.  You can access the beach, dotted with fishing boats from several points in the village.

Southwold

Southwold is a stunning location. It lies in the centre of an area of great natural beauty and is a paradise for walkers, birdwatchers and anyone at all who is interested in nature. Situated above the Blyth Valley, the town is almost an island, as it is virtually surrounded by the River Blyth to the south and Buss Creek to the north. This has resulted in limited town development, helping to retain Southwold’s old world charm and appeal.

Thorpeness

If there was ever a village that deserved to be called ‘fantastic’, it is Thorpeness. Built at the start of last century by a wealthy Scottish barrister with a penchant for mock Tudor and Jacobean architecture, he ingeniously disguised the village’s water tower as an overgrown house, the striking ‘House in the Clouds’. It is a lovely place to visit for the day and has a boating lake, where you can hire rowing boats and have a picnic.

Woodbridge

Woodbridge lies on the River Deben, across the river from the Sutton Hoo Saxon Royal burial ship. In fact, everywhere you look in Woodbridge you are reminded of times gone by. It is a town that has every right to be proud of its heritage. Many of the sites are open to the public and offer a real insight into the past. Sutton Hoo is one of these, managed by the National Trust and open to visitors.

Yoxford

Yoxford is a pretty village in the east of Suffolk, conveniently close to the larger towns of Southwold, Aldeburgh and Beccles. The junction of the A12 trunk road and the A1120 is in the village, as is a railway station. Yoxford is only 25 miles north of Suffolk’s county town, Ipswich and 94 miles from London yet it is a world away from the hustle and bustle of city life.