Windmill Lodges – Ideal for a Short Break with Your Dog in East Anglia
If you’re one of the millions of dog owners in the UK and you, and your canine companion, are in need of a short break this autumn or winter to recharge your batteries, why not come to Windmill Lodges?
We offer you the chance to get away from it all – and we have a couple of dog friendly lodges at our site in the heart of East Anglia. Here are some of the walks you can enjoy with your pet pooch during your stay with us.
On the Beaches
Now is the time to come to Suffolk if you, and your dog, want unrestricted access to some of the finest beaches in the country. The main beaches at nearby Aldeburgh and Southwold don’t allow pets on the sand until after 30 September each year.
However, many of Suffolk’s beaches don’t impose any restrictions at all on dogs and their owners. Covehithe and Southwold Denes, Walberswick and Dunwich are among those which fall into this category.
All of these resorts form part of the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, which runs from Kessingland, near Lowestoft, down to Shotley in the south, and there are plenty of places to exercise your pooch inland. However, you should always keep a close eye on your dog, to make sure it doesn’t disturb other wildlife.
Church Walks
You and your dog can visit clusters of churches via a series of marked trails, detailed on the Angels and Pinnacles website. One route is centred round Framlingham, which includes the churches at Badingham, Dennington and Worlingworth as well as the town itself. The Southwold route takes in Blythburgh, Westleton and Walberswick churches, as well as St Edmund’s in the main resort.
If you fancy venturing inland, there is also a trail at Eye, which also takes in the churches of Wingfield, Hoxne and Thornham Parva. Wherever you roam, remember to respect the sanctity of the buildings by keeping your dog on a lead. Although all the churches on these trails are usually open from 10am-4pm, visitors may not be allowed inside if there is a service going on.
Forest Walks
Suffolk offers a number of woods and forest walks which you and your dog can enjoy. Rendlesham Forest, near Woodbridge, around 15 miles to the south of us, has several marked paths, including the UFO trail, which goes past the area where some supernatural goings-on were reported in December 1980.
Dog-friendly Pub Walks
What could be better than enjoying a brisk walk with your pet followed by a pint? Grundisburgh, near Woodbridge, has a couple of dog walks which also take in neighbouring villages such as Hasketon.
And the best thing about them? They both start and finish at The Dog pub in Grundisburgh. This hostelry won the DogBuddy award for the most dog-friendly pub in the UK as well as the East of England regional award. Wherever owners are allowed, their dogs are too – be it in the restaurant, the bar or the garden. Water bowls and dog biscuits are provided as well.
Walks Around the Gardens of a Stately Home
Suffolk has a number of impressive halls and gardens which welcome dogs on a leash. These include Ickworth House, near Bury St Edmunds, which was built in the late 18th and early 19th centuries and is set in thousands of acres of woods and parkland, some of which are open to the public. The former home of the Hervey family, it is now all owned by the National Trust. Note that only assistance dogs are allowed in the Italianate Gardens and inside the buildings.
Windmill Lodges’ Dog Friendly Lodges
We now have two dog friendly lodges in our East Anglian base – the Woodpecker and Wagtail lodges. These both accommodate four people, as well as your pet. A basic lead and two average-sized dog bowls are supplied in both. Both lodges have fully equipped kitchens, en-suite shower rooms, TVs and free wi-fi, and coal-effect fires, not forgetting your own private hot tub.
Windmill Lodges’ five- and four-star log cabins are also ideal for family holidays, romantic getaways and short breaks, even if you don’t have a dog. Follow this link to check on the latest availability of all our lodges.