An Ultimate Guide to Suffolk, England

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I always know I’ve entered Suffolk because it’s the moment I start to feel sick. This isn’t as bad as it sounds – Suffolk has no motorways in it, so without fail you will have to drive on windy, steep, bendy roads. And I have travel sickness. So every time I visit Suffolk, I know to bring the sick bag. But don’t let that put you off because Suffolk is definitely one of England’s most rewarding counties if you have the time to get off the beaten track a little bit.

Suffolk is a county which lies in England’s ‘heel’ on the east coast of the country. It borders Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. It’s an often ignored county, especially by tourists from overseas. This is largely because you can’t really get around it easily with public transport and so a car is essential to making the most of a visit. But for those willing to make the effort, Suffolk has everything from historic towns, to beautiful villages, grand stately homes, ancient castles and gorgeous beaches. It’s like England in a microcosm, but without the crowds.


  1. Contents
  2. How to get to Suffolk
  3. Where to stay in Suffolk
  4. Things to do in Suffolk
    1. Explore Bury St Edmunds and its cathedral
    2. Marvel at the incredible houses in historic Lavenham
    3. Discover ancient castles in Framlingham
    4. Meet the Anglo Saxons at Sutton Hoo
    5. Relax in Woodbridge
    6. Eat fish and chips on Southwold pier
    7. Enjoy a stroll on Dunwich Heath
    8. Explore Aldeburgh
    9. Take a walk around Melford Hall and Kentwell Hall
    10. Visit the Thorpeness Windmill and House in the Clouds
    11. Enjoy Ickworth Hall
    12. Discover Orford village and castle
    13. Go for a walk in the Forest
    14. Visit quaint English villages
    15. Explore Constable Country in Dedham Vale
  5. Read More

Suffolk is in the east of England so if you’re coming from London it’s around a 2 hour drive from the capital. You can also get the train from London to Ipswich, the main city in Suffolk and then hire a car from there if you’re coming from overseas.

Driving in Suffolk is easy; there isn’t too much traffic on the roads so the only stressful thing about it is avoiding horses, tractors and overgrown hedgerows…oh and those windy sick inducing bends that pop up from nowhere until you’re hurtling around them heaving in to a bag (but hopefully that’s just me!)


There are lots of great places to stay in Suffolk. If you want a relaxing countryside retreat, then The Marquis at Upper Layham or Seckford Hall near Woodbridge are beautiful. If you want to be close to a city centre, then try out the Salthouse Harbour Hotel in Ipswich, complete with huge brass free standing baths. If you want a traditional English pub stay, with a touch of comfort then The Black Lion in Long Melford could be for you. If you want ye olde English style with timbered beams and four poster beds, then Lavenham (The Swan or Lavenham Priory) will be right up your street. And finally, if you do want to be beside the seaside with a good pint never far away, then The Swan at Southwold (owned by the local Adnam’s brewery) is a top choice.

Seckford Hall


Suffolk has so much to see and do. It’s a county of natural beauty and a 50 mile coastline, but its attractions span far beyond the beaches. Here are some of my top picks of things to do in the county. To do everything in this list would take at least 5 days in the county, and I’ve linked to my other Suffolk posts throughout this list to give you more detail and potential itineraries.

Starting in land with one of my favourite towns in Suffolk – Bury St Edmunds. Without doubt, its star attraction is its beautiful cathedral and gardens. The town itself also has some nice parts to stroll around, grab some nice food and watch the world go by. It’s the perfect spot to spend half a day and you can read more about the town in my full blog post HERE.

Historic Lavenham is one of the main tourist attractions in Suffolk – if you want old world English Tudor charm then this is the place for you. The houses here are absolutely incredible, with some dating back to the 1300s. The village is also famous as it’s home to the house used as Godric’s Hollow in the Harry Potter films which also draws a lot of visitors. It’s definitely worth getting here early because the crowds do flock here and the village is normally filled up by 10.30am with day trippers. To make the most of it, start here early and then head to Bury St Edmunds (no. 1 above) for lunch and the afternoon. Again you can read about Lavenham in more detail per my post HERE.

Walk in the footsteps of the Tudors, and explore the incredible Framlingham castle – where Mary Tudor was proclaimed Queen of England in the 1550s. The castle is still well in tact, and you can walk the walls, explore the meres surrounding the castle and visit the exhibition inside the keep. Once you’ve finished at the castle, you can stroll down to the market square, where there are often local markets running – or just grab a nice pub lunch from nearby. Framlingham in itself is a half day trip, and can be combined with Woodbridge and Sutton Hoo (below) to make a full day. You can read more in my post HERE.

The incredible castle

Sutton Hoo is one of the most famous sites in Suffolk as it’s where the Anglo Saxon burial ground was discovered in the early 1900s. The burial site belonged to a King, and dates back to around the year 624! The most likely candidate for being buried in the site is King Raedwald of East Anglia, the most powerful King in England, and the treasures found are the most valuable ever discovered on British soil!

One of the prettiest places to explore in Suffolk is the market town of Woodbridge, famous for its tide mill. There is also a beautiful hotel/stately home called Seckford Hall which is great for afternoon tea or an overnight stay. Woodbridge also holds regular local markets, so is a good spot to browse for tasty local produce.

One of the most visited towns in Suffolk, Southwold is a gem of a British seaside resort. It’s ideal for spending a day in – there is a lighthouse you can climb, a brewery you can tour (and sample of course), a Pier you can enjoy, and a sandy beach to enjoy the English tradition of fish and chips in the sun on. Whilst in Southwold, you could also walk to the lovely village of Walberswick (including a little ferry trip), to see a striking church in the ruins of a bigger church and more nice coastline. You can read more about the Suffolk coast HERE.

Southwold beach huts

Dunwich Heath is a rare survival of coastal lowland heath, as most have now been built upon. The heath is mostly covered with heather, and is home to a wide variety of birds, animals and reptiles. The Heath is stunningly beautiful, and drops down on to another beach below which is another lovely area to explore. It was even the spot where the Spanish Armada was first seen, and played a pivotal role in planning the D-Day Landings

Another postcard coastal town, Aldeburgh is another lovely seaside town, with lots of independent shops and a shingle beach nice for walking along. I think one of the nicest walks to do along the Suffolk coast is the stretch from Aldeburgh to Thorpeness (below) following the route HERE, which then loops back to Aldeburgh inland along the old railway line. Overall it’s a 10km walk so allow 3 hours to complete it.

Long Melford is a beautiful village right on the southern border of Suffolk, almost in Essex. It’s also home to two stately homes – Melford Hall and Kentwell Hall, both excellent examples of Tudor houses from the 1500s. We chose to visit Melford Hall mid-morning, then head in to Long Melford to stroll around and have lunch, walk up to Kentwell Hall and then complete the National Trust walk taking in the surrounding English countryside in a 10km stroll to burn off some of that lunch and make it a full day out, per my post HERE.

On the National Trust walk

Thorpeness is easily walkable from Aldeburgh (above) and its star attractions are its windmill and the quirky house in the clouds. There is also a nice lake for boating, and some good restaurants making it a great lunch time spot to visit.

Another lovely spot in Suffolk is Ickworth House, which was built between 1795 and 1829. It is an unusual house and as a result has often been described in pretty unflattering terms – with one English scholar deeming it ‘a huge bulk, newly arrived from another planet’. I think that’s wholly unfair as it’s absolutely beautiful. As well as the hall itself, Ickworth has a lot to offer in and around its grounds, with nice walks well signed, as well as den building for children, stunning walled gardens, an on site cafe and acres of woodland to enjoy.

It’s also worth strolling down to the little village of Horringer-cum-Ickworth which has a pretty village church and lots of thatched cottages to admire. Again you can read a bit more about this destination in my post HERE.

Staying on the subject of pretty little villages, another thing to do in Suffolk is to explore some of the best the county has to offer. My favourite is Orford, which is packed with postcard worthy cottages, and it has a castle which was built between 1165 and 1173 by Henry III to consolidate royal power in the region and contain the threat of the Bigod family at Framlingham castle only a few miles away (see above). The well-preserved keep is a unique design and was probably based on Byzantine architecture. The castle is really well preserved; booking a tour to go inside is so worth it and the views from the top of the castle are incredible.

Away from the coastline, Suffolk also shared Thetford Forest with neigbouring Norfolk. If you’ve had enough of beaches and villages, then visiting the forest can be a really rewarding experience. You could choose to stay in a log cabin with a hot tub, or just visit for the day and enjoy hiking, Go Ape (zip wires and climbing in the trees), Segwaying or horse riding.

Suffolk is home to an abundance of traditional English villages with cute cottages and village greens. I’ve already mentioned Long Melford, Horringer-cum-Ickworth and Orford, but there are others – including Earl Soham, Coddenham and Kersey. It doesn’t get much more English than these beautiful places.

Kersey

Right on the southern border of Suffolk is an area not to be missed – Dedham Vale, home to the famous artist John Constable. The area remains largely unchanged in 250 years – you can explore Flatford Mill and Dedham itself, stroll along the River Stour and visit many gorgeous villages such as Stoke-by-Nayland and Polstead.


If you are interested in visiting Suffolk, you can read more in my detailed posts and guides below:


What do you think of Suffolk? There’s so much to see and do in England, but I hope this post can make you want to visit Suffolk while you’re here! Stay safe and happy travelling everyone!

34 responses to “An Ultimate Guide to Suffolk, England”

  1. Beautiful Hannah!! Loved the first pic 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you so much 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  2. So beautiful Hannah. I’ve explored parts of Norfolk and now I realise that I must also visit Suffolk before too long! Your photos are gorgeous and so appealing.

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    1. Oh Suffolk is an absolute gem of a county – well worth a visit if you get the chance. There is so much to explore and it’s lovely in Spring or early Summer before the school holiday crowds descend 🙂

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  3. Looks awesome, Hannah! Framlingham castle is my favorite, and you share such a rich history of the area. Altogether, the architecture is amazing, and thatched roofs are very cool 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks so much for reading Phil, and glad you like the castle – I agree, it’s a special one, one of my favourites in the whole of England. We can’t get enough of thatched roofs and cottages over here!! Have a great day 🙂

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  4. Stunning. I reckon I could spend months in Suffolk and still not see anything. Is cycling a good option there? i.e. relatively flat?

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Aw thank you so much for your lovely words; I agree it’s an area that needs to be explored slowly to take it all in and enjoy walks, little villages, pubs and the country life well away from all the big cities. Yes cycling is a great option there – Suffolk is one of England’s flattest counties and as there are no Motorways or too many major roads, it’s got some great cycling routes 🙂

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  5. There truly is a lot to explore in Suffolk! Framlingham castle looks large and imposing, which makes it all the more majestic and enticing to visit. The quaint little houses in the villages are also lovely, and it goes to show that I have a lot more of exploring to do in England!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Aw so glad you like it Rebecca, thanks so much for reading. Fram castle really is incredible and there are so many beautiful little villages you could spend days just exploring them all and going on walks between them! There are so many parts of England that go unexplored by visitors – and even for me, it’s taken COVID to really explore in depth all these off the beaten track places 🙂

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  6. Yet another gorgeous English county that I won’t have enough time to see in our 6 months here. Well presented Hannah, a very thorough guide indeed and I can never see enough Woodbridge photos, so it was fun to look over them again.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks so much Leighton – I absolutely loved my time exploring Suffolk and was excited for this post to go live and to share it. Agreed on Woodbridge, a special place for us both in our own ways 🙂

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  7. Wow, what a beautiful place! What can be better than colourful cottages, village pubs and winding country roads surrounded by excellent countryside walks and picturesque views? Coddenham looks especially charming! Thanks for sharing and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Aw thank you so much AIva – it’s a stunning part of England which I think is underrated. I totally agree with you, the countryside and villages and pubs and views make it a perfect area for a week long (or more) staycation for sure! Thanks for reading and hope you have a lovely day too xx

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  8. These are such beautiful pictures from your visit to Suffolk. The drive alone sounds like quite the adventure with all those winding roads, but it looks it was worth it. I love all the historic houses in Lavenham, the old castles, the cute windmill and views of the countryside. This looks like a great place to explore and relax. Thanks for sharing. Linda

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Oh thank you so much, I’m really glad you enjoyed the photos. It’s definitely worth it, and you’re right – Lavenham is such a great place and so unique with all its old and wonky buildings. Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day 🙂

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  9. I love this post!!! I can’t decide which part I like the most although the flower hut is calling my name!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Yey I’m so pleased you like it – the flower hut is beautiful, I totally agree 🙂

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  10. Suffolk looks so nice! And so much to do, there seems like there’s something for everyone. Beautiful pictures (as always!)

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you so much, really appreciate your kind words. Suffolk definitely has something for everyone, I totally agree 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  11. There is a lot to do and see in Suffolk. It looks so peaceful an idyllic.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks so much for reading – and yes I totally agree, it’s like a place that the crazy modern world hasn’t quite completely caught up with yet! 🙂

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  12. I have never been to that county. Your photos make me want to book some holiday to visit this part of England.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Aw I’m so glad the photos make you think you’d enjoy a visit – thanks so much for reading 🙂

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  13. You’ve added lots to my English wish-list. Would especially love to visit Framlingham Castle.

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    1. Fram is an incredible castle, I think actually my favourite in England 🙂

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  14. Excellent tour of Suffolk! Forget spending a week there- I could easily spend a month at least enjoying all these places. Every picture just made me want to visit more and more 🙂

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    1. Aww I’m so glad you enjoyed it Meg – it’s a really underrated area of England that’s for sure. It would be perfect to spend a month there 🙂

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  15. The Swan looks like such a beautiful place to rest after a day of exploration! How lovely are those houses in Lavenham and of course, I would not want to miss a walk around those old castles!
    I’m also getting a bit light headed when it comes to winding roads, but it definitely looks worth the sick bag and travel pill to visit beautiful Suffolk!
    Thanks Hannah, you have great pictures in this post – definitely a guide to keep in mind!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It really is, sinking in to the big tub is perfect. I’m so glad you enjoyed the tour and showed you another lovely little corner of England 🙂

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  16. I’d love to visit sometime, it looks so picturesque and interesting. Please do take some over-the-counter motion sickness pills next time you go! I’ve done it more than once on boats and ferries.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. That’s some good advice, I wear the little sick bands but maybe I need to start taking tablets as well!

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About the author

Hi! My name is Hannah, I’m a travel blogger from the UK who fits travel around a full time (and full on) job. In this blog I share my adventures around the world and hopefully help you to find some inspiration for destinations, things to do or places to stay. Thanks for stopping by – stay safe and happy travelling.

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