THE LOCALITY
Southwold
(4 miles)
An elegant seaside town with sandy beaches which regularly win ‘Blue
Flag’ awards. The town itself has many attractions including a Regency
High Street, spacious greens, charming cottages, the lighthouse, the famously
expensive beach huts, traditional working fishing harbour, the horsedrawn brewery
dray and the newly restored pier and Electric Picture Palace. The town is the
home of Adnams brewery and there are many excellent pubs recommended in good
pub guides. Golf, sailing, horse riding, tennis, crabbing and other sports are
available in Southwold.
Walberswick (4 miles): Charming village set around a green, with an two excellent pubs, fine sandy beach and sand dunes.
Blythburgh
The majestic church of Blythburgh (“the Cathedral of the Marshes”)
is the venue for some of the concerts of the Aldeburgh festival. There is
a shop/post office in the village and a good village pub, recommended in the
Good Pub Guide, with outside seating area and marvellous views. There are
many excellent walks and cycle rides in the locality and birdhides in the
nearby Hen Marshes.
Aldeburgh
(13 miles)
The home of the composer Benjamin Britten, Aldeburgh is a popular, elegant
seaside family resort with many working fishing boats pulled up on the shingle,
fresh fish to be bought and renowned fish and chip shops.
Minsmere RSPB
Bird Sanctuary (8 miles)
The showcase of the RSPB -Bitterns, Marsh Harriers, Avocets, Godwits and even
an occasional Spoonbill can be seen.
The
Sandlings and Dunwich
Heath (8 miles)
The Sandlings are an area of lowland heath of international importance with
reed beds, mudflats, low crumbling cliffs, shingle beaches, peaceful woodlands,
rough grazing and salt marshes. Dunwich Heath is an important National Trust
Nature Reserve where night jars are often heard.
Snape
Maltings (14 miles)
The home of the world famous Aldeburgh Festival of Music, this is also a most
beautiful site, with spectacular views over the reed beds and the River Alde.
Ipswich, Norwich and Felixstowe are 30-35 miles away. Lowestoft is about ten
miles, Great Yarmouth 20.
The Norfolk Broads start about 10 miles away, at the pleasant towns of Bungay and Beccles.
Other places of particular interest in the area include: Sutton Hoo and restored tidemill at Woodbridge (20 miles). The Church-within-a-church at Covehithe. Working windmill at Thorpeness. Orford and Framlingham Castles.
Shopping: There are good individual shops in Southwold and Halesworth and many interesting shops nearby. There are farmshops, farmers markets and many roadside stalls selling fresh local produce. Local fish is excellent, and there is a small market in Southwold on Monday and Thursday. Adnams beer and wine.
Restaurants: there are many excellent pubs and restaurants in the area, at all prices. For a special celebration we receommend the Crown and the Swan in Southwold, the Queens Head at Bramfield or the Anchor in Walberswick.
Year-round attractions:
Spring: Aldeburgh Spring and Easter music festivals. Southwold literary festival (May). Glorious bluebell woods at end of lane (April, May). Lambs and calves in adjacent fields. Southwold Trinity fair (May).Grey plover, black-tailed godwit, bar-tailed godwit, whimbrel
Summer: Sandy beaches at Southwold, Walberswick and elsewhere. Meals on the terrace and in our meadow. Plenty of sports locally. Boating on the Broads. Aldeburgh International Festival (June, with some concerts at Blythburgh), Summer Proms (August). Southwold Summer Theatre. Walberswick Crabbing championships. Westleton Wild Flower festival (end July), Barrel Fair (August). Shelduck, redshank, common tern, swallows on our roof.
Autumn: Southwold Jazz festival (Sept). Henham Steam Rally (Sept). Southwold Literary festival (Nov). Lovely autumn colouring over the estuary. Britten festival (Snape). Grey plover, spotted redshank, greenshank, whimbrel
Winter: Log fires. Christmas lights festival, Southwold (Dec). Good walks locally and excellent pubs. Bird watching from the barns windows: Wigeon, shelduck, spotted redshank