The Suffolk coast & beaches

Suffolk’s coast is gentler and quieter than Norfolk’s — shingle as much as sand, with the Heritage Coast running from Lowestoft down to the Deben. Plan around the tide, bring a windbreak, and pack crabbing lines for Walberswick, where it is something close to a competitive sport.

• CoastAll agesSouthwold — beach huts, the pier and the lighthouse standing in the middle of town.
• CoastAll agesAldeburgh — the Scallop on the shingle, the best fish and chips on the coast, and Britten’s town.
• CoastFreeCrabbingWalberswick — the crabbing capital, just across the river from Southwold.
• CoastBoatingThorpeness — the boating Meare and the House in the Clouds, a proper one-off.
• CoastAll agesFelixstowe — a classic resort seafront, with the container ships gliding past as a bonus.
• CoastAll agesLowestoft — Britain’s most easterly point and a wide sandy beach.
• CoastFreeWildShingle Street — a wild, almost empty shingle bank for a bracing walk and beachcombing.

Castles, halls & gardens

Suffolk wears its history lightly but does it properly. Framlingham and Orford are English Heritage; Ickworth is National Trust, so a membership soon pays its way if you visit a few of these a year.

• CastleEHHalf-dayFramlingham Castle — walk the complete curtain wall; Mary Tudor was proclaimed queen here.
• CastleEHOrford Castle — a near-perfect polygonal keep with views to the Ness.
• Historic houseNTGardenIckworth — the extraordinary Hervey Rotunda, with parkland and a walled garden.
• GardenBest in summerHelmingham Hall & Gardens — one of the great moated gardens of England, at its peak in summer.
• MuseumHistoryBawdsey Manor & Radar Museum — where radar was born, on the Deben estuary.

History, ships & music

• MuseumNTIndoor optionSutton Hoo — the Anglo-Saxon ship burial, with a good indoor exhibition for a wet day.
• NatureNTBook aheadOrford Ness — the eerie Cold War shingle spit, reached by the Trust’s ferry.
• CultureFree to wanderSnape Maltings — Britten’s concert hall, riverside walks and galleries in the reed beds.

Wildlife, farms & the big days out

For animals and the bigger-ticket days, the Suffolk coast delivers — book online the night before in August and aim for opening time.

• WildlifePaid entryAfrica Alive! — lions, giraffes and an African-plains feel near Lowestoft.
• Theme parkPaid entryPleasurewood Hills — the coast’s theme park, for the rollercoaster contingent.
• FarmYounger childrenEaston Farm Park — a working farm built for small children and their first wellies.
• Nature reserveWildlifeRSPB Minsmere — a former BBC Springwatch base and one of Britain’s great nature reserves, with pond-dipping and hides.
• WildlifeSuffolk Owl Sanctuary — flying displays and rescued birds at Stonham Aspal.

Market towns & riverside

• Market townRiversideWoodbridge — the Tide Mill and a handsome quayside on the Deben.
• CastleFreeBungay Castle — Bigod’s ruined keep in the middle of a friendly market town.
• Outdoor poolSummerBeccles Lido — a much-loved heated open-air pool for a hot day on the Waveney.

Free & cheap days out in Suffolk

Some of the best of Suffolk costs nothing but the parking and the petrol. The shingle beaches are free to walk, the market towns reward a wander, and the wild coast asks only for stout shoes.

Where to stay

Making a weekend or a week of it? Sykes Holiday Cottages has over 430 inspected cottages across Suffolk — from the Heritage Coast at Southwold and Aldeburgh to quiet boltholes inland — many dog-friendly or with hot tubs, and most within easy reach of the coast. For the planning, a good Ordnance Survey Explorer map of the coast earns its place in the glovebox.

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