Jess’s guidebook
Local beaches
Explore the shingle beaches of Aldeburgh and Thorpeness which are a 5 and 10 minute drive away or head slightly further up the coast and enjoy the sandy beaches of Southwold and Walberswick.
Located a 10 minute drive away Aldeburgh has a lot to offer- huge stretch of beach, independent shops, cafes and restaurants & pubs. Eating fish & chips on the beach or parked up
in the car on the sea wall.
Enjoy a stroll along the tow path between Aldeburgh and Thorpeness or, towards the South of the beach, the Martello Tower.
25 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
Playa de Aldeburgh
Crag PathLocated a 10 minute drive away Aldeburgh has a lot to offer- huge stretch of beach, independent shops, cafes and restaurants & pubs. Eating fish & chips on the beach or parked up
in the car on the sea wall.
Enjoy a stroll along the tow path between Aldeburgh and Thorpeness or, towards the South of the beach, the Martello Tower.
In the summer months take the 5 minute ferry (rowing boat) across the river to Southwold
7 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
Walberswick to Southwold Ferry .
42 Ferry RdIn the summer months take the 5 minute ferry (rowing boat) across the river to Southwold
Located a 20 minute drive away- Beautiful stretch of shingle beach with impressive rugged cliffs along with a range of heath and woodland walks.
Dunwich Heath, along with its nearby beach and woodland has the best that nature has to offer. The area has a remarkably diverse range of wildlife, and is famous for the nationally rare Dartford warbler. Nature lovers will be spoiled for choice here; just make sure to bring your binoculars and a camera!
The National Trust tearooms sitting at the top of the cliffs overlooking the sea is a lovely place to sit and enjoy the view.
50 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
National Trust - Dunwich Heath y Playa
Minsmere RoadLocated a 20 minute drive away- Beautiful stretch of shingle beach with impressive rugged cliffs along with a range of heath and woodland walks.
Dunwich Heath, along with its nearby beach and woodland has the best that nature has to offer. The area has a remarkably diverse range of wildlife, and is famous for the nationally rare Dartford warbler. Nature lovers will be spoiled for choice here; just make sure to bring your binoculars and a camera!
The National Trust tearooms sitting at the top of the cliffs overlooking the sea is a lovely place to sit and enjoy the view.
20 minutes away.
A wilder beach than neighbouring Southwold, Walberswick Beach is a favourite with families, dog walkers and sea swimmers.
Just across the River Blyth from Southwold, you find Walberswick. Home to a stone and sand beach, you access the beach by crossing the harbour bridge and walking through the dunes. The beach is wild and windswept, with Walberswick Nature Reserve to the north. With views of Southwold to the north and Sizewell to the south this stretch is also popular with surfers, kite surfers and canoeists.
Just a short walk from the pretty village, where you will find cafes, pubs and shops, the Harbour is also the perfect spot for crabbing.
32 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
Walberswick Beach
20 minutes away.
A wilder beach than neighbouring Southwold, Walberswick Beach is a favourite with families, dog walkers and sea swimmers.
Just across the River Blyth from Southwold, you find Walberswick. Home to a stone and sand beach, you access the beach by crossing the harbour bridge and walking through the dunes. The beach is wild and windswept, with Walberswick Nature Reserve to the north. With views of Southwold to the north and Sizewell to the south this stretch is also popular with surfers, kite surfers and canoeists.
Just a short walk from the pretty village, where you will find cafes, pubs and shops, the Harbour is also the perfect spot for crabbing.
Southwold Beach
25 minutes away
Suggested places to visit
5 minutes away.
One of the world’s leading centres of music, Snape Maltings brings together a creative campus buzzing with activity, outstanding concerts and events, and distinctive independent shops, cafes and galleries, all set within a breathtaking expanse of reeds, water and sky on the Suffolk coast.
Enjoy a music, dance or theatrical performance in the impressive Concert Hall, enjoy a cocktail in the Long Bar overlooking the reed beds, river & marshes or a coffee and cake in the ‘Malt’ cafe.
The Plough & Sail pub, one of 3 in Snape, is also located at the Maltings.
215 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
Snape Maltings
5 minutes away.
One of the world’s leading centres of music, Snape Maltings brings together a creative campus buzzing with activity, outstanding concerts and events, and distinctive independent shops, cafes and galleries, all set within a breathtaking expanse of reeds, water and sky on the Suffolk coast.
Enjoy a music, dance or theatrical performance in the impressive Concert Hall, enjoy a cocktail in the Long Bar overlooking the reed beds, river & marshes or a coffee and cake in the ‘Malt’ cafe.
The Plough & Sail pub, one of 3 in Snape, is also located at the Maltings.
10 minutes by car.
The small village of Thorpeness is dominated by the Mere, which is popular all year round and bears witness to the village’s fantastical past. In 1910 Stuart Ogilvie bought the hamlet and set to transform it into a private fantasy holiday village. Today the village is just how Ogilvie envisaged it with pretty mock Tudor houses and the fairy-tale ‘House in the Clouds’ as well as the windmill.
Thorpeness is a popular holiday village with a whimsical literary link. The picturesque ‘meare’ or artificial lake is vast- covering over 60,000 acres with its various islands and inlets. The Meare comprises many little islands, all named by J.M Barrie, author of Peter Pan and visitors can take to one of the many little boats available to hire and drift between fairytale settings such as the pirate’s lair and Wendy’s house.
Hire a boat and start your Peter Pan adventure
A century on and the Meare is still a fantastic water playground. It’s open every summer until the end of October half-term, and these days there are over 100 boats for hire including rowing boats, kayaks, canoes, punts, dinghies, and sailing boats meaning there is a vessel to suit everyone. It was once dubbed ‘The Child’s Paradise’ by Ogilvie, and despite the long intervening years, the name still fits.
You also can’t miss the ‘house in the clouds’, an unusual water tower with a boarded house on top, appearing to float up into the sky.
70 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
Thorpeness
10 minutes by car.
The small village of Thorpeness is dominated by the Mere, which is popular all year round and bears witness to the village’s fantastical past. In 1910 Stuart Ogilvie bought the hamlet and set to transform it into a private fantasy holiday village. Today the village is just how Ogilvie envisaged it with pretty mock Tudor houses and the fairy-tale ‘House in the Clouds’ as well as the windmill.
Thorpeness is a popular holiday village with a whimsical literary link. The picturesque ‘meare’ or artificial lake is vast- covering over 60,000 acres with its various islands and inlets. The Meare comprises many little islands, all named by J.M Barrie, author of Peter Pan and visitors can take to one of the many little boats available to hire and drift between fairytale settings such as the pirate’s lair and Wendy’s house.
Hire a boat and start your Peter Pan adventure
A century on and the Meare is still a fantastic water playground. It’s open every summer until the end of October half-term, and these days there are over 100 boats for hire including rowing boats, kayaks, canoes, punts, dinghies, and sailing boats meaning there is a vessel to suit everyone. It was once dubbed ‘The Child’s Paradise’ by Ogilvie, and despite the long intervening years, the name still fits.
You also can’t miss the ‘house in the clouds’, an unusual water tower with a boarded house on top, appearing to float up into the sky.
15 minutes by car.
Arguably one of the prettiest villages on the Suffolk Coast, Orford is a true gem. From its castle, pretty cottages and welcoming pubs to the picturesque quay offering river cruises and the home of Pinney's delicious smoked fish and the Pump Street bakery, it’s an ideal place to while away a day or so.
One of my favour spots is the Riverside Cafe, located just off the quay. The outside decking is a perfect spot to enjoy lunch or coffee and cake and look out over the river watching the wildlife and boats.
Orford
15 minutes by car.
Arguably one of the prettiest villages on the Suffolk Coast, Orford is a true gem. From its castle, pretty cottages and welcoming pubs to the picturesque quay offering river cruises and the home of Pinney's delicious smoked fish and the Pump Street bakery, it’s an ideal place to while away a day or so.
One of my favour spots is the Riverside Cafe, located just off the quay. The outside decking is a perfect spot to enjoy lunch or coffee and cake and look out over the river watching the wildlife and boats.
Muelle de Southwold
North ParadeGreat walks
Tunstall Forest is 5 minutes by car just past Snape Maltings. It has many different tracks - park up at one of the many entrances to the forest or in the Sandlings car park.
The 10km mountain bike ‘Viking’ trail can also be found here.
Tunstall Forest, Woodbridge IP12 2BJ, Reino Unido
Tunstall Forest is 5 minutes by car just past Snape Maltings. It has many different tracks - park up at one of the many entrances to the forest or in the Sandlings car park.
The 10km mountain bike ‘Viking’ trail can also be found here.
RSPB Snape Warren is 5 minutes away.
Snape Warren is best reached by walking along the north bank of the Alde estuary from Snape Maltings for about one mile, along what is known as the Sailor’s Path.
The Snape reserve also includes an exciting new wetland area where we are working with the Environment Agency to create new reedbeds and freshwater marshes. This will benefit wildlife such as otters, water voles, kingfishers, bitterns, marsh harriers and dragonflies. Access to this area is restricted to RSPB guided walks only, but some of the star species can be seen by looking upstream from Snape Bridge.
There are excellent walks along the Alde estuary from Snape Bridge to Iken or Snape Warren, where you can see wading birds such as avocets and curlews, plus barn owls and marsh harriers.
Snape Warren
RSPB Snape Warren is 5 minutes away.
Snape Warren is best reached by walking along the north bank of the Alde estuary from Snape Maltings for about one mile, along what is known as the Sailor’s Path.
The Snape reserve also includes an exciting new wetland area where we are working with the Environment Agency to create new reedbeds and freshwater marshes. This will benefit wildlife such as otters, water voles, kingfishers, bitterns, marsh harriers and dragonflies. Access to this area is restricted to RSPB guided walks only, but some of the star species can be seen by looking upstream from Snape Bridge.
There are excellent walks along the Alde estuary from Snape Bridge to Iken or Snape Warren, where you can see wading birds such as avocets and curlews, plus barn owls and marsh harriers.
Located 20 minutes by car Rendlesham Forest is a great place for walking or off road biking.
Bike hire is available from the main car park to the forest during weekends and Bank Holidays. There are high spec electric mountain bikes, standard high quality mountain bikes with tourers also available to hire for a minimum 2 hours. With walking trails to explore or simply a stroll with your dog through the forest is a wonderful way to enjoy this special place in nature.
UFO trail
Rendlesham Forest is the sight of the infamous UFO sittings in 1980, and as a result visitors can explore the UFO trail in the forest.
This trail will stimulate your imagination, taking you through forest, heathland and wetlands and some of the areas connected to the UFO sighting in December 1980.
Rendlesham Forest, Woodbridge IP12, Reino Unido
Located 20 minutes by car Rendlesham Forest is a great place for walking or off road biking.
Bike hire is available from the main car park to the forest during weekends and Bank Holidays. There are high spec electric mountain bikes, standard high quality mountain bikes with tourers also available to hire for a minimum 2 hours. With walking trails to explore or simply a stroll with your dog through the forest is a wonderful way to enjoy this special place in nature.
UFO trail
Rendlesham Forest is the sight of the infamous UFO sittings in 1980, and as a result visitors can explore the UFO trail in the forest.
This trail will stimulate your imagination, taking you through forest, heathland and wetlands and some of the areas connected to the UFO sighting in December 1980.
Captain's Wood is a precious ancient woodland full of rare plants and a superb mix of natural habitats for a wide range of wildlife, including fallow deer, barn owl and bats.
Captain's Wood is a 62 hectare nature reserve in Sudbourne in Suffolk. It is owned and managed by the Suffolk Wildlife Trust. This site has woodland, rough grassland and scrub. A herd of fallow deer helps to keep the land open, and there are also barn owls, buzzards, mature oak trees and many bluebells.
Dogs are not permitted at the reserve.
Captain's Wood
School RoadCaptain's Wood is a precious ancient woodland full of rare plants and a superb mix of natural habitats for a wide range of wildlife, including fallow deer, barn owl and bats.
Captain's Wood is a 62 hectare nature reserve in Sudbourne in Suffolk. It is owned and managed by the Suffolk Wildlife Trust. This site has woodland, rough grassland and scrub. A herd of fallow deer helps to keep the land open, and there are also barn owls, buzzards, mature oak trees and many bluebells.
Dogs are not permitted at the reserve.
Food scene
Aldeburgh Munchies
163 High StFishers Gin
Dog friendly , eclectic cafe with a unique seaside location and its own style. Local produce were possible, which has been responsibly sourced & passionately served.
8 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
The Kitchen @ Thorpeness
Dog friendly , eclectic cafe with a unique seaside location and its own style. Local produce were possible, which has been responsibly sourced & passionately served.