Suffolk is a lovely county to visit with 50 miles of beautiful coastline, stunning beaches, quaint villages, and many designated areas of outstanding natural beauty.
Ufford Park is situated just outside the lovely market town of Woodbridge which sits beside the River Deben. There is an abundance of wildlife and if you are lucky, you can sometimes see a seal or two. Woodbridge is a very well photographed town with many fascinating buildings. The Tide Mill is the most photographed. It dates back to 1170 and is thought to be one of the earliest examples of a tide mill in the UK. It is closely followed, photography wise, by the Shire Hall. Built in about 1575 as a corn market with judicial area above the Shire Hall stands pride of place on the Market Hill. A weekly food and produce market is still held here with stalls set around the now disused pump and drinking fountain which was built in the mid 1800 to provide water for the market livestock.
The Woodbridge Museum on the waterfront is fairly small but well worth a visit. It details the history and lives of the town and its people from Tudor times to the current day – did you know that Woodbridge used to have a ferry!
Located next door to the museum the replica Sutton Hoo ship is being built. In 2016 a group of professionals, volunteers and enthusiasts got together to build a permanent and authentic replica of the Anglo-Saxon ship using authentic ship-building methods. If you stop by you can see the work their progress. They hope to be finished in 2028. The original ship, believed to belong to King Raedwald, was first discovered in 1939 at Sutton Hoo just across the water from Woodbridge.
It is exciting that, at the time of writing this blog, Tony Robinson and the time team are filming the progress of the ship’s build and carrying out an excavation in Garden Field at Sutton Hoo. Owned by the Nation Trust, Sutton Hoo is a hugely popular place to visit. The
beautiful 255 acre site, with far reaching views over the river Deben to Woodbridge, is home to one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of all time. It is worth taking the time to walk around the Royal Burial Ground and surrounding footpaths, and to think about how they managed to drag the ship up the hill from the river without any machinery. There is a large café, and museum on site and Edith Pretty’s house is open to look around.
Snape Maltings is just 9 miles away. The striking Maltings buildings are situated in a beautiful location beside the river Alde in Snape. In 1841, Newson Garret started building Snape Maltings to malt barley and ship it to breweries in London, but after 120 years of operation the malting of barley stopped. Benjamin Britten, looking for a larger venue for the Aldeburgh Festival of Music and the Arts, leased the largest of the buildings in 1965 and converted it into the 810 seat Snape Maltings Concert Hall. It is now internationally renowned for the superb quality of its acoustics. Concerts and events run throughout the year and with its selection of eating options and quirky shop it is a popular destination. There are two beautiful walks along the river from Snape Maltings. On one side the path takes you to Aldeburgh and on the other it leads you along the board walks towards Iken (check the tide times as the board walk can flood).
We have two lovely examples of well-kept castles with a few miles of the resort. Open to the public and surrounded by parkland on the edge of a pretty little town is Framlingham Castle (the castle behind Ed Sheeran’s “Castle on the Hill”). From the top of the 10.5 metre high wall walkway there are breathtaking views over the Suffolk countryside. Several times a year, they hold theatre productions inside the castle wall. Orford Castle is one of England’s most complete keeps. It was built between 1165 and 1173 by Henry II of England and sits beside the picturesque village of Orford with stunning views across the water to Orford Ness.
A boat will take you from Orford Quay over to the National Trust’s Orford Ness National Nature Reserve, which until recently, when it started slipping into the water, had a lighthouse. The island has a fascinating 20th century military history with wild birds including barn owls, falcons and marsh harriers, Chinese water deer, and specialised plants all flourishing in the varied coastal habitat.
Bentwaters Cold War Museum is based just down the road in the former USAF hardened command post on the former Bentwaters airfield. Covering the history of RAF Bentwaters,, from WWII until the base closed in 1993, many of the rooms have been restored to original condition including the “war operations room” and “battle cabin”. There is also a room dedicated to the history of its ‘twin base’ RAF Woodbridge.
We are lucky to have several attractions fairly locally where animals are the priority. The closest being The Suffolk Punch Trust where you can meet these magnificent animals, watch demonstrations, take tractor trailer rides, and visit the cafe. The visitor centre explains all about the breed and the 260 year history of the Suffolk Punch in Hollesley.
Easton Farm Park is a family run farm park offering a wide range of fun activities and attractions from meeting the resident animals, soft paly areas, adventure playground and giant bouncy pillow. They are even host to the Maverick Festival, the UK’s first Americana music festival.
Just over the Orwell Bridge is Jimmy’s Farm and Wildlife Park. You may have seen Jimmy Doherty, on television as he rescued Ewa, a polar bear, and Diego, a brown bear. Jimmy started with an old dairy farm near Ipswich over 20 years ago with a woodland walk and a few animals. Now there is so much to see and do, with a host of animals from farm animals to rare bread butterflies, zebras, Artic Wolves, crocodiles, not to mention the animal experiences, an adventure playground and a beautiful cafe. It is an animal enthusiast’s heaven.
If you love animal farms then Baylham House Rare Breeds Farm is a must. Set in a lovely area of the countryside this working livestock farm specialises in native breeds which once common are now sadly very rare. Pick up a bag of animal feed and stop to say hello to the animals as you walk round the barns and fields. Take your time, there is no rush, walk by the river, watch the wildlife, enjoy a picnic or visit the cafe. If you are in the area during lambing season, you can even sit and hold the lambs!
If you are a serious walker we are not far from the 59-mile Sandling Walk which runs from the outskirts of Ipswich to Southwold, and the 60 mile Suffolk Coastal Path which makes its way from the historic Landguard Point in Felixstowe to Lowestoft. Along the way you will come across lovely heathland, beautiful beaches, quaint villages and bustling seaside towns such as Aldeburgh and Southwold. You also pass by Snape Maltings and get to experience the Bawdsey Foot Ferry!
There are lots of lovely walks in the local area. Just down the road in Rendlesham Forest is a flat, easy 3 mile walking trail based around the famous UFO sighting in December 1980.
Walking by the river in Woodbridge is stunning and never gets boring. You can even walk there from Ufford Park, via our trim trail and beside the river, but it is quite a long way. Another favourite walk is along the old railway line and back by the beach between Aldeburgh and Thorpeness. But the best has to be the very varied walk at Southwold where you stroll across the heath, along the old railway line, beside the river Blyth amongst the fishing boats, get sand in your toes on the beach and finally mooch round the shops in the town, and all in one walk!
We have several bustling historic towns close to Ufford Park, which in my opinion are all worth a visit.
The seaside town of Aldeburgh with its main street lined with boutique shops, cafes, restaurants, a little 253 seater cinema dating back over 100 years and the Moot Hall. Thought to be one of the best preserved example of a Tudor building in England the Moot Hall once housed several merchant shops and dates back to the early 16th century.
Thorpeness is a unique village with an interesting history. In 1910 Glencairn Stuart Ogilvie started work on building the village with Tudor and Jacobean style holiday homes for his friends and family to stay in. He created a 60 acres Peter Pan themed mere for the families entertainment. To this day you can explore the islands by hiring rowing boats and canoes. Being no more that 3 feet deep at any point, it is perfect for lots of family fun. The village is also well known for the “house in the clouds”; a former water tower that has been converted into a house,
Southwold is one of the most expensive places to buy a house in Suffolk. The picturesque town has a beach, a colourful promenade of beach huts and a pier. As I have mentioned above there is a varied and beautiful walk here which has several places to eat en-route including a public house, a wooden café on stilts, and a fish and chip shop.
Southwold is home to the Adnams brewery and distillery (tours are popular and need to be pre-booked early as they sell out quickly), and to a Victorian light house - climbing the 113 steps to the top is worth it if you are not scared of heights.
The seaside town of Felixstowe has many attractions with its long promenade and beach seeming to curve round the pier, arcades, shops and cafes, all with wonderful views. A short stroll up the hill the main shopping area stretches on for half a mile with shops, cafes, and a cinema.
On the outskirts of Felixstowe, at the mouth of the River Orwell, are Languard Fort and The Port of Felixstowe.
Languard Fort has a long and interesting history defending the East Coast starting in 1543 when Henry VIII had two blockhouses built. It has changed significantly since then and is now looked after by English Heritage. Open to the public, the maze of rooms, tunnels, passageways, and spectacular panoramic views of Harwich Haven are worth exploring. There are audio visuals, guided tours, special events and even re-enactments.
The Port of Felixstowe is the largest container port in the United Kingdom . You can walk through the nature reserve, around the edge of Languard Fort, to the port. There is a café where you can stop for a drink and a bite to eat if you wish, and watch the huge ships dock and unload.
If you are looking for an exhilarating experience on the water, take a ride on the RIB Coastal Voyager in Southwold, or for a more tranquil trip you can take a leisurely cruise up the river from Woodbridge or Orford.
There is so much more than this to do in the area around Ufford Park Resort, I have really only touched the surface, but I hope that it has given you some inspiration. Don’t forget that we have a spa, golf course, driving range, adventure golf course, and a bar and restaurant with spectacular views, so save a day to relax with us.
With so much to do, why not stay over
Warm welcome, Stylish rooms, Delicious food, Stunning views.
