Cottageline Blog

Suffolk is a county steeped in history, and its coastal and countryside scenery has long been a source of inspiration to artists and writers. It’s the ideal place to walk and unwind, with a diversity of landscapes and an impressive network of routes, all well waymarked and easy to follow. Whether you are a local or a tourist enjoying a Suffolk cottage, you are sure to enjoy the selection of walks below.

The Angles Way runs along the border of Norfolk and Suffolk in the beautiful Waveney Valley, while shorter circular routes off this path lead to some of the area’s lesser-known villages.

The Suffolk Coast and Heaths area – designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty on 1970 – extends from the Stour estuary in the south to Kessingland in the north and is a low-lying area of astonishing variety, a mix of shingle beaches, crumbling cliffs, marshes, estuaries, heathland, forests and farmland. There are three long distance routes here: the 50-mile Suffolk Coast Path from Felixstowe to Lowestoft; the 60-mile Sandlings Walk between the eastern fringes of Ipswich and Southwold, linking the remaining fragments of beautiful Sandlings Heath; and the 42-mile Stour and Orwell Walk from Felixstowe to Cattawade and Manningtree, around two of the most beautiful estuaries in East Anglia.

Suffolk is famous for its gentle landscapes. Along the river Stour south of Lavenham is 'Constable Country', forever associated with the painter’s most poignant works. Walks between Sudbury and Flatford capture the essential 'Englishness' of the scenery – Flatford is the location for one of Constable's most famous paintings and is now a major tourist attraction, while upstream at Sudbury is the birthplace of another great English painter, Thomas Gainsborough.

To discover a totally different aspect of Suffolk, take a walk in The Brecks, once an ancient heathland. The landscape today is a result of the sandy soil and the winds that have blown across it over the centuries – twisted trees, open heaths, huge horizons and a variety of habitats are to be found in this 370 square miles, with Brandon a good base from which to step out.

This weekend marks the end of Farmhouse Breakfast Week, and I’m going to make the most of the chance to celebrate the wealth of healthy breakfast foods found in Britain with a short break in Suffolk.

With a group of friends, I’ve booked a Suffolk cottage for a couple of nights… we can’t wait to get out in the countryside for some long walks. And the really great thing is that we’ve found no shortage of dog-friendly cottages in Suffolk, so no-one will be left out of the fun!

Westleton cottages were suggested as a good place to start our self-catering cottage search, and we found plenty to choose from. We finally settled on one which will accommodate six adults and two dogs quite comfortably – there’s even a barbecue if we feel brave enough to cook up our hearty start to the day outdoors!

From Westleton, we plan to follow the signposts for a lovely walk of around 45 minutes across heathland to historic Dunwich, where there are yet more pretty cottages – no doubt our next Suffolk holiday will be planned while we’re there! – plus a fabulous pub and beach. Alternatively, we could walk a little further across a different, more hilly heath, and get to the RSPB’s famous Minsmere reserve – there’s lots going on there at this time of year so our binoculars and cameras will be ready to capture some of the action.

All that walking is going to work up a healthy appetite, so I’m packing lots of ‘roomy’ clothes to allow for those hearty breakfasts (and evening meals!) that will keep our batteries charged. Full English anyone?

Visit http://www.suffolk-secrets.co.uk for more information