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Bed and Breakfast accommodation in Saxtead |
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The county of Suffolk lies in the east of England within the East Anglian region and its coastline borders the North Sea . The county town of Ipswich is about 70 miles from London and is easily accessible by road and rail. It is a delightful county of softly undulating rural landscape and picturesque villages, from the open heath country of the Breckland, and then on through the arable heartland, to the coastline offering lovely shingle shores, sandy beaches and low cliffs.
Historically the area has strong evidence of its Saxon past. Many of the place names originate from that time, notably of course those prefixed by the syllable ‘Sax'. Two places of interest to the visitor in this regard would be the Saxon village at West Stow and the Sutton Hoo Anglo Saxon royal burial site. A more recent aspect of Suffolk's history would be its association with world war two, through the many airfields that were created at that time. At the former Parham airfield there is an air museum based in the old control tower. However the traditional mainstay of Suffolk through the years has been its abundant agriculture. The county has evolved its own breed of sheep and the famous Suffolk Punch heavy horses. In recent years farming has had to find an accommodation for modern economic pressures, so that sheep and cattle enterprises have become fewer in number, whilst arable units are now the order of the day, together with pig production. Often referred to as ‘the bread basket of England', the county not only produces vast acreages of wheat, but also significant quantities of barley, sugar beet, peas, and more recently oil seed rape.
To the west of Suffolk the towns of Newmarket , which is the historic centre of English horse racing, and Bury St Edmunds with its magnificent cathedral, provide a depth of interesting discoveries for any visitor. South of Bury St Edmunds, are the small towns of Lavenham, Long Melford and Sudbury . A visit here will illustrate Suffolk 's historic past, in particular its association with the wool industry. Going east a journey to the delightful market towns of Framlingham and Woodbridge is to be recommended, before discovering the Heritage Coast. From Lowestoft in the north, travelling south you will come across the ancient small town of Southwold , frozen in time with its colourful beach huts and recently modernised pier. Further down the coast is the town of Aldeburgh and the nearby Snape Maltings, both associated with the composer Benjamin Britten. Felixstowe the most southerly town on the Heritage Coast is a lovely Edwardian seaside resort, with a grand pier and promenade, as well as being one of Europe 's largest container ports.
For the naturalist Suffolk offers many reserves; notably Minsmere, Dunwich Heath, Framlingham Mere, as well as the various river estuaries. The wide ranging rural expanse has also inspired many artists to capture this on canvas, most famously John Constable and Thomas Gainsborough.