East Suffolk
Friston
The village lies approximately four miles inland of Aldeburgh. Leiston and Saxmundham, with their shops and supermarkets, are an easy drive.
Friston lies in a beautiful rural location with easy access to the sea, rivers, walks, fields, heathland, forests and woodland areas. We are also in close proximity to the world-famous Bird Sanctuary at Minsmere. The Friston "Post Mill" the tallest of its type in the country and it is hoped that its renovation may be possible in the future.
St Mary the Virgin is Friston's church and in the centre of the village is the 'The Cheques Inn' pub and restaurant.
Aldeburgh
Aldeburgh renowned for its connection with Benjamin Britten and the Aldeburgh Festival, which takes place in June every year. 19th Century holiday villas line the promenade and to the east, the pebble beach with fisherman’s huts selling the daily catch.
With a rich cultural identity, multiple galleries and iconic sculptures, as well as many pubs, restuarants hotels and it's famous 'fish & chips'.
The Martello tower in Aldeburgh is recorded as the largest in the UK, being made up of four towers joined together, now a converted holiday home.
Saxmundham
Saxmundham is an historic Market Town set in the valley of the River Fromas, on the old Coach & horses route from London to the Continent. Many of the charming shops and houses in the town are of Georgian or Victorian appearance, and some are older dating back to Elizabethan times - such as Monks Cottages and Angel Yard in the Market Place.
Today it has a busy high street and offers great access by rail and road providing an excellent touring base to explore the Suffolk Coast. The town boasts a number of cafés, hotel and restaurants along with selection of independent shops.
Thorpeness
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.
You 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. If you’re looking to stay in an iconic Suffolk building, the House in the Clouds is available to hire for holidays!
Dunwich
In an area as steeped in history as the Suffolk Coast, it takes something special to stand out. Dunwich manages to do just this. Known as the lost city of England, this tiny village certainly has a story to tell.
Today, you can explore the village's expanse of forest, heath and beach, at National Trust Dunwich Heath, learn more about it's fascinating past at Dunwich museum and sample some of The Suffolk Coast's fine fayre at award-winning coast and country pubs and inns.
Walberswick
Quieter than the neighbouring town of Southwold, this pretty seaside village is the perfect place for a bucket and spade holiday, followed by a hearty pub lunch or cream tea or a quiet, romantic break during the winter months.
The village also has a long sand and shingle beach backed by grassy dunes and surrounded by marsh and heathland. The nature reserve, which follows the River Blyth estuary, covers over 1,000 acres, combining mudflats, meadows and marsh and is home to otters, deer and a wide range of bird species.
Snape
The unique and charming village, situated on the Alde Estuary is famously home to the world-renowned concert hall. The Maltings complex is home to an array of boutiques, galleries, arts centres, cafes, restaurants and grand performance spaces. Today, musicians from all over the world come here to study and hone their musical skills.
Every year in summer, Snape Maltings hosts a month-long festival of music, the Aldeburgh Festival with everything from jazz to choral, classical to contemporary being performed, and in September, the vast outside spaces are filled with the region's top food & drinks producers at the acclaimed Aldeburgh Food & Drink Festival.
Leiston
Leiston is close to RSPB Minsmere, a perfect place for walkers and cyclists to explore the Suffolk coastline.
Leiston film theatre opened in 1914 and is Suffolk’s oldest surviving purpose built cinema. Originally named Leiston picture house, it has traded continuously for 106 years.
Just 2 miles from Leiston, the fishing village of Sizewell is known for its two power stations but it is also infamous for the smuggling activities that occurred on its beaches during the 17th century. Smuggled goods were transported in the tunnels carved out under the marshes.