Suffolk as a family holiday destination

Is it any good?

We’re planning for next year and want a change from Devon and Dorset. Cornwall is a bit too far for the kids at the moment and Northumberland last year was bloody freezing.

Well, it depends what you are going for.

Surfing – no. No surf except in parts of the county (Lowestoft being one).

Attractive blue sea – Ah. no. It’s more of a brown colour.

Lots to see and do – Yes. Some nice walks, some interesting destinations (Admans Brewery, Sizewell power station, Oulton Broads), some good places to eat, but I don’t think it is _as_ geared up to holidays as the South West. Some places are (Southwold, The Broads), but some places seem a little tired. Lowestoft used to be big in the 60s and 70s, but it seems tired now, the same with Felixstowe.

I come from Suffolk, and I am proud of that and love the county, but it’s gone downhill a lot in the last 20 years. If I was going to go there now for a holiday, I’d either head to Southwold/Walberswick and do the middle class beach thing, or further north to The Broads for a week on a boat.

Norfolk (as much as it pains me) seems to have more, better beaches. It definitely has far better surf, but it too is a bit past it, or at least Cromer is. Yarmouth is just a nasty place. Warning: I am biased against Norfolk as a whole…

My sister lives in rural Suffolk (well 9m NW of Colchester) and I’ve been loads of times and pedalled and walked around there.

Seems like a really nice area to me, perhaps not up there with Cornwall in pure-tourist stakes, but nice wee villages/pubs around, on my last ride I came across a tiny military aircraft museum and owl sanctuary, so nice small-scale attractions (which I prefer to Eden project etc)

For a relaxing holiday you can’t really beat it in the UK IMO. We go a few times a yr to visit the g/f’s family and stay just inland of Southwold. It’s near enough to Norwich for a day out if you want some shops, resturants & other things to do & is a really nice city.

The countryside is very flat & open but the towns & villages are nice to wander around & there are some lovely pubs to visit.

Take the road bike or CX bike as its mainly back roads with the odd bridleway to link them up.

Would i go there for a week with kids. Yes but do some research first or they could get bored.

More to do here. Bastard of a drive though – especially in a Vectra.

It’s nice. Ideal for quiet walks, teashops and old houses if that’s your thing. I grew up there. Lots of sleepy places, and quaint sea-sidy towns, Aldeborough, Thorpenness, Southwold…
Got a dinghy? – take it to Woodbridge.
Stuck in a bit of a timewarp some of it, but all the better for it.

I’m from Northumberland and get your comment about it being freezing 😆

Try North Norfolk, my old man lives over there in a place called Stiffkey, absolutely loads to do over there, weather’s normally quite good and Norwich is only 50 mins away. Wells Next the sea has a big caravan park and there are numerous decent camp sites along the coast all the way around from Kings Lynn following the coastline right around to Gt Yarmouth..

+1 for North Norfolk. Great beaches and loads to do. The sea is nothing like Cornwall though!

We thought about Suffolk this year too, but when I started looking on ‘tinternet for places of interest they seemed a bit thin on the ground, unless you like visiting nice villages.

Looked nice if the weather was fine, but not a great deal to do with a young family on a wet day!

In the end we chose Tenby this year.

As above southwold on the coast is a good area.
I live in Ipswich and can recommend Colchester zoo if your kids like that sort of thing?
We spend the aug bank holiday up Cromer / Sheringham way, nice sandy beaches for the kids to play on just don’t expect clear blue sea!

The Section of coast from Covehithe (just N of Southwold) to Bawdsey on the Deben is great. Aldeburgh very good fish and chips, Thorpeness Mere, Suffolk Punch trust at Hollesley Bay, Shingle street and Orford all have things to amuse and divert the young. Bawdsey is where radar was developed and has a museum plus a ferry to Felixstowe (haunt of royalty at the turn of the 20th century) the Kaiser used to stay every August. You can also look up the old Martello fort at languard point and head over to Harwich and Shotley by ferry.
(Yes I work in tourism, hence no links to my work).

Not a bad place to take someone for a easy w/e wondering around quaint towns, easy wondering walks e.t.c A week would get dull to be honest. With kids no idea but there seems to be little of excitement or interest unless all you like to do is potter. It’s a place for pottering.

It’s nice, we’re in Lowestoft right now, just back from the Chuckle Brothers on Yarmouth Pier, complete with powercut. Good beaches, nice walking, parks, boating, decent little museums, good beer. Definitely road bike territory though.

Used to live in Woodbridge, great little town. Would be perfect for a relaxing break though not going to be full of really kid friendly things to do.

Slightly OT but would be easy to get train into London from Ipswich too for a busier/more touristy day out too.

Beaches aren’t as good as Norfolk though wee villages are nice and pretty.

The Suffolk Punch stud used to be run as part of the open prison there. Don’t do as I did on my 1st visit there and wander off leaving the boot open and the car-keys in it. Head groom had to point out that it wasn’t like a normal yard and I really should lock it if I wanted any of my drugs and equipment left when I came back to it.

Aldeborgh lovely place bit close to the nuclear power station though !

im in lowestoft its great if you want to sit on the beach all day and there is africa alive the big zoo 3 miles south of town and pleasure wood hills the theme park in the north of town surf is a no go here except for mid winter got outon broad to the east of town (where i live) good for day boat hire and fishing (if you do that sort of thing) defo road bike haven but there are some really good mtb trails hidden away if you know where too look infact there are more than a few 😉 to be fair lowestoft is a cheap holiday if you want any info on camp sites round here or any info just drop me a mail cannondaleking AT googlemail DOT com there’s stuff here to do just gotta be pointed in the right dirrection

We’re planning for next year

WTF?

I live in Suffolk, not a native, have been here 3.5 years. Love it. Never want to move again. Think some have been a bit unfair about the coast and the N Sea. There is quite a lot of shingle, but some sandy beaches (eg Walberswick and Southwold.) The sea isn’t always uniformly brown – can be delightful and blue on a good day – and I frequently swim in it when I get to the coast. Orford, Aldeburgh, Snape, Woodbridge are other lovely coastal places. There is much late medieval architecture, from when the place was super rich from trading wool with Holland and Flanders.

There are also lots of pretty inland places – Debenham, Framlingham, Earl Soham, Cavendish, Clare, Lavenham – and a huge network of tiny lines and lots of bridleways within which you can get happily lost.

It’s NOT flat, but undulates prettily! Accepting that, there’s lots of good riding – Thetford and Rendlesham Forests, Dunwich Heath, even Alton Water, plus loads of local tracks and trails. You’ll struggle to find much DH but fine for XC and twisty singletrack under trees – and a surprising number of short but very sharp hills.

Great beers (Adnams and various local brews) and v pleasant pubs.

I totally endorse most of the positive comments about Norfolk too (no rivalry here!) The North Norfolk coast is one of my favourite places in the world, and I take foreign friends there and they are amazed – Holkham beach has so much space and miles of sand and dunes, you can lose 10,000 people there. Then there are the seals at Blakeney Point, there’s Wells Next The Sea, Cley Next The Sea, Salthouse and tons of great seasidish places, as someone said, strangely stuck in another timewarp….and Norwich is a really individual city with lots going on.

Can’t fail really!

I live in Suffolk and have done so most of my life. It is a bit limiting with young kids tbh but if, as others have said, you like ambling round villages, going for long walks, village pubs, good food etc then it is great.

North Norfolk….very pleasant but if you go to Burnham etc it is a bit Chelsea by the Sea. Full of affluent folk from the Smoke who take over the town(s) etc. We love NN but generally only go in the winter when it is quieter.

Lots of bird watching if you are into that, loads of reserves in Suffolk and Norfolk, there’s Pensmere (where they did Spring Watch), Minsmere etc, the Otter Trust at Earsham, and several market towns in the west of the county (avoid Stowmarket and Needham Market though and don’t go anywhere near Haverhill).

Riding – Thetford and of course Tunstall/Rendlesham.

If you get really bored you could always go Stobart spotting on one of the bridges over the A14 😉

Right, losing my job yesterday and having re-read this thread has prompted me, I’m off to Stiffkey for a week tomorrow!! I love North Norfolk and lots of chillaxxing time is on the cards…