Given our propensity for gallivanting up and down hills, you might be surprised to learn that for three years I actually lived in Norfolk (where hills are rather few and far between). One of my biggest regrets is that I didn’t spend more time exploring East Anglia while I lived there, so I couldn’t have been more chuffed when Clare from Suffolk Coastal Escapes got in touch to see if we wanted to spend a weekend in one of her beautiful coastal cottages.
Suffolk is somewhere I’ve never been and didn’t know anything about, so I was hopping with excitement during the drive down. We arrived at Avocet, our cottage for the weekend, on Friday evening and we couldn’t believe how gorgeous it was – Clare’s love for the Suffolk Coast shines through in the colour schemes and attention to detail, with little touches like the Avocet blinds and a mirror made using driftwood from Pakefield beach. Real houseplants can be found in almost every room, and they help to make the cottage feel like more than just a temporary stop – it feels like somewhere you could comfortably call home.
Suffolk Coastal Escapes – Avocet Cottage
Avocet is a spacious ground floor apartment, sleeping 2 in a double bedroom, and is well equipped with everything you could possibly need during your stay. I visited with my mum (who is notoriously difficult to please), and even she was impressed! And don’t even get me started on how lovely the bathroom is. Avocet was the first cottage Clare re-furbished for the Suffolk Coastal Escapes collection back in 2018, and she certainly set the standard for all of the other cottages very, very high.
After a long drive down we took the lazy option of ordering a takeaway from Pakefield Tandoori. It was either very tasty or I was very hungry – probably both! After an early night, we were up bright and early to spend Saturday exploring some of Clare’s local recommendations.
Dunwich Heath
Many of the Suffolk Coastal Escapes cottages are named after bird species which can be found in the area, and our first stop was Dunwich Heath, a bird watching hot spot not too far from RSPB Minsmere. Parking here is free for National Trust members and there are a few walking trails of various lengths to choose from. We ‘free styled’ by starting out on the pink trail, before diverting onto the orange trail to return to the start.
We’d just missed the heather which was a shame, but it was still a lovely walk with views over the coast and a distinctly autumnal chill in the air. The paths here are generally in pretty good condition and largely flat – my favourite kind of path! There is a dedicated ‘Woof Walk’ for dog owners where dogs can be let off lead all year, while the other trails require dogs to be kept on a lead from 1 March – 31 August to protect ground nesting birds.
Old Hall Southwold Cafe and Trails
By the time we got back to the car, the sun had fully come out and it was promising to be one of those lovely clear autumn days. Having worked up an appetite with our stroll, we drove across to the Old Hall Southwold Cafe and Trails (as recommended by Clare), where we had a delicious early lunch (I highly recommend the brie, bacon and cranberry panini), followed by a stroll along one of their trails. The Old Hall is dog friendly, with plenty of other patrons bringing their dogs along for lunch too.
We followed the Reedbed Ramble trail from the cafe to Reydon Marshes: an easy short walk which traverses (unsurprisingly) the reedbed to reach the edge of the marsh, where you can also find some hides. Walking through the reedbed was a slightly surreal experience: there is so much bird life here, and while we couldn’t see through the reeds, we could hear lots of different bird calls close by. The nature reserve here is home to rare species like bitterns and marsh harriers, although sadly we didn’t spot any on our visit. Suffolk is definitely a great place to come and visit if bird watching is up your street.
The walk through the reedbeds only took us around half an hour, so when we arrived back at Avocet we still had plenty of afternoon left. I decided to test whether or not Clare’s description of a 2 minute walk to the beach was accurate – and it was! In fairness, I think if I’d walked a bit faster it might even have been less than 2 minutes.
Pakefield Beach
Pakefield Beach is a pebble/sand beach which is dog friendly all year round. The promenade with its colourful beach huts is easily accessed via steps or a ramp from the main road, then an easy walk across the marram dunes brings you onto the beach. Merry had a wonderful time splashing in the shallows and fetching the balls Clare had thoughtfully provided for him. The beach was actually pretty quiet for a Saturday lunchtime – not that I’m complaining!
Depending on the tide, you can walk down the beach for miles, but this time we turned around just before Kessingland and made our way back to Avocet. We spent a few hours chilling at the cottage before heading out to the Jolly Sailors pub for tea, which is just a 2 minute walk from the cottage. The Jolly Sailors is dog friendly outside and at tables in the bar area on a first come, first served basis. We got there early with this in mind and got seated no problem – it’s a popular spot though, and there weren’t any tables left by the time we’d finished an hour or so later.
Sunday dawned overcast and blustery, so we headed inland to explore some of Suffolk’s rich history. First though, we couldn’t resist a quick stop in Beccles, which we’d driven through on our way to Avocet on Friday night and which was so pretty we wanted to go back for another look. Beccles is just a 15 minute drive from Avocet so it was really easy to work this into our plans for the day.
Beccles
We had quick walk along the edge of the marina, which was very scenic even on a cloudy day. I hadn’t actually realised that The Broads national park encompasses parts of Suffolk as well as Norfolk, until I read on one of the fantastic information stands that Beccles is the southernmost point of the Broads national park. As well as a plethora of independent shops and cafes, Beccles has lots of options for walkers with way marked walks around the marsh, or you can tackle a section of the 92 mile Angle Way, which runs through Beccles.
Framlingham Castle
Once we’d finished admiring the marina in Beccles we drove across to Framlingham Castle, made famous by the Ed Sheeran song Castle on the Hill. Framlingham is a bustling small town and I was surprised by how much there was going on – but the castle is definitely the top attraction here. Free to visit for English Heritage members, it’s one of the best castles I’ve visited, having a cracking little exhibition which explains the history of the castle. There’s also a second hand book corner, cafe and shop, all of which are dog friendly. As a dog owner, it’s always lovely to be welcomed at reception with the words ‘everywhere you can go, your dog can go too’!
There’s a lot of interesting history at Framlingham, not least the fact that Mary Tudor was proclaimed Queen of England here. The car park was pretty busy, but inside there’s enough room that it didn’t feel crowded at all. I imagine it’s quite popular with families, with a few different children’s activities and occasional events like falconry displays guaranteeing a great family day out.
Sutton Hoo
We had time for one last stop on our whistle-stop tour of Suffolk, and decided to head to Sutton Hoo. Famous for its royal ship burial, the site at Sutton Hoo is brilliantly done. Free to visit for National Trust members, right from the entrance with its reconstruction of the ship to the exhibition in the Great Hall, they do a fantastic job of conveying the history of the site.
One of the most significant archaeological discoveries in British history, Sutton Hoo is thought to be the resting place of the Anglo-Saxon King Raedwald of East Anglia. Raedwald was part of the Wuffing dynasty who claimed descent from the God Woden – and the treasures unearthed here certainly lend weight to the theory that someone significant is buried here.
The Great Hall contains some original items as well as replicas, and gives you a great sense of life in the Anglo-Saxon period. While I’m not usually a fan of replicas, many of the originals are so old that they can’t quite get across the splendour which they would have originally inspired – which is where the replicas come in.
Dogs are welcome everywhere apart from in the Great Hall exhibition and Tranmer House (we took turns to go in the exhibition). The walk to the burial mounds takes around 10 minutes each way, and there are plenty of interpretation boards to assist with your exploration of the site (which, being rather plebeian for a history graduate, I was very grateful for).
We wound our way back up to Avocet via the dog friendly Westleton Crown, where we stopped for Sunday Lunch (if would have been rude not to). Back at the cottage, we packed our bags ready to depart the next morning, but not before I squeezed in one last trip to the beach – when it’s that close, I’m sure Merry would’ve contacted Dogs Trust if he hadn’t been granted a daily visit!
Suffolk Coastal Escapes – Dog Friendly Holidays
Having had a wonderful weekend, I can’t believe we hadn’t been down to the Suffolk Coast before – and I certainly won’t be leaving it this long again before we return. Staying in Avocet definitely made a fantastic weekend extra special: when you’re away from home, having somewhere to relax which has had so much care and attention put into it makes all of the difference. Suffolk Coastal Escapes are the perfect base to explore all that the Suffolk Coast has to offer – sign up to updates via their website to get 10% off your booking.
Dog friendly rating – 5/5. Suffolk Coastal Escapes tick all of the boxes for dog owners: spacious accommodation, easy to hoover floors, 2 dogs free of charge (when booking direct) and, mostly importantly, a securely enclosed garden. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve booked somewhere with an ‘enclosed garden’, only to arrive and find plenty of spaniel sized gaps Merry would be only too happy to exploit! The garden at Avocet was 100% Merry-proof, an accolade I’d apply to less than 10 cottages (and you know we’ve been to a lot!). Merry’s favourite part of the cottage was undoubtedly the well-stocked treat jar in the kitchen, which he did his best to make serious inroads into during the three nights we were there…
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading all about our trip to the Suffolk Coast, and if you’re tempted to visit yourself, I’d highly recommend taking a look at the Suffolk Coastal Escapes website. Clare has 6 beautiful cottages to choose from, sleeping 2-4, and by booking direct through her website you can save money on your booking. You can even get 10% off when you sign up to the newsletter!
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