Your home from home; so close to home
A major plus for us is our proximity to London. We’re only an hour or so away. That doesn’t mean if you’re not from London this isn’t for you, but most of the guests to our Holiday Cottage Barges come from the Capital and the Home Counties, as well as further afield of course. It’s great to witness our guests’ shoulders drop when they get here!
Apart from the stunning views you’ll enjoy on the rivers of Suffolk in one of the countries’ warmest, driest, least spoiled counties, we’ve so much for you to do and see to ensure your stay on our Holiday Cottage Barges is so memorable.
So what do we have to offer out and about in Suffolk?
It doesn’t get much more unique!
Staying on one of our Holiday Cottage Barges will give you a real sense of the history of these amazing vessels. Dating back over 100 years, you’ll be relaxing in what was once a thriving part of Dutch commerce, and is now a thoughtful conversion to luxury, modern holiday accommodation. To wake up on the water (you won’t feel it moving) and take your morning coffee listening to the birds and the lapping of the waves as you gaze across some of the most breathtaking scenery makes your holiday with us so unforgettable.
Suffolk Rivers; away from the norm
Lots of our guests aren’t lucky enough to be surrounded by a beautiful river or country lanes at home.
We have so much wildlife around us from the abundant native birds, to the occasional seal and everything in between.
Ever-growing numbers of our guests relish breathing in the fresh country air, listening to the birdsong, and at night just stare up into the clear skies.
Amazing Food & Drink in our coffee shops, restaurants and pubs
Suffolk is home to some of the most incredible pubs, restaurants, coffee shops and delis. And we are so lucky to have so many of these amazing places to eat and drink right on our doorstep.
We have some very down to earth ‘real’ pubs, right through to more ‘upscale’ places to suit each and every palate and budget.
Woodbridge and Snape Maltings are simply two of the most iconic and most popular destinations in Suffolk. Both locations have superb places to eat & drink within a minutes walk of your barge!
You can read all about individual places to eat & drink whilst you’re staying aboard one of our Holiday Cottage Barges in our Blog Pages here
Walking in the fresh air in the unspoilt countryside of Suffolk
We’ve found that the majority of our guests are looking to simply relax and soak up the tranquil aura of Suffolk, embracing an escape from the norm. They arrive ready to chill out and greet very best that Mother Nature has to offer; wildlife, walks in the country walks, great pubs and clear skies! The pace of life is very different in Suffolk and one of the best assets we enjoy in the heart of Suffolk is the unspoilt, open countryside and the chance to get away from everything. There’s less traffic here than many other places but you may get stuck behind the odd tractor.
Shopping in Suffolk
Woodbridge has some fabulous boutique shops and restaurants & pubs, all within a five minute walk of your barge. Snape Maltings has a superb array of its own shops, coffee shops, an amazing food hall and home and garden wares, all within two minutes walk of your barge. Both locations also have easy access to some fab local craft and gift shops and the finest delis and farm shops with tons of local produce. You will be able to tap into so many independent retailers. Suffolk food & drink is available in abundance in both locations though, including some now very famous brands such as Adnams and Aspalls to name but two.
Towns such as Aldeburgh and Southwold also offer an amazing variety of independents and producers, and are just along the beautiful Heritage Coast from both of our Holiday Cottage Barges.
Things to do outdoors
The majority of our guests come to our Holiday Cottage Barges to relax, unwind and just chill out, perhaps with a smattering of seeing the sights and the occasional walk. However, if you’re minded to keep your heart rate up then we have that for you too!
We have bikes on board for you to borrow and make the most of the Suffolk countryside, though in reality most of our guests have a quick pootle about then go to the pub. At least you can still go home and say you went for a bike ride!
For the more adventurous there’s Kayaking, Canoeing, Windsurfing and Sailing available nearby on lakes and rivers, where you will see some of the most inspiring scenery and wildlife.
Architecture and History
Suffolk is steeped in history, with a fascinating medieval heritage affording us to view and visit some of the most magnificent architecture. The wool towns of Lavenham and Long Melford were the centre of the wool trade and days of yore and retain so many of their amazing buildings, which are quintessentially ’Suffolk’.
You’ll see so many great ’Halls’ along the Suffolk coast and rivers and we are fortunate enough to have some open to the public such as Ickworth, Helmingham, Melford and Kentwell. You’ll also see guildhalls and so many quirky old buildings. Going back even further in our time machine, you can visit ancient Saxon burial grounds at Sutton Hoo, visible across the water from Woodbridge.
The Heritage Coast of Suffolk
We are genuinely very fortunate to have some of the most picturesque coastline in the UK right here in Suffolk, especially as it’s such an easy drive from our Holiday Cottage Barges, as well as our other Suffolk Holiday Cottages
Suffolk’s Heritage Coast as it is known, has so much to do and see, that you’ll definitely need to come and see us for another stay to fit it all in, as well as go back to your favourite places. Our barges are just a short drive downriver to the sea and access to this beautiful stretch of the British coast. Head off to the well known tourism destinations of Southwold, Aldeburgh, Walberswick, Minsmere and Orford; so good even the locals go there!
Designated Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty
There are 46 AONBs in Britain and we are just a bit greedy here in Suffolk, with two of them all to ourselves. And the best bit is that our Holiday Cottage Barges are smack bang in the heart of them!
Suffolk has so much unspoilt countryside and the AONBs of ‘Suffolk Coast & Heaths’ and ‘Dedham Vale’ offer some of the best bits! Both within easy reach and undoubtedly popular with our guests. These areas really are awe-inspiring and are home to so many creative people. Benjamin Britten made his home in nearby Snape and of course ‘Constable Country’ wasn’t named after the Police force! Twitchers and Walkers are in heaven here with so much to take in. The walk along the River Stour from Dedham to Flatford and back is just breath-taking, as is watching the tide come in and out from any of the beaches along the coast. And yes, there are of course the ubiquitous National Trust tearooms in both.
Where do we? Eat, Drink etc
Our Holiday Cottage Barges have comprehensive ‘Welcome folders’ waiting for you but many of our guests like to plan in advance too.
We set up a website dedicated to answering all the most frequently asked questions from our guests and called it ‘Where Do We?’
So to answer the questions of “Where Do We See the Sea?”, “Where Do We Eat & Drink?”, “Where Do We Walk?, “Where Do We Take the Dog?” etc etc etc, not only can read the Blog Pages on this website, but you can also read the many Blog Pages for our other Holiday Cottages, Woodfarm Barns, but you can also look at our other site Where Do We
Suffolk: A (fairly) dry county to take a break in
Look, we’re not saying that the rain never falls in Suffolk, but it is one of the driest counties in Britain. It rains. Sometimes it rains a lot! Just not so much as many other bits. The people in the know at weather.com say “parts of England are actually surprisingly dry. Suffolk is amongst the driest counties in the UK. Annual rainfall totals in South Suffolk have been below 450mm, especially around Ipswich”, which just happens to be in between our barges!
To clarify I am staying very succinctly that it is sometimes extremely wet here! As I write this though it’s a stunningly sunny July Sunday morning. Quite the opposite of when I wrote on the same subject for Woodfarm Barns
