Suffolk Staycation

It's been a long time since I have been able to go anywhere due to the coronavirus pandemic, but we finally made it away for a short staycation in Suffolk, so here are my photographic highlights.

Sutton Hoo

Sutton Hoo is an Anglo-Saxon burial ground, made more famous by a Netflix film called 'The Dig'. Most of the artefacts are held by the British Museum in London, as some very significant objects were found here. It is set in some beautiful surroundings and there is a small exhibition building, but in all honesty there isn't masses to see here and the site itself is owned by the National Trust. It has an interesting history, it could just do with showcasing it more over the actual site. Nice place for a walk though.

Below is one of the burial mounds at the top of the site. Next door is a pig farm, which I found much more interesting.

This is a lifesize replica of the impression left by the boat under the burial mound in which the King was buried:

Woodbridge

Woodbridge is a town situated by water and by crossing the train line you can walk down by the Quayside, where we spotted a pair of Oyster Catchers (birds), which was a treat for my inner bird watcher, It has a collection of cafes and shops and is a pretty little town.

Oyster Catchers at the Quay

Sculpture at Woodbridge Quay Church

Southwold

Southwold comes with all the great aspects of the English coast; brightly coloured beach huts, a pier complete with an amusement arcade and a great high street for shopping. It is also home to Adnams brewery, which although we didn't visit, we could certainly smell.

Southwold Beach Huts

The pier not only has a great cafe, but is also home to this water clock, which on windy days you have to be careful walking around if you wish to stay dry. Every half an hour the water drains and the figures shorts fall down :) which makes it all the more entertaining.

Southwold Pier Cafe - just take a moment to admire my hot chocolate :)

Southwold also seem to have taken to knitting hats for all of their post boxes, which make for great amusement and photography. This one is a beehive but I also saw one with a Church and another with a Seagull. Brilliant for a good game of eye spy.

Dunwich 

Dunwich used to be a large costal town with a population of around 4000, however much of it has fallen into the sea and only a permanent population of around 50 remain. It comes with a beachside cafe and a small museum and appears very popular with visitors.

It used to be home to several Churches, although all by St James' have been lost to the sea. In the Churchyard of St James' is a pillar from All Saint's Church which was relocated just before it fell into the sea in the 1920s and the remains of St James' Leper Hospital, seen below.

St James' Leper Hospital

St James' Church

Boxford is a village, but it is home to what is recorded to be Britain's oldest shop dating back to 1420 which sits next to a rather nice cafe. It is a regular village shop, but it has labelled a lot of it's produce with a sticker for the tourists visiting Britain's oldest recorded shop.

Sudbury

Sudbury is a much larger market town with lots to do, including a Church in the town centre and lots of shops.