Suffolk on a Miserable Day: What to Do When It Absolutely Chucks It Down

We would love to tell you that the sun shines every single day in Suffolk. Unfortunately, the Met Office would eventually find out.

Sometimes it rains, sometimes it rains sideways, and sometimes it rains cats and dogs.

We’re an honest bunch here at Woodfarm Barns and Barges and we’re prepared to say that quiet part out loud: occasionally you’ll open the curtains on holiday to discover the sort of grey Suffolk morning that makes getting back into bed seem like a perfectly legitimate cultural activity.

Don’t panic, a wet day in Suffolk doesn’t have to be a wasted one.

You can, for instance:

Find an enormous church

Rain is an excellent excuse to explore Suffolk’s churches.

The county is famous for magnificent medieval “wool churches”, built and embellished using wealth generated by the medieval wool and cloth trades.

Lavenham and Long Melford are obvious destinations, but you’ll find remarkable churches scattered throughout the county.

They’re full of medieval architecture, carvings, monuments and centuries of local history.

More importantly for our current purposes, they have roofs.

Go to Sutton Hoo

Suffolk’s Anglo-Saxon superstar doesn’t suddenly become less interesting because it’s raining.

Sutton Hoo tells the story of the extraordinary ship burial discovered there in 1939 and the world of Anglo-Saxon East Anglia.

The outdoor landscape is a major part of visiting, but there are exhibitions to explore too.

And if the rain eases?

Pull your coat on and head outside, the woodland walks and burial mounds look rather good under dramatic skies anyway.

Spend an unreasonable amount of time over lunch

This is perhaps our preferred solution.

Find a Suffolk pub, order lunch, and don’t rush.

Suffolk has centuries of brewing and pub history behind it, so you’re not hiding from the rain, you’re participating in local culture.

This distinction is important.

Explore the shops

Snape Maltings is particularly useful when the weather refuses to cooperate.

Its collection of independent shops, food and cultural attractions gives you plenty to browse, while the setting beside the River Alde means you can dash outside and enjoy the scenery whenever the clouds give you a break.

It also happens to be where our Onderneming Barge is moored.

Woodbridge is another excellent option for a leisurely wander between independent shops, cafés and places to eat.

Embrace the seaside anyway

This may sound ridiculous.

Go to the beach.

We’re serious.

Aldeburgh or Dunwich beneath dark skies can be spectacular. Put on waterproofs, walk for half an hour, allow the North Sea to thoroughly rearrange your hair and then reward yourself with something hot.

There is no rule stating that the British seaside must be enjoyed in sunshine. If there were, the British seaside industry would have collapsed around 1894.

Or simply stay in

This is a holiday.

You’re allowed.

One of the benefits of self-catering accommodation is that you don’t actually need to go anywhere.

Make breakfast late. Read. Watch a film. Have a long lunch. Sit in the hot tub and enjoy the peculiar satisfaction of being warm while rain falls around you.

Your itinerary will survive.

Suffolk will still be there tomorrow.

To book your next Suffolk holiday, be sure to take a look at our Barns and Barges for rent, today.