The Suffolk Pub Crawl That Requires Absolutely No Crawling

The phrase “pub crawl” tends to suggest sticky floors, questionable decisions and somebody buying chips at midnight.

This isn’t that.

Our version is much more civilised and populated with far better places to enjoy a few drinks.

This is a Suffolk pub crawl for people who appreciate old buildings, local beer, excellent food and travelling around one of England’s prettiest counties.

Most importantly, we’re using the word “crawl” very, very loosely.

Please don’t attempt to visit all of these in one session.

Bury St Edmunds is an excellent place to begin because pubs and brewing are woven into the town’s history.

One of its most famous drinking establishments is The Nutshell, which rightfully claims the title of Britain’s smallest pub.

It’s the sort of place that makes you wonder why anyone ever decided pubs needed to be enormous in the first place.

Have a drink, enjoy the novelty and then explore the rest of Bury rather than immediately racing to pub number two.

We’re setting a mature pace here.

From Bury, the villages and towns of west and south Suffolk offer an excellent combination of historic buildings and traditional pubs.

Lavenham is the obvious next stop.

The town’s medieval wealth came from the cloth trade, leaving behind a host of extraordinary timber-framed buildings that make it one of Suffolk’s most recognisable destinations today.

This is exactly the sort of place where a pub visit becomes part of sightseeing.

Have lunch. Look at some medieval buildings. Have a pint.

Moving east, Woodbridge gives you an entirely different Suffolk experience.

The River Deben, Tide Mill and attractive town centre make it ideal for wandering between food and drink stops.

It also happens to be home to our Twee Gebroeders Barge, moored right on the quay.

So if you’ve chosen the correct accommodation, your journey home from the pub may involve little more than a stroll beside the river.

We can’t promise every pub crawl offers such convenient logistics.

Our other Barge, Onderneming, lives at Snape Maltings.

Again, this feels almost suspiciously convenient.

Snape combines its famous concert hall with independent shops, food, beautiful riverside scenery and somewhere to enjoy a drink without needing to rush anywhere afterwards.

If you fancy earning your refreshment, the surrounding paths beside the River Alde provide excellent walking country.

Eventually, any Suffolk beer pilgrimage has to reach Southwold.

Beer has been brewed on the site associated with Adnams since at least 1345. The modern Adnams business traces its roots to the 19th century, and the brewery remains inseparable from the town.

Southwold also happens to be a wonderful place to finish.

Walk along the seafront. Visit the pier. Wander around the town and then find yourself a pub serving something brewed extremely locally.

Obviously, this itinerary requires some common sense.

We’re suggesting a leisurely tour spread across a break in Suffolk here, not an attempt to consume a pint in every location before closing time.

Suffolk pubs aren’t going anywhere and the sheer variety of them means that returning time and again for a holiday makes perfect sense.

Indeed, some of them have already been waiting several hundred years for you. What’s a few more?

To begin planning your next holiday in Suffolk, be sure to take a look at the current availability of our Barns and Barges for rent.