Planning your perfect Suffolk break with our WISH List

For years we have toiled to bring you the very best ideas to plan your Woodfarm break, and now we are making it even easier. Because you’re worth it! We have hundreds of pages now, dedicated to telling you all about what makes Suffolk (and Tuscany) wonderful, but the WISH List is a way of making it all simpler for you. Particularly if you’re not too familiar with the area we know like the back of our hands.

How about we ‘package’ a whole load of ideas together for you, for suggested day out itineraries? Things that work together, highlighting all the best bits of Suffolk. Because we know our way around.

Planning Your perfect Suffolk break

WISH List stands for:

Planning Your perfect Suffolk break

See what we did there?

The idea of the WISH List is that each month we present you with an itinerary for a 3 night break, to take all the planning out of it for you. It’s just part of our constant desire to make sure you have the best experience with us. There’s so much research going back years, proving that many people (as many as a third!) value holidays more than a pay rise, and if you’re too busy ( or just can’t be bothered) to plan that free time, then we’ve done all the heavy lifting for you!

We do offer a 2 night weekend, but we have so much feedback from guests who tell us that they wish they’d stayed longer. Your WISH is our command! That’s why we’ve put the WISH List together!

As it’s packed with ideas for ‘Monday things’, you know on Sunday night you can just relax and enjoy another night in your Barn or Barge and make the world wait another day.

With a new WISH List coming to you every month, you could also pick ‘n’ mix the days as the list grows, and if you are staying with us a for a 4 night midweek break, you can either have a day off to laze about in your Barn or Barge, or pick another day from another list!

So here’s your first WISH List to give you a flavour of what we’re putting together, and there’ll be one for every month, so whenever you book to stay, we’ll have it ready for you.

Plus, we’ll always aim to have a ‘Freebie’ in there for you, whether it’s a gift voucher, or just a treat on us! (Voucher sometimes? Could get really expensive if we put them in with every 3 night plus break. Also, giving them away to people who don’t use them still costs us. Plus we could give them away to people who were coming for that long anyway. Need to think of a way round this? Just do a deal with partners we know who give us the name and we pay them retro? or…. we increase the price of 3 and 4 night breaks by £25 to cover it?)

WISH List #1

DAY ONE: Snape Maltings, Aldeburgh and Thorpeness

Take a look around Snape Maltings as there is so much to see. Gifts and homewares, furnishings and furniture, plus a big food hall. Plus great walks along the River Alde.

Whilst you’re at Snape, p-pick up a picnic at Earsham Street Deli, for a decadent treat. If the weather isn’t conducive, then do what I do and head to sea wall at Aldeburgh and Slaughden for a ‘Car-nic’, watching the waves whilst eating some foodie goodies. Can’t beat it!

If you’re staying aboard Onderneming then this of course is a no-brainer. If you’re staying with us elsewhere, then do take a look at Onderneming when you get to Snape, you can’t miss her!

Aldeburgh itself has a great little High Street, and beachfront. Make sure you stop and admire Maggi Hambling’s Scallop, en route to Thorpeness.

Thorpeness is a wonderful, quirky curiosity of a seaside village. Take a look at video and blog.

Head back to Aldeburgh (ten minutes) for dinner at The Regatta. Owned by the same brothers who put their heart and soul into The Plough and Sail at Snape Maltings, and The Golden Key in Snape village. It’s Dog friendly: mention you are bringing a dog when booking!

Take a look at our Suffolk Beach guide while you’re at it.

DAY TWO: Suffolk Food Hall, Pin Mill

Pin Mill is home to The Butt & Oyster, which is a Suffolk institution, with wonderful views of the river Orwell. This tiny hamlet offers wonderful walks along the river. We highly recommend this for a great lunch, and a walk along the river from the path behind the pub. You can walk for miles along here and it’s a joy, with or without dogs. Walk through the car park and along by the houseboats, then keep going for as long as you like. You can also walk along the river in the other direction too.

A short drive from Pin Mill, The Suffolk Food Hall and Cookhouse Restaurant has a panoramic view of the River Orwell and is a great destination for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or afternoon tea. Not only that, as the name suggests, there is an amazing food hall here. Our suggestion here after a lovely lunch and walk at Pin Mill, is that with an inhouse butchery and bakery, as well as a fabulous cheese and deli counter, fresh fruit & veg, and an abundance of local produce, you pick up some of your favourites for a cosy evening back in your Barn or Barge.

DAY THREE: Lavenham & Long Melford

Both of these villages (8 miles apart) are steeped in history, and were once part of the beating heart of the Suffolk wool trade. They are jam-packed with stunning medieval architecture and charm. Offering tea rooms, antique shops, and boutique clothing, both are popular with tourists and locals alike.

A long walk along both High Streets will certainly rack up your steps for the day.

Kentwell Hall, Long Melford. Step back in time with a look around this historic hall, open to the public. You could spend at least half your day here! Kentwell is closed during the winter, but there is still tons to see and do in Long Melford, including Melford Hall, which is virtually opposite Kentwell on the village green, and it has a longer season. Dogs are allowed in the grounds.

Also on the green is the Black Lion, which for years has been one of my favourite spots for lunch, or just a drink. It’s a gorgeous, grand building, but still very laid back and homely. Dog friendly, and with a dog menu, so ‘Bone-appetit’!

Then hit the High Street to wander round the antique shops and boutiques. Right at the other end is a huge antiques warehouse. You can park along the High Street, though it gets busy in the summer.

Lavenham has long been a favourite of mine, and I very nearly bought places to turn into holiday cottages there. Twice! It offers more antique shopping than Long Melford, and more tearooms than you can wave a stick at! The Cock Horse Inn is a great dog-friendly place for lunch or dinner. If you fancy somewhere posher, then book lunch or afternoon tea at The Swan. Dogs are welcome in some dining areas.

WISH List #1 PDF

Featured Photo by Austris Augusts on Unsplash

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