'I stayed on a historic estate and fell in love with the place'
Tucked away in the undulating hills of Suffolk, The Wilderness Reserve offers a quintessential English summer experience. I recently had the pleasure of spending a weekend there and was utterly charmed by this tranquil corner of the county, bathed in the glow of a June heatwave sun.
The walled garden was a riot of colour as I watched a couple tie the knot, and while enjoying elderflower cocktails, I felt like I'd stepped into a Merchant Ivory film. But it wasn't just the stunning venue that captivated me to be honest, the entire region truly stole my heart.
Suffolk, with its gently rolling hills, expansive skies, and patchwork of fields, meadows, and ancient woodlands, epitomises rural England. The 8,000-acre private estate near Saxmundham is just one of many highlights in the area, with attractions such as Framlingham Castle, Sutton Hoo, RSPB Minsmere, and Yoxford Antiques Centre and Gardens all within easy reach.
Scattered with picturesque villages, timber-framed cottages, medieval churches, and quiet lanes, much of Suffolk is designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).
Then there is the stunning Suffolk coastline with its mix of sandy beaches, rugged cliffs and pretty seaside towns. Southwold is known for its beautiful beaches, iconic lighthouse and Victorian pier, while Aldeburgh Aldeburgh offers a more artistic atmosphere with its historic high street and rich cultural heritage, including the famous Aldeburgh Festival.
Nearby, there lies the 12th-century Framlingham Castle, while the town of Woodbridge is home to the impressive Tide Mill and a charming blend of Georgian buildings and independent shops. While a visit to the Wilderness Reserve was a delicious treat, there are so many other ways to explore the region, along with a multitude of places to stay.
Take Winkle Cottage for instance - a fishermans cottage bathed in Aldeburgh's seaside charm. This classic fisherman's cottage offers snug living spaces and can comfortably accommodate five guests. It has been praised by visitors as "a great place to stay."
The village of Campsea Ash also hosts an ideal spot for larger family reunions, offering a glorious barn conversion on a private estate. Quill Farm Barn is touted as a "delightful" holiday home, nestled away in "the perfect setting." Then there's the Sea Tower, a chic apartment boasting sea vistas that has earned accolades as "a special place" or the grand Holly Lodge - a robust five-bedroom countryside house capable of hosting group getaways for up to 10 individuals.
For something completely different, the Pound Farm Mirror Houses in Framlingham offer contemporary dwellings in the heart of the countryside. An upscale alternative to traditional 'tiny homes' each house comes with its own hot tub.
Booking.com boasts a diverse array of accommodation options in Suffolk. The Swan Hotel in Southwold, a four-star establishment nestled within a historic building just 200 metres from the seafront, is one such gem. For those seeking a more traditional vibe, The Ship at Dunwich serves up home-cooked fare and real ales in an authentic inn setting.
Adventure-seekers drawn to RSPB Minsmere will find Moonlight Lodge an ideal retreat close by. Available through Holidaycottages.co.uk, it's set against the backdrop of Dunwich beach and surrounded by woodlands - a nature lover's dream.
For a touch of grandeur, The Great House in Orford stands as a majestic Grade II-listed holiday home right in the village's heart. This quintessential country haven sleeps 12 and has been hailed as "a stunning house" and "absolutely perfect for larger parties" by visitors.
The tranquil beauty of Suffolk has garnered thousands of glowing reviews on TripAdvisor from enamoured visitors. One tourist said: "Loved our afternoon in Southwold especially the pier! Such a pleasant surprise to have a clean characterful pier with a brilliant quirky water fuelled clock at the end! The beaches looked amazing, beautiful clean sand and so pretty with the huts behind!".
Another visitor, charmed by Aldeburgh, shared: "It was a dream in July to swim in the early hours of the morning and have fish and chips looking out to sea."
Of course, the accommodation is key to any memorable holiday, and Sykes Cottages are dazzling holidaymakers, boasting a 4.6 out of five-star rating. One chuffed guest remarked: "We wanted a quiet weekend getaway and we found exactly that in Suffolk. Perfect for young and old...the cottage we booked we know it's a fabulous place and beautifully presented."
Another satisfied customer shared: " Suffolk in the sunshine. This was an important family holiday following my dad being very unwell last year, our holiday with Sykes gave us the quality time we needed and the chance to make some wonderful memories."
However, not all feedback was glowing. A less impressed guest posted a three-star review: "Sykes offer a vast range of holiday accommodation. From experience so far, the description and photos of accommodation are fairly accurate, however, the cleanliness of the accommodation is another matter. It is difficult to get hold of anyone from Sykes by telephone."
But praise continued with another beaming five-star critique: "We were looking for pet friendly cottages in Suffolk, Sykes cottages came up with the goods. A nice cottage plenty of details about the cottage giving us all the details we needed. So many thanks looking forward to our holiday."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
10 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Scotland's best restaurants revealed as Uber Eats shares full list of top takeaways
Read on to check out the full list of restaurants TOP SPOTS Scotland's best restaurants revealed as Uber Eats shares full list of top takeaways UBER Eats has announced 128 of the best takeaway restaurants in the UK and Ireland for 2025. These restaurants are competing for a £100,000 prize to grow their business and there are ten in Scotland. 3 Glasgow's Shawarma King is famed for its legendary kebab wraps Credit: Free for editorial use 3 Thai2Go in Edinburgh made the list for its mouthwatering curries Credit: Instagram The shortlist will soon be narrowed to 12 finalists, all competing for the top prize. And this includes a number of spots north of the border. The Scottish restaurants competing include YAYAS, Non Viet, Noodles and Dumplings, Okome, Porto Piri Piri, Fatt Boyz, Thai2Go, Piatto, Shawarma King and Hook'd. For now, customers can vote for their favourite restaurant on the list by visiting But in the meantime, customers have the chance to vote for their favourite venue on the list. Once the final 12 are chosen, judges Levi Roots, celebrity chef Clodagh McKenna, and last year's winner Natty Crutchfield, owner of Natty's Jerk, will decide the winner. The Uber Eats shortlist includes 20 restaurants in London and 10 in each English region, except the South West, which has eight. Northern Ireland also features 10 top takeaway spots each. The complete shortlist for Uber Eats' 2025 Restaurant of the Year Awards East Midlands and Anglia: Wok & Grill – Leicester Broadway Bar & Grill - Leicester Rikshaw Urban Indian Kitchen - Nottingham Marmaris Turkish Restaurant - Birmingham D'Jots Taste - Leicester Buck's Chippy - Leicester BOUFFAGE – Heanor Sushi Yoka – Nottingham Baba Dough – Nottingham Smokeworks – Cambridge London: Social Dhaba Lahore Karahi Filishack L'Antica Pizzeria de Michele Hoko Café Sanjugo Yum Yum Thai BOMBAY BICYCLE CHEF The Cardamom Club Gunpowder Kish Persian Pot & Rice Doms Subs Tamila 米 Kome Japanese Sushi Saffron Street Lara Grill Tai Mojo - Burritos & Tacos Bare Bones Chicken Wings North East: Little Lobo – Newcastle Dakwala Bombay Canteen – Newcastle Sushi me rollin – Newcastle Dot Bagels - Newcastle Davey's UK – Gateshead My Delhi - Newcastle Eat Clean – Whitley Bay Chili Padi - Newcastle The Calabash tree – Sunderland Scream For Pizza - Newcastle North West: BEAK – Liverpool The Bagelry Nudon – Liverpool Ohayo Tea – Manchester Mama's Soul Food - Manchester Woffle – Liverpool Maggie Fu - Liverpool Aros Kitchen – Newton-le-Willows CHEF DIAO 刁师傅餐馆 - Manchester Burg N Ice – Northwich South East: Umami Street Food – Southsea Archipelagos Gyros – Brighton Wabi Sabi – Hove Desi - Old India Café – Southsea Cutie Pies & Fries - Detroit Pizza – Brighton Smokeys – Brighton Fresh & Grilled Piri Piri – Brighton Singapore Kitchen – Hove Nathan's Famous – Southampton Carlito Burrito – Brighton South West: Pizzarova – Bristol Msala Library – Bristol Low & Slow – Bristol Gorilla Thai Kitchen - Bristol Lj Hugs – Bath Cathay Rendezvous 满庭欢 - Bristol Ebisu – Weston-super-Mare Chido Wey – Bristol West Midlands: Grill It – Newbridge Pensnett Fish Bar – Brierley Hill BadBoy Wings – Halesowen Chef X – Coventry Wok2Vegan – Birmingham Harleys Fish Bar – Birmingham Taqi's Grill – Birmingham Bonehead – Birmingham COCOBAB – Birmingham Libertine Burger – Warwickshire Yorkshire and Humber: Souvlaki Corner – Leeds Teppanyaki – Leeds Silver's Deli – Leeds Lezzetli – Bradford BVRGRY – Bradford Bobby's Salt & Pepper – Ossett Unit – Sheffield My Peshawar – Bradford Jino's Thai Café – Leeds Dough Bros – Cleethorpes Northern Ireland: Seed – Belfast Nu Delhi – Belfast Eatao Asian Fusion - Craigavon Oregano - Belfast Love Street Dogs - Craigavon Kanto Asian Fusion – Belfast Madison's Pizzeria – Benbridge SAKURA Japanese & Asian - Belfast Dex – Dugannon The Sphinx (Stranmillis) – Belfast Scotland: YAYAS - Glasgow Non Viet – Glasgow Noodles and Dumplings 兰州拉面 – Edinburgh Okome – Glasgow Porto Piri Piri – Glasgow Fatt Boyz – Edinburgh Thai2Go – Edinburgh Piatto – Glasgow Shawarma King – Glasgow Hook'd - Glasgow Wales: Sharkbite Burgers – Cwmbran Poutine Box – Cardiff Fowl & Fury – Cardiff Tuk Tuk – Cardiff The Indian Street Kitchen – Swansea Lyalena Lounge – Cardiff Scaramantica Pizzeria – Cardiff SouvLike – Cardiff Chans noodle bar – Cardiff Albany Fish Bar – Cardif One of this year's finalists is Smokeworks, a casual barbecue restaurant specialising in slow-cooked meats, burgers, and American-style comfort food. Located in Cambridge, customers can devour a menu filled with ribs, wings, pulled pork, and hearty sides. Secret Uber Eats kitchen cooking 'Big Boi Burgers' brazenly set up in tax-funded asylum hotel is SHUT DOWN For those craving comfort food, their burgers include choices like the Carolina Pork Bun (£13.50), filled with pulled pork and crispy onions, or the Big Piggy Mac Bun (£18), loaded with smoked pork belly, mac 'n' cheese, and pulled pork. Several curry houses made the shortlist, including ones in London and Belfast. Nu Delhi in Belfast offers North Indian cuisine with a modern twist. Tamila, with locations in Clapham and King's Cross, London, is known for its crispy dosas, flavourful curries, and bold chutneys. How to save money on your takeaway TAKEAWAYS taste great but they can hit you hard on your wallet. Here are some tips on how to save on your delivery: Cashback websites- TopCashback and Quidco will pay you to order your takeaway through them. They're paid by retailers for every click that comes to their website from the cashback site, which eventually trickles down to you. So you'll get cashback on orders placed through them. Discount codes - Check sites like VoucherCodes for any discount codes you can use to get money off your order. Buy it from the shops - Okay, it might not taste exactly the same but you'll save the most money by picking up your favourite dish from your local supermarket. Student discounts - If you're in full-time education or a member of the National Students Union then you may be able to get a discount of up to 15 per cent off the bill. It's always worth asking before you place your order.
The Herald Scotland
13 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
The Scottish museum named one of the world's best
To create the ranking, the researchers trawled through 200,000 visitor reviews to find the world's top-rated. Discussing the Scottish spot, which was ranked number seven in the world, InsureandGo said: "The museum displays Dolly the sheep, which is the first mammal ever cloned from an adult cell, and visitors can even enjoy panoramic views of Edinburgh from its rooftop terrace. "The Victorian building is over 150 years old and offers dinosaur-themed workshops for schools, as well as a dinosaur trail. "While there are fewer dinosaurs on offer here than some of the others in the global top 25, it earns its spot for its wide-ranging exhibits, from furniture to planes, to dinosaurs and fashion." The National Museum of Scotland named one of the best in the world for its dinosaur exhibits The museum in Scotland has received a lot of praise on Tripadvisor where users gave it 4.7/5 out of 22,590 reviews. One person dubbed it a "great place" to visit and commended its ability to keep their child occupied. They wrote: "Great place to visit, and it is completely free to go. "We spent hours in here, and our four-year-old loved it. Especially the interactive part in the science area and the explorer section, where the little ones can look for dino bones." One person who enjoyed the Scottish location warned others planning a visit to prepare for hours of walking. They added: "Free and full of history, the National Museum of Scotland features a diverse number of displays (dino skeletons, Tibetan prayer wheels, medieval tapestries, and more). Recommended Reading: "Wear comfortable shoes and plan to stay at least half a day to get acquainted with the layout. I went from opening until lunch the first day, and again the next day, and still did not see it all!" A third person penned: "There was everything from dinosaurs to traditional Mexican clothing to red telephone boxes and even a Lego display. Lovely little gift shop." Another simply added: "So huge, so much to do, full of beautiful exhibits."
Scottish Sun
16 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
English seaside town reveals plans for £1million upgrades of its famous pier
And other hidden beaches and bays in the county PIER IN English seaside town reveals plans for £1million upgrades of its famous pier Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) ONE of the UK's most famous piers is set to get a massive £1million upgrade. Deal Pier, in Kent, dates back to 1838, although has been rebuilt twice since then. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 Deal pier is set to have a million pound upgrade Credit: Alamy 3 The pier first opened in the 1800s Credit: Alamy And new plans to upgrade the pier have been revealed. It includes replacing the covering on the six pier legs, as well as works to reduce the corrosion underwater. Dover District Council's (DDC) said the works will 'secure the valued asset for future generations to enjoy'. The 1,026ft pier was first destroyed in 1857 due to storm damage. It was rebuilt, only to be destroyed when a ship crashed into it in 1940. The current pier structure was opened in 1957 by Prince Philip. It has already undergone a £140,000 renovation, upgrading some of the structures. The main attraction on the brutalist pier is Deal Pier Kitchen, serving food and drink right at the end. The Sun's Emma Ledger previously visited the pier in Deal. She said: "It stretches out from the wide pebbled beach, dotted with traditional fishing boats. I live by one of the UK's best beaches - it has amazing pubs, fewer crowds and even views of France "Above the waves, the newly refurbished Deal Pier Kitchen is the perfect spot for a cuppa and chill. "Gaze across the sea and on a clear day you can even spy France. "Locals swim all year round – pack your cossie if you're feeling brave." A new attraction is even coming to Deal soon. The £40million Seahive will have a massive artificial surf lagoon, as well as well as a 120 room hotel and skatepark. The Times named Deal as one of the best places to live in the UK too, back in 2022. In the mean time, we've rounded up the best hidden bays and beaches across Kent.
