Woodbridge, Suffolk Coastal, England
A melodic name isn’t all Sutton Hoo has going for it… this site on a small working farm among free-range chickens is also less than a 10-minute walk from Sutton Hoo. You'll have heard of that of course: the splendid Anglo-Saxon ship burial where a warrior king lay for 1,400 years, and hailed since its discovery in the 1930s as one of the finest archaeological finds anywhere in Britain. Trips down memory lane are all around the local area too, as the park's in the age-old Suffolk Coast and Heath Area of Natural Beauty, and a 10-minute drive from the Woodbridge Tide Mill on the River Deben, one of the last in the world still churning up flour using time-honoured techniques. Visit to learn about the process through interactive activities then ply the streets and traditional stores of the pretty riverside market town of Woodbridge – it’s got a butcher, fishmonger and greengrocer (as well as more modern amenities like a supermarket, coffee shops and clothes boutiques). Get your supplies from these local producers then tote it back to the park and cook it up on the campfire while the kids and dogs run around on the big grass field opposite. And if you're after more historical expeditions once fully fed? Orford (20 minutes’ drive) and Framlingham (25 minutes) both have castles to check out, while the coastal and woodland walks near the site are sure to have you harking back to simpler times. One tree-lined place for a wander close by is Rendlesham Forest a 10-minute drive away, which is well worth a visit for its play areas, picnic spots and bike park, as well as its orienteering trails and horse riding paths.
Contact: +447484244864