Tuesday 23 August 2011

Holidays in Suffolk – A great all year round holiday destination for families, couples and groups of friends



Windmill Lodges is a select group of just 7 award winning holiday log cabins which have been thoughtfully arranged around a peaceful catch and release fishing lake, deep in the heart of rural Suffolk. Each of our luxurious log cabins is offered in pristine condition and is fully furnished, to a very high standard.

Our log cabins all have their own private hot tub and most come with a luxurious 4 poster bed. The kitchens are very well equipped, featuring all the utensils you’ll need to cook up a feast and modern bathroom suites have been installed for your comfort and convenience, along with coal effect fires and underfloor heating.

All these features go to make Windmill Lodges a wonderful place to holiday at any time of year. Whether you choose to take a short winter weekend break as a couple, snatch a mid week break away from the office in spring, take a long weekend break with friends in autumn or a mid week break in summer with the family, all the facilities are here to ensure that your holiday in Suffolk is as relaxing and enjoyable as possible.

There is so much to see and do in and around Windmill Lodges and in this part of Suffolk in particular, whether you holiday as a couple, a family or a group of friends, you will always find something to interest you.

Summer Holidays in Suffolk with Windmill Lodges


During the summer months, from Easter right through to October you can enjoy a splash around in our large enclosed swimming pool or go for long walks in the countryside, enjoying the lighter evenings. Later you could enjoy a  barbecue at your log cabin and afterwards, relax in your very own hot tub. Summer holidays at Windmill Lodges are designed to pander to your every whim. If you fancy a bit of sightseeing, you’ll find some wonderful old towns and villages nearby as well as delightful coastal beaches.

Autumn Holidays in Suffolk with Windmill Lodges


Autumn holidays at Windmill Lodges are all about the changing colours. Not quite so hot, it is the ideal time to break out those wellies and go for a stomp in the woods. The area tends to be less crowded with tourists at this time of year too, giving you plenty of opportunity to browse the local shops and visit the local attractions at your own pace. Everywhere is still open so you can take your time to really get to know the place properly. There are some quite wonderful little towns and villages in the area such as Woodbridge, Snape, Aldeburgh, Framlingham and Southwold.

Winter Holidays in Suffolk with Windmill Lodges

Real winters in Suffolk have of late, been crisp, white and beautiful. Imagine a cosy log cabin looking out over a sunny winter scene, trees covered in frost, the sun low in the sky. This enchanting picture can be yours to enjoy while taking a winter holiday here at Windmill Lodges. Come prepared for the weather with the right clothing, such as walking boots, good thick trousers, warm jumpers and a jacket and you’ll love tramping through the countryside and breathing in all that lovely fresh, clean air. It beats a stuffy old office any day of the week and you can even stay here on a mid week break, to relax and recharge.

Spring Holidays in Suffolk with Windmill Lodges


Spring in Suffolk is both beautiful and bountiful. First the snowdrops then daffodils emerge, giving way to new born lambs and blossoming trees making it a lovely time of year to visit.

Whilst here, why not visit one of the region's farmer's markets and stock up on some treats for your holiday?

Farmers' Markets take place every Saturday morning from 9.30 until 12.30 in Orford Town Hall where you’ll find some very fine provisions including hand made bread, cakes and organic preserves, locally produced eggs, fresh fruit and vegetables and flowering plants. As well as the abundance of foodstuffs, you’ll find delightful knitwear made with hand dyed wool and other arts and crafts. Visit the Orford Country Market at The Town Hall in Market Hill, Orford, IP12 2NZ.

The Woodbridge farmers market, at the Community Centre in Woodbridge, IP12 5AU is held on the 2nd & 4th Saturdays of each month between 9am - 1pm and a similar range of wonderful locally produced goods is available here. Why not pop along and pick yourselves up something tasty for lunch or supper? Or visit towards the end of your trip to fill up the car for going home.

Book your holidays in Suffolk with Windmill Lodges which is available for bookings all year round

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While on a log cabin holiday at Windmill Lodges during the summer months there are plenty of fun things to do that will keep the kids occupied. Aside from the novelty of having their very own log cabin with all the creature comforts of home, including a TV, DVD and stereo system, each lodge has its own private hot tub for them to splash around in. On site there is a large enclosed swimming pool, which is open to residents from Easter to October and a catch and release fishing lake, which is open all year round. They can pick up all the equipment they need for a great day’s fishing from our reception desk.

The fun doesn’t end there either. Off site and within a short distance of Windmill Lodges there is a great selection of exciting things to do. Listed below are just a few of them.

Ten places to take the kids while you are staying at Windmill Lodges in Suffolk

Easton Farm Park - Woodbridge


There is always loads to do down on the farm and this year is no exceptional. You can ride on some of the ponies  and visit the petting zoo to see, stroke and maybe even help to feed the goats, sheep, pigs and piglets, calves, donkeys, rabbits and guinea pigs. You can also meet Star, one of the big Suffolk Punch carthorses, go on barrel train rides, pony and cart rides and have fun in one of their two heated indoor play barns.

Easton Farm Park is open daily from 10:30am - 6pm during the holidays.

Sutton Hoo – Woodbridge


Sutton Hoo is one of the greatest archaeological discoveries ever made. You can walk around the ancient burial mounds and learn about the incredible story of a buried ship, which was captained by an Anglo-Saxon King. He was buried here, together with his ship and all of his treasures. There is a full-size reconstruction of the burial chamber, some fabulous replica treasures and some original finds, including a sword that would have belonged to a Prince. You can take a look inside a large Edwardian house and enjoy the wonderful seasonal colours as you walk around the huge estate.

In peak season Sutton Hoo is open daily from 10:30 – 17.00, during the winter months these hours are slightly reduced.

Orford Castle – Woodbridge

This 12th Century castle is remarkably intact allowing you to explore everywhere from its basement, right through its lower and upper halls to its roof, from where you can get a great view of Orford Ness and the surrounding countryside. You can also follow the maze of passages, which lead to its chapel, kitchens and other chambers up in the turrets. The castle has really been brought back to life and although it is quite small, especially compared to Framlingham Castle, it is full of atmosphere and the audio tour will take you right back to the olden days.

Orford Castle’s opening times vary throughout the year but until the end of August, they are open from 10.00 till 18.00.

Jimmys Farm – Wherstead

Jimmy's Farm has been made famous by its TV series and makes for an exciting day out for all the family. It is a working farm, breeding rare pigs but they’ve also got cows, sheep, chickens and much more. There’s a nature trail, a farm shop, a café and playground and they even have their own on site butchers shop. Farmers markets are held here on the 1st Saturday of every month and are growing in popularity all the time, as are their comedy nights, festivals and tractor driving courses.

Jimmy’s Farm is open 7 days a week
Jimmy’s Farm restaurant is open;
Sun to Thurs 08.30 – 17.00
Fri & Sat 08.30 – 16.00 and 18.00 – 23.00

The Pier Beach and Deans Beach - Southwold

These two fabulous sand and shingle beaches are great for swimming, snorkelling, canoeing and body boarding. They both have lifeguard cover in the summer and have regularly been awarded Blue Flag status. They are seaside beaches as English seaside beaches once were and still should be. Lined with colourful beach huts, on a typical summer’s day you’ll find families with buckets and spades building sandcastles and making numerous trips to and from the ice cream van.

Close to the beaches you’ll find restaurants, cafés and sweet shops as well as art galleries and souvenir shops but it’s not all about the tourist or day-tripper. Southwold has its own residential community, many of whom have lived there for many years and as a result, it’s high street boasts a butchers, a bakers, a supermarket and various specialist shops including the Adnams brewery shop selling beers wines and spirits form around the world.

Minsmere – Saxmundham


Minsmere Suffolk is the RSPB’s flagship reserve and a home to the endangered bittern. It is famed for the return of the avocet and offers families and keen birdwatchers a great day out. The mapped out nature trails will take you through a variety of habitats, arriving at excellent bird watching hides and there is a wealth of information on hand for the keen ornithologist, courtesy of the RSPB. Throughout the region, the RSPB have been active, transforming carrot fields into wetlands to attract birds like the bearded tit and crane and maintaining fields and heathlands for stone-curlews. Thanks to the work of the RSPB in this area, clearings in Thetford Forest are now homes to woodlarks and nightjars, as are the coastal forests and Sandlings.

Dunwich Heath Coastal Centre and Beach – Saxmundham


Dunwich Heath coastal centre and beach offers guided walks, family nature trails, tracker packs, smugglers' and history trails, tea-room events, sea-watching, wildlife identification charts and telescopes. There’s a children's play area next to the tea-room if you want to keep your little ones close by, otherwise there’s loads to keep them occupied and the real beauty of it is, they’ll be having so much fun, they won’t even realise they are learning.

Post Mill - Saxtead Green


Saxtead Green Post Mill is one of many corn mills, built in Suffolk from the late 13th century. Its whole body revolves on its base meaning that once upon a time, it could catch the wind from whichever direction it blew and mill corn constantly. The milling process has long since stopped here but the mill itself is still in great condition and in good working order. There are a number of different floors, each housing some very interesting bits of milling machinery and the accompanying audio tour gives you all the information you need about milling and what the machines were used for.

Framlingham Castle – Framlingham


Framlingham Castle is another 12th century castle, like the one at Orford, except this one is much larger and more of a fortress than castle. There is a very exciting audio tour and interactive exhibits, there are themed trails, a castle wall walk, and some spectacular views but the most thrilling thing about this fortress is you can actually imagine a real battle happening here. The walls that are still standing today, are huge and very thick and it has a moat and battlements and it used to have a drawbridge. There’s loads of information inside the castle itself and there’s plenty of stuff going on that both the kids and the adults will enjoy.

Click here to view our family-friendly log cabin accommodation in Suffolk

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