Tuesday 28 April 2015

Five Reasons to Enjoy a Spring Break at Windmill Lodges

Looking for the perfect UK destination for a country break this spring? Windmill Lodges is the ideal location for a rural log cabin holiday in Suffolk. Our exclusive timber cabins are situated on a luxury site in the heart of the East Anglian countryside, within easy driving distance of the beautiful, historic towns of Woodbridge and Framlingham. Whether you are booking a quiet weekend break, or a family holiday, you can enjoy excellent on-site facilities for the duration of your stay. Read on to find five reasons to book a spring break at Windmill Lodges.

Click here to book your family friendly rural log cabin holiday in Suffolk

Excellent On-Site Facilities 

Whether you require holiday accommodation with access to a swimming pool, large grounds for your children to play in, or a barbecue area for al fresco dining, Windmill Lodges has all this and more.

Our on-site facilities includes a large, shared indoor pool, which is open in the spring and summer months, rural grounds to wander in, and each lodge overlooks a picturesque lake  in the centre of the site.

In addition to this, each of our lodges has a charcoal barbecue and outdoor eating area and, best of all, a secluded outdoor hot tub where you can relax at any time of the day or night. And, if you book our stunning, five star Kingfisher Lodge you will have exclusive use of an infra-red sauna for the duration of your stay. You couldn’t wish for a more relaxing UK holiday!

Fantastic Open Air Attractions

While many tourist attractions in Suffolk are likely to be closed in winter, they reopen in spring, which gives you a pick of things to do during the day. Among some of the most popular family-friendly open air attractions is Easton Farm Park, which is an excellent place to visit with young children. This is the time of year your youngest members of the family can see the newborns and enjoy all sorts of activities from feeding and petting the animals, taking pony and train rides, and letting off steam in the outdoor play areas.

Other tourist draws include the excellent Museum of East Anglian Life, in the centre of Stowmarket, where you can explore the rural buildings and take a stroll through the grounds. And, if you like to spot wildlife in their natural habitat, the RSPB Centre at Minsmere hosts year round outdoor activities.

While the most visited tourist facility in Suffolk is Ickworth House, Bury St Edmunds, with its magnificent gardens, closer to Windmill Lodges, are the picturesque Orford and Framlingham Castles. Why not combine your visit with a spot of shopping for a memorable day out?

Better Weather

With the advent of spring comes the better weather. In Suffolk, the spring weather can average between a respectable 7 – 14C, although the highest recorded temperatures in the East of England in April and May have been 25 and 30C respectively.

The warmer weather opens up a host of opportunities including taking a quiet stroll along the beach in Aldeburgh (before crowds arrive and the tourist season starts), and you can buy fresh fish direct from the fishermen, or enjoy an ice-cream on the beach.

Spring is also a great time of year to explore Suffolk’s beautiful towns and villages, such as Dunwich, where you can find out about the buildings under the sea, Thorpeness to see the place that inspired J M Barrie, author of Peter Pan, or Walberswick to enjoy a picnic amongst the sand dunes. Framlingham, Woodbridge, Aldeburgh and Snape also offer excellent shopping opportunities.

Spring Festivals

Suffolk has a host of year-round festivals including great ones to enjoy in spring. The Suffolk Food and Drink Festival in Framlingham takes place over the weekend in mid-April. It is run alongside the Framlingham County Show and you can expect all sorts of delights including food, drink, craft stalls, cookery demonstrations, archery and ringside displays, including a dog show!

If one of your party is happy to drive, head to the Summer Beer Festival on May 2nd and 3rd. It takes place at The Ship at Dunwich, and along with the chance to sample your favourite local beers, there’s craft stalls and live music.

If you are staying longer at Windmill Lodges, why not walk off the pounds at the Suffolk Walking Festival? The festival takes place between May 9th – 31st and gives you plenty of chance to join one of 90 walks in your selected level of difficulty.

Another headlining event is the Bury St Edmunds Festival on May 15th – 24th. It promises to be an exciting day of music, film and celebrations, and there’s a few surprises too such as mixing classical music with jazz and ballet with juggling!

Sporting Activities

If you love the great outdoors you won’t be disappointed as there are a host of activities on offer in Suffolk. From long walks to cycle rides, boating, and more adventurous activities such as archery, clay pigeon shooting, skiing and tobogganing, there is plenty to occupy you near Windmill Lodges. And, with so much going on, there is every excuse to wind down after a long day with a soak in the hot tub during your rural log cabin holidays in Suffolk Click on the link above today to find out about our log cabin availability.

Wednesday 15 April 2015

Following in the Footsteps of Constable

If you are an art lover, staying in a beautiful log cabin in the Suffolk countryside is a fantastic way to unleash your creativity. If you are fascinated by the works of great British painters, why not spend a day following in the footsteps of the county’s most famous landscape artist, John Constable? From viewing original works by Constable, to visiting the hamlet of Flatford to discover the landscape which inspired his most famous paintings, ‘The Hay Wain’ and ‘The Mill Stream’, it is a great way to unwind. And, if you paint or draw it will leave you full of enthusiasm to re-create your own rural scenes.

Here, Windmill Lodges – an exclusive complex of four and five star luxury log cabins – gives a few ideas on how to spend a day in the trail of Constable.

Stay in Windmill Lodges’ log cabins and explore the scenery which inspired landscape artist John Constable.

Discover Famous Works by Constable 

An ideal first stop is Christchurch Mansion, Ipswich, which is a 35 minute car journey from Saxtead where Windmill Lodges’ exclusive complex is based. Christchurch Mansion, Christchurch Park, is home to the largest collection of Constable paintings outside London. Among the many masterpieces is ‘The Mill Stream’ which was recently cleaned to hail the 200th anniversary of the painting.  The cleaning uncovered the vivid colours of a kingfisher swooping through trees right in the centre of the piece.  The Wolsey Art Gallery (within the mansion) is open Tuesday to Sundays 10am to 5pm, closed Mondays. Entry to the mansion and art gallery is free.

Visit the Landscape that Inspired Constable

Flatford

After a morning at Christchurch Mansion, head to the stunning hamlet of Flatford (a 35 minute drive from Ipswich or a 43 minute drive from our country cabins), It’s where Constable produced some of his most well known works including ‘Boat Building’ and ‘The White Horse’, and the landscape has changed very little since Constable’s day.

Here, you can walk the pretty riverside trail and see Flatford Mill, owned by Constable’s father, Willy Lot’s Cottage, and the site of 'The Hay Wain’. Discover Bridge Cottage, which was tenanted out by Constable’s father, and where you can view a small but interesting exhibition about the artist’s life. Bridge Cottage can also be seen in a few of Constable’s paintings including ‘View on the Stour near Dedham’ (which features a glimpse of the roof of the cottage).

The attraction is open daily from 10.30 – 5pm spring to summer, and is closed Mondays and Tuesdays in winter, but do check the opening times in advance to avoid disappointment. There is a small charge for parking once you get there. And after your visit, you can round off your morning with a bite to eat at the tea room in Bridge Cottage, or hire a rowing boat on the river.

East Bergholt

This picturesque village, five minutes from Flatford, is the birthplace of Constable. (If you are feeling energetic you can walk or cycle there). Take a wander around the village to find the site of his birth, which is indicated by a plaque between the church, where Constable was christened and his parents and Willy Lot are buried, and the village shop. Not far from the church is Cemetery Lane, where a plaque marks the artist’s former studio. Then, why not enjoy a late lunch at of the excellent restaurants?

Dedham

Dedham is an eight minute drive from East Bergholt and is where Constable’s father owned the mill and Constable attended a day school after a short stint at a boarding school in Lavenham. There are some interesting independent shops to browse in, and you can view ‘The Ascension’, a Constable original, in the village church.

Finish your off day by a visit to the Art and Craft Centre, before taking the 45 minute drive back to the luxurious environment of your log cabin. And, in the evening you can cook up a culinary delight before taking a relaxing soak in the hot tub.

Windmill Lodges  - Click here to view the availability of our luxury log cabins in Suffolk.