Suffolk Holidays – Cultural Events in 2013

If you are taking holidays in Suffolk, you will soon discover that the county is rich in culture, ranging from its many historic sites to music, art and literature. It is worthwhile checking what’s on during your stay, so you can attend one or more of the many special events in the region.

Windmill Lodges is a great place to stay during your UK break, set amid beautiful countryside. With just seven log cabins, all offering four or five star luxury, it is an exclusive resort, quiet and secluded, and you are in easy reach of some of the prettiest places in the county – including Aldeburgh, where composer Benjamin Britten spent most of his life and founded the famous festival, and Flatford, where artist John Constable lived. The site is also close to major historical sites such as Sutton Hoo.

Click here to browse our luxury holiday log cabin accommodation for your country breaks in Suffolk


What’s on in 2013

September (28-29) Aldeburgh Food and Drink Festival, at Snape Maltings. Around 90 exhibitors from the local area will showcase their food and drink at this festival weekend, which will also include demonstrations by chefs and workshops on everything from sausage making and cake decorating to beer and wine tastings. The weekend is just the beginning, though, as all kinds of foodie events will be organised across the surrounding area running through to October 13. These range from an introduction to breadmaking to a heritage walk in Dunwich and tours of the Crunchy Seeds factory in Leiston.

October (4-6) Aldeburgh FlipSide Brazilian Festival, at Snape Maltings. As Brazil prepares to host the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics, the country's art, music, literature and dance will all be taking centre stage at the FlipSide Festival, organised together with the FLIP literary festival in Brazil. Top Brazilian writers taking part include Adriana Lisboa, Bernardo Carvalho and Milton Hatoum, as well as famous British authors including Ian McEwan, Ali Smith and Will Self. The festival will open with a concert entitled The Boys from Ipanema, which will pay musical tribute to the creators of Bossa Nova, Vinicius de Moraes and Tom Jobim. Another musical highlight will be a performance by Brazilian superstar Adriana Calcanhotto, a leading singer-songwriter. Children's events will add to the carnival atmosphere, and there will also be a chance to enjoy Brazilian street food. You need to buy tickets for the various events.

(19-20) Military Re-enactment at Landguard Fort, Felixstowe. You can take a trip back in time during this weekend staged by the 95th Rifles group, which will include displays of all kinds of military skills from the Napoleonic Wars, including musketry and drill. Visitors will need to pay the fort's normal admission fees.

26-29 – Storm of Stories in Aldeburgh. Theatre company Wonderful Beast is set to lead a four day celebration of the sea over the half-term break, including many free events. Highlights will include shows involving local schools, music, dance, storytelling and a pop-up writing clinic. Among the main shows planned for the festival is Strange Fish, a dramatisation of folk tales from Russia, Scotland and India featuring Bharatanatyam dancer Anusha Subramanyam together with Russian baritone Mikhail Pavlov. There will also be a Concert of Stories featuring top French performance storyteller Abbi Patrix.

November (8-10) Aldeburgh Poetry Festival, in Snape Maltings and Aldeburgh. This annual celebration of poetry is celebrating its 25th birthday this year. It has become a major event which attracts poets and their readers from a wide area, and this year 30 poets will be taking the stage, with 56 different sessions, workshops and performances over the packed weekend. Ian McMillan, Grace Nichols and Craig Raine are among the well known poets taking part.

(21 – 24) Britten Centenary weekend at Aldeburgh Music. Holidays in Suffolk can be enjoyed all year round, and Aldeburgh Music's year-long celebration of composer Benjamin Britten's centenary will finish with a host of special events over the weekend of what would have been his 100th birthday, November 22. The main performances include a Centenary Concert and a performance of Britten's 'A Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra', both at Snape Maltings Concert Hall. There will also be a special celebration by the Aldeburgh Music Club, which Britten founded, in Orford Church.

Looking forward to 2014, many more special events are planned, including a feast of classical music at the Aldeburgh Festival, roots music at the Maverick Festival at Easton Farm Park, the Stamping Ground Festival of Americana at Stonham Barns, and much more.

About Windmill Lodges

If you are planning a log cabin break in Suffolk, Windmill Lodges will give you a perfect base in the heart of the countryside, within reach of many beauty spots and top attractions. Each of the luxury log cabins at our site in Saxtead has its own private outdoor hot tub, while the Kingfisher lodge also has an infrared sauna.

Windmill Lodges Holidays  – click here for full details on our choice of Suffolk log cabins

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UK Holiday Homes – Birdwatching in Suffolk

Thanks to its diverse landscape, which includes marshes, dunes and heathland, Suffolk has been declared as one of the best counties in England for bird watching – and log cabin holidays in the countryside offer the perfect opportunity to appreciate the area's wonderful wildlife.

If you enjoy a spot of birding, then Windmill Lodges are well-placed for this. Just bring along your binoculars and a picnic and head towards any of the well known sites for bird watching. These include the world famous RSPB Minsmere reserve, the Blyth Estuary near Walberswick, the RSPB's North Warren site close to Aldeburgh, Landguard Point at Felixstowe, the Suffolk Wildlife Trust's Trimley Marshes, RSPB Havergate Island and Shingle Street.

The majority of these sites are open all year round and there is even an annual competition held by Suffolk Birders Information Networked Service (BINS) on how many birds you can sight – with the top figure in January 2008 put at an incredible 130 species.

As Windmill Lodges is open to guests at any time of year, it’s a fantastic base for bird watching. The site is at Saxtead, right in the heart of the Suffolk countryside, and just 13 miles from the most famous site for birders, Minsmere.

After a day's bird-watching, you can unwind in luxurious surroundings in your log cabin, have a swim in the site's heated pool (open summer months only) or relax in your own private hot tub on the veranda. You will also get the chance to enjoy the wildlife here, as there are many birds which can be seen during your short Suffolk break – and each of our superb lodges is even named after a bird, including the kingfisher, wagtail and woodpecker.


Click here to find out more about our top-quality country holiday lodges

Top Sites for Birdwatching

There are many top sites for birdwatching near Windmill Lodges and these offer perfect opportunities to see a host of beautiful wildlife during your holiday in the Suffolk countryside.

RSPB Minsmere: The charity's flagship reserve on the Suffolk Heritage Coast near Leiston has become famed around the world for its rich habitats – including reed beds, grassland and shingle – and its impressive range of birds. The most famous Minsmere success story is the return of the avocet, a black and white wading bird with a long curved beak which was extinct in the UK for a century until a few pairs returned to breed at Minsmere in 1947, the year that the RSPB took over the site. The bird is now the emblem of the RSPB, with around 900 breeding pairs in the UK including a large number at Minsmere.

Other birds you might see here include the rare bittern with its distinctive booming call, the marsh harrier, the nightingale, the sand martin and the bearded tit, as well as a host of wading birds. There are often unusual visitors, too, such as spoonbills. But it's not just birds at Minsmere – there are also other creatures, including a large herd of red deer, whose rutting season in September and October is well worth seeing. Minsmere is open all year round and makes a great day out in itself, but you could also combine your visit with fish and chips on the beach at Dunwich.

RSPB North Warren: Near the resorts of Aldeburgh and Thorpeness, this reserve is open all year round and has a mix of habitats, including reed beds and marshes as well as heathland and woods. The birds you might spot here include the woodlark as well as the bittern and marsh harrier. You could combine a visit here with a trip to historic Aldeburgh.

RSPB Havergate Island: Suffolk's only island, on the River Ore, can only be reached by boat on a pre-booked trip from Orford Quay – bookings can be made by contacting the Minsmere reserve. The trips take place on the first Saturday of each month, although there are some special events on other days. Birds on the island include avocets and terns, and you might also spot a brown hare. The trips last for most of the day and are likely to be a real highlight of your holiday.

Trimley Marshes: This Suffolk Wildlife Trust reserve near Felixstowe is a wetland site where you might spot species such as the redshank, little grebe and oystercatcher. It's a two mile walk from the car park to the hides and it can be muddy, so don't forget your wellies! The site is open all year round and you could combine a visit with a trip to Felixstowe.

Landguard Nature Reserve, Felixstowe: Landguard Point is the most southerly point in Suffolk, and the local nature reserve on this shingle spit is a good spot to see migrating birds as well as unusual plants. The wheatear is among the birds which pass through, as well as many warblers and seabirds. The site is open all through the year.

Shingle Street: At the mouth of Orford Ness, Shingle Street is a popular spot to see birds because of its mix of shingle, lagoons and salt marshes. Cormorant can be seen here and it is also a good spot for seeing migrant birds. As it is so near to Orford, you could combine it with a visit to the castle.

Blyth Estuary near Walberswick: There is a hide here which is open all year round and the birds you might see including avocets, bitterns and woodlarks. You could go crabbing after visiting the site or, on a good day, have a picnic amid the sand dunes.

About Windmill Lodges


When you are heading to Suffolk for log cabin holidays, Windmill Lodges offers a wonderful chance to combine luxury with a natural setting. Our cabins offer excellent facilities including your own private hot tub, a fishing lake and an on-site swimming pool for the summer months.



Click here for information about our four star luxury log cabins at Windmill Lodges

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Explore the Beauty of the Suffolk Scenery by Bike

Holidays in Suffolk are all about unwinding completely, and a great way to relax is to explore the county's beautiful countryside by bike. Top events have put the spotlight on cycling in Suffolk recently, as the Pearl Izumi Tour Series brought its final stage to the county this month, while Sir Bradley Wiggins and Mark Cavendish took part in the launch of the Tour of Britain in the county last year.

These events underlined the fact that Suffolk's relatively flat scenery is the perfect setting to enjoy a cycle break. Of course, it isn't all flat by any means, and you can challenge yourself by riding up the odd hill! Advantages of cycling holidays are that you can enjoy them at any time of year, and it's up to you how far to travel – you can make your destination as near or as far as you want it to be.

Windmill Lodges are a great base for cycling holidays in Suffolk, as the site is right in the heart of the countryside. You can bring your own bikes on vacation or hire them nearby, for instance from Byways Bicycles in Darsham, Avocet Sports in Snape or Suffolk Cycle Hire in Rendlesham. After a day out in the open air, you can relax in the knowledge that, at the end of all that exercising, you can enjoy all the luxuries the log cabins have to offer – such as getting rid of any aches and pains in your own private hot tub. Or, if you are renting Kingfisher Lodge, you can relax in the infra red sauna. If you are feeling really energetic, you can even go for a swim in the Windmill Lodges heated indoor pool, which is open from Easter to October.

Windmill Lodges' Saxtead base is in a wonderful location near Woodbridge, Framlingham and the Suffolk Heritage Coast, with many cycle routes you can enjoy either nearby or slightly further afield, taking in all kinds of interesting sights along the way.

Leisure Cycling – If you fancy a day's relaxed cycling on a forest trail, then Rendlesham Forest near Woodbridge is a great place to visit, with two cycle routes laid out, plus a bike park to enjoy. The routes vary in difficulty to cater for everyone from children and beginners to keen cyclists, and it is possible to hire a bike for periods of three hours upwards from Avocet Sports' retail outlet at the Tangham picnic site in the forest. Slightly further afield, another popular place to visit for leisure cycling is Alton Water near Ipswich, which has four miles of waterside tracks for all the family to enjoy, and again has cycle hire available on site.

Of course, during your holidays in Suffolk at Windmill Lodges, you can also cycle nearer to home. Why not take a leisurely ride into the village of Saxtead? You could take a tour of historic Saxtead Mill, run by English Heritage and open on Fridays and Saturdays between March and September, and then enjoy a pub lunch at the Old Mill House on Saxtead Green, which has a full carvery and fresh fish dishes.

Cycle Routes

There are many popular routes for cyclists in the Suffolk Coastal area, and you can either go on a circular ride returning to Saxtead or take your bikes with you by car if you want to go further afield. It's usually also possible to take bikes on the train in Suffolk.

Whether you are looking for an easy ride or something more demanding, a good bet could be to get the information pack about the Suffolk Coastal Cycle Route from a tourist information centre. This is a circular signed route which sticks to quiet roads, covering a wide coastal area between Felixstowe and Dunwich with a loop via Framlingham and Woodbridge. The whole route is 88 miles, ideal to take a couple of days over, but you can pick a section or short cut for a gentle day's cycling.

An intermediate route is from Snape to Framlingham, a 32-mile route which mainly sticks to B roads with little traffic and could include a visit to Snape Maltings and Framlingham Castle. There are also many long-distance cycle routes to choose from in Suffolk, such as the full Suffolk Coastal route or the Heart of Suffolk Cycle Route, a 75-mile route which will take you through Halesworth and the Waveney Valley as well as Framlingham and Debenham.

A cycling holiday brings many benefits, meaning that you relax and get fit at the same time, and don't need to feel guilty about the delicious meals you enjoy en route, as you have earned them!

About Windmill Lodges

In their beautiful rural location, Windmill Lodges are the perfect base for self catering holidays in Suffolk. Our log cabins all offer four star accommodation and the chance to have a luxury break in the heart of the countryside.

Click here to view our luxurious self catering holiday accommodation at Windmill Lodges

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Discover the Beautiful and Historic Village of Orford

When you are heading off on your holidays in the UK, Windmill Lodges in rural Suffolk are well-placed to explore the beauty of the surrounding countryside and discover the area's many historic towns and villages.

Windmill Lodges offer the chance to stay in an unspoilt location at Saxtead, on the beautiful Suffolk heritage coast, and relax in a luxury setting. All our cabins have a four star English Tourism Council rating, with a host of features including their own private hot tubs, and one lodge even has an infra-red sauna.

Whether you have hired a car for your holiday, or are bringing your own, just a 40-minute drive from Saxtead is the fascinating village of Orford, where you can spend a beautiful summer’s day exploring the castle and museum. And after you have immersed yourself in its history, you may want to take a walk into the heart of the village to eat at one of the local pubs or restaurants and try out some of the local delicacies.

Orford has been declared one of the prettiest villages in Suffolk, which is one of the many reasons why it is such as wonderful place to visit. In this  article, we will take a look at the many attractions in Orford to visit during your log cabin holiday.

Click here to enjoy a short break away in a luxury log cabin in Suffolk 

Why Visit Orford?

Immersed in history – The village's history dates back to the 12th century, when King Henry II chose it as the site for his castle, and the building was completed in 1173. For centuries Orford was a town with a market, annual fair and even its own MPs. The castle, with its amazingly intact polygonal keep, now belongs to English Heritage and is open daily from March to November. Visitors can explore a network of passages and, once you are up on the castle roof, you enjoy magnificent views of Orford Ness. Admission charges of £6 per adult apply for the castle, but once you are inside you can gain free admission to Orford Museum in the upper hall. It features items and information related to the area, including a 13th-century silver cross and a tiny Anglo-Saxon gold coin, both found locally.

Beautiful Scenery

Orford is a fantastic place to go for country walks as it is within the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It's possible to take some great photos of the castle up on its mound. One popular route is the Suffolk Coast Path which runs from Orford to Butley Ferry.  The area's unique scenery also includes the famous Orford Ness, the largest shingle spit in Europe, a wild and remote spot which is now run by the National Trust as a national nature reserve and can be reached by a short boat trip. There is a charge of £8 for access to the Ness, or £4 for a National Trust member.

Fantastic Places to Eat – Orford has some excellent places to eat, including the Crown and Castle country hotel and restaurant, which is co-owned by food writer and broadcaster Ruth Watson, former presenter of TV show 'The Hotel Inspector'. The hotel's Trinity restaurant has two AA rosettes, with menus including local delicacies like roast Suffolk partridge or skate caught in Orford.  Another famous restaurant is the Butley Orford Oysterage, which serves local fish, shellfish and oysters in an informal cafe-style setting. You could also enjoy a pub meal at The Jolly Sailor or The Kings Head, both well-known for their food.

Interesting Shops –  Orford has a weekly country market where you can buy fresh fish landed locally as well as other produce. You can also buy fresh fish from Brinkley's fish shed, run by local fishermen on the quay. The village shops include Richardson's Smokehouse in Baker's Lane, a traditional family business which originally started smoking as a way of preserving locally-caught mackerel, but then branched out to smoke many other products including sausages, cheeses and pâtés. Smoked specialities are also available from Pinney's of Orford on Orford Quay, which also has a fresh fish counter, while other good food shops include the Suffolk Butcher and Pump Street Bakery.

In Front Street, Orford Crafts stocks everything from baskets to pottery and has a display on the first floor about the Suffolk coast, including a detailed look at the underwater site of the lost city of Dunwich. You can also browse an intriguing range of items at Castle Antiques on Market Hill.

Explore the Water – In summertime you can combine a walk along the Suffolk Coast Path with a crossing via the Butley Ferry, staffed by volunteers, which takes walkers and cyclists across Butley Creek. Or why not enjoy some exclusive dining on the river by booking a meal aboard the Lady Florence, a river cruise restaurant which cruises the Alde and Ore, starting out from Orford Quay?

About Windmill Lodges

Whether you are looking for a romantic break with your partner or a family holiday, Windmill Lodges at Saxtead in rural Suffolk is the perfect choice for a country break, allowing you to get away from it all in style. The site includes a heated swimming pool and catch-and-release fishing lake open in the summer.

Luxury UK Holidays – click here to view our luxurious range of accommodation in the heart of the Suffolk Countryside.

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Following in the Footsteps of Famous People in Suffolk

If you are visiting the beautiful county of Suffolk for a relaxing UK break, then you might want to know more about some of the famous people who have lived here or had links with the area.

From actors to artists, household names, models and novelists, a wide range of big names have made Suffolk their home over the years. While some well-known people settled in Suffolk centuries ago, there are also current celebrities who grew up here or have links with the county, such as novelist Ruth Rendell, supermodels Claudia Schiffer and Twiggy, F1’s Bernie Eccleston and actor Bob Hoskins.

There is no guarantee that you will spot a famous face during your UK holiday, but you can follow in the footsteps of past and present big names and visit some of the attractions that relate to them.

If you are taking a break in Suffolk, there is no better way to relax than by booking luxurious log cabin holidays. Windmill Lodges offer four and five star sumptuous accommodation, where you can relax and unwind amidst beautiful rural surroundings near Woodbridge and Framlingham.

Follow the link to view our four and five star self catering log cabin holiday accommodation in Suffolk

Famous People linked to Suffolk

JM Barrie – The celebrated Scottish author and dramatist is best-known as the creator of 'Peter Pan'. Barrie is believed to have paid frequent visits to his close friend, barrister Glencairn Stuart Ogilvie, who drew inspiration from the writer's work when creating the upmarket coastal holiday village of Thorpeness, near Aldeburgh. Now you can bring fiction to life by going to Thorpeness and seeing some of the places there linked to the classic children's story. The village is built around a boating lake, the Meare, built in 1910, with islands and coves all taking their names from the story, and containing locations from the story, such as Wendy's house and the pirates' lair. Don't miss seeing the famous House in the Clouds, a famous landmark which is a disguised water tower, overlooking the golf course.

Benjamin Britten – This year is the centenary of famous 20th century British composer Benjamin Britten, and a host of special events are planned to mark the occasion. Britten was born in Lowestoft and spent most of his life in Aldeburgh, where he founded the world-renowned Aldeburgh Festival. On a visit to Suffolk, you can see places linked to him including Aldeburgh's beach, home of the Scallop sculpture created by Maggi Hambling, which includes words from Britten's opera 'Peter Grimes'. The Red House, where Britten and singer Peter Pears lived and worked from 1957 until their deaths, is now open to visitors, with tours of the house available and a new exhibition on Britten and his music. Snape Maltings Concert Hall is another must – take in a concert  during the Aldeburgh Festival or one of many other events throughout the year, or just look around the building and attractive  complex with its shops and restaurants.

John Constable – One of Britain's best-known artists, Constable is famed for his paintings of the beautiful Dedham Vale, an area known as 'Constable Country'. He was born in East Bergholt in 1776 and lived in Flatford. Much of the village is just how it was when he was alive and you can recognise some of the places that he painted, including Flatford Mill and Willy Lott's Cottage, which are both now part of a field centre offering many activities. The National Trust has an exhibition about Constable in historic Bridge Cottage.

Jimmy Doherty – He’s a mate of Jamie Oliver and runs Jimmy’s Farm in Wherstead, near Ipswich, which featured in its own TV series. Popular broadcaster Jimmy has since built his farm up as a visitor attraction in its own right, with a farm shop and nature trail. It stages many activities and events, from produce and craft markets, to a sausage and beer festival, as well as comedy and music nights. Open-air Shakespeare will also be staged at Jimmy's Farm this summer under the banner of Theatre in the Forest.

Thomas Gainsborough – The great 18th-century portrait and landscape painter was born in Sudbury, where you can visit a museum and gallery based at his birthplace, staging a wide range of art exhibitions. His family also lived in Ipswich for a time, and some of his paintings can be seen in the art collections at historic Christchurch Mansion.

Ronald ‘Carl’ Giles – Often known simply as Giles, the legendary cartoonist lived and worked in Ipswich all his adult life. A statue in Giles Circus, near the Corn Exchange in the town centre, features some of his most famous characters, including Grandma.

Bob Hoskins – He might be one of the most celebrated Cockneys in the world, but the actor was born in Bury St Edmunds. Don't expect to see him in the town, as he moved away soon after his birth, but it is still a great place to visit, with the abbey ruins, the cathedral and an attractive mix of shops, including the Arc shopping centre.

Thomas Wolsey – The most famous son of Ipswich, Wolsey was Henry VIII's Lord Chancellor and became a Cardinal. A bronze statue of Wolsey stands in the town centre, at the junction of Silent Street and St Nicholas Street. Wolsey's name is celebrated all over Ipswich, for instance in The New Wolsey Theatre, which stages a wide variety of productions for all the family, and Cardinal Park, which has a multiplex cinema and a range of restaurants and nightspots.

About Windmill Lodges

Based in beautiful rural Suffolk, at Saxtead, Windmill Lodges offer traditional log cabin holidays, catering for up to six people and offering the perfect chance to get away from it all. Each cabin is fully equipped to high standards and has its own private hot tub.


Click here to find out more about our log cabin holidays with hot tub in Suffolk

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Open Air Attractions in Suffolk – Perfect Places to Visit in the Summer Months

June hails the official start to summer, which is the perfect season for a UK holiday. Now is the time to discover all the county's outdoor attractions and make the most of the glorious weather.

Suffolk has a wide range of family-friendly outdoor tourist draws including animal parks, historic houses, farms and museums. Here is Windmill Lodges' pick of some of the best attractions around.

We have been unable to list all the excellent outdoor attractions in Suffolk because there are just so many of them, so this is only a starting-point, but here are what we feel are among the top ones.

Windmill Lodges is a great place to stay when spending your holidays in Suffolk, and offers the chance to relax in a luxurious setting. Our lodges provide plush accommodation in picturesque surroundings overlooking a fishing lake; it has hot tubs in all the log cabins, an infra-red sauna in one of the lodges, and a swimming pool for guests (open in spring and summer only).

Luxurious Log Cabins in Suffolk – click here to book your self-catering accommodation




Top Outdoor Museums and Attractions

Ickworth House – This grand National Trust property near Bury St Edmunds is one of the top attractions in Suffolk. As well as visiting the neoclassical mansion with its striking 'rotunda', you can also wander around the beautiful gardens and the 1,800 acres of parkland designed by Capability Brown, which are full of walks, trails and cycle routes and home to a deer herd. The grounds, which also include a children's adventure playground, are open daily from dawn to dusk. Opening hours for the house vary.

Baylham Rare Breeds Farm – A visit to a farm is a great day out for families during holidays in Suffolk, and youngsters will enjoy their close encounters with animals here. The park is open daily from February right through to November, with animal paddocks featuring rare-breed sheep, cattle, pigs and goats. There are special events including a sheep-shearing festival and a farm and food fair in July, and the site includes picnic tables both outdoors and indoors.

Easton Farm Park – Another great venue for a family day out, this farm park near Woodbridge has a wide range of animals including Suffolk Punch horses, donkeys, sheep, goats and much more, often with the chance to see baby animals. The farm park has a wide range of activities for children included in its admission price, such as pony rides and the chance to handle small animals like rabbits. It also has a soft play area and outdoor playground. The park is staging the Maverick Music Festival in July and is open daily all summer until September.

Museum of East Anglian Life – Based in the centre of Stowmarket, this outdoor museum has a 75-acre site including buildings and living history displays showing how people used to live in the region, and tracing changes in farming and industry as well as everyday family life. Riverside nature walks and woods are also among the attractions, as well as farm animals and an adventure playground, while special events include a beer festival at the end of June. The site is open daily all through the summer.

Jimmy’s Farm – Run by popular TV personality Jimmy Doherty, this venue at Wherstead, near Ipswich, has expanded to become a visitor attraction as well as a working farm. It has a nature trail, which is a popular attraction for families, plus a wide range of activities and events all through the year, ranging from a festival of beer and sausages, to Shakespeare performances in its woodland.

Sutton Hoo – Near Woodbridge, this vitally important Anglo-Saxon site is one of the most famous archaeological discoveries of all time. Run by the National Trust, it includes a museum where you can learn all about the amazing royal ship burial which was discovered on the site in 1939, and see replicas of the treasures found there including the iconic helmet. However, the main attraction is the chance to walk through the site and see the burial mounds for yourself. The site also includes a playground for youngsters. The museum is open daily right through to October.

West Stow – Still with history, this early Anglo-Saxon village near Bury St Edmunds offers the chance to take a trip back in time and see how our ancestors lived. You can explore the wooden homes which have been re-created on the site, and even dress up as an Anglo-Saxon if you want to. A shop, cafe and adventure playground are also included. The museum is open daily, and is surrounded by a country park including walks, a nature trail and bird hides.

About Windmill Lodges

If you are planning holidays in Suffolk, Windmill Lodges are the perfect choice for a relaxing break and offer an ideal base for exploring the area. These luxury log cabins are in rural Saxtead, near the county's heritage coast, and allow you to stay in four or five-star comfort with indulgent facilities that include your own private hot tub.


Click here to find out more about our log cabin accommodation for country breaks in Suffolk

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Log Cabin Holidays in East Anglia – Why Holiday in the East of England?

If you need a holiday and have a young family in tow or simply want to take a few days break with some friends, you’ll know it's not always practical to go abroad and this is where local breaks come into their own. Log cabin holidays in East Anglia present you with the ideal opportunity to take a family break or to meet up with friends for a few days relaxation and recreation.

Away from home, for that much needed change of scenery but sufficiently close so as not to present you with a travel headache, log cabin holidays in East Anglia offer the perfect solution.

Located close to the lovely market town of Woodbridge, Windmill Lodges offer log cabin holidays just 15 miles from Suffolk’s heritage coast and within easy reach of the picturesque towns of Aldeburgh, Dunwich, Southwold, Thorpeness and Walberswick. Their four and five star log cabins come with great facilities such as electric heating, modern fully equipped fitted kitchens and bathrooms, stylish interior décor, private hot tub and veranda, swimming pool (Open Easter to October) and a private and well stocked catch and release fishing lake; everything you’ll need for a peaceful and relaxing, home away from home vacation.

We have listed below some of the delights of Suffolk and East Anglia, just some of the reasons why holidaying in this part of the world is such a joy.

Click here to find out more about family holidays in East Anglia

The Benefits of Spending Your Holidays in East Anglia

Great Weather

The weather in this part of the world is reliably good for most of the year, or at least as good as it gets in England. With the exception of the cold snap at the beginning of 2013, which bought local temperatures plummeting to well below average, East Anglia tends to do very well in the good weather tables and markedly better than most other parts of the country. Look at pretty much any weather map for most of the year and you’ll see our little corner of the country bathed in sunlight or, at the very least, enjoying higher temperatures than most, if not all, of the rest of the UK.

Lovely Coastline

The Suffolk coastline features a mix of sand, shingle and pebbled beaches and heath land. With such a diverse terrain, it’s little wonder that locals and visitors alike opt for pedal or foot over horsepower. There are walks and cycle paths aplenty in this part of the world allowing you to get up close and personal with Mother Nature. This is the land of the back pack and mountain bike, not for its mountains, we haven’t got any, but for its beautiful natural coastal environs which draw you in, forcing you to leave any kind of busy city or hectic work schedule behind. And, by the way, if you are interested in horse power, there are plenty of bridle paths too.

Tasty Local Food and Drink

Suffolk is a foodie’s paradise. It has been described as “The British Larder” and there is even a restaurant of that exact name not far from Windmill Lodges, at Bromeswell, just outside Woodbridge. Fine foods have been produced locally for centuries and there are many mouth-watering specialities to choose from including Suffolk Dry Cure, free range ham and bacon, Suffolk Gold and Blue cheeses, honey from one of Suffolk’s 400 bee keepers, pickled Quail eggs from Akenfield and real ale chutney from Adnams, Suffolk’s famous brewery.

Fascinating History

Fans of architecture will love it here. Among the must-sees are Aldeburgh's Moot Hall Museum (1520) and the Saxtead Green Post Mill (1860), just round the corner from Windmill Lodges. The archaeologists among you will be interested in Sutton Hoo, the site of 6th and 7th-century ship burial in which was found a wealth of Anglo-Saxon artefacts. The artists Constable and Gainsborough spent many years here and were inspired to create some of their best known works. The composer Benjamin Britten was born in Lowestoft and spent much of his time in Suffolk; head to Snape Maltings and the Aldeburgh Music Festival to see and hear examples of his work performed live.

Back to Nature

Suffolk boasts 5 estuaries: The Blyth, The Alde and Ore, The Deben, The Orwell and The Stour. The Blyth pours into Southwold harbour and feeds Minsmere and Walberswick National Nature Reserves. The Alde and Ore, Suffolk’s longest estuary, features Orford Ness with its nesting birds and seals (yes, Seals). The Deben features moving islands of shingle called Knolls, which change direction and size with the weather and tides. The Orwell supplies water to the nature reserves at Trimley, Levington and Nacton and the iconic Orwell Bridge is the preferred nesting site for Peregrine Falcons.

Sporting Facilities

Aside from the myriad of watersports that go on in the area, the hiking and cycling, Suffolk is well known for its football – with Ipswich Town FC – and for its rugby – with Ipswich Rugby Club. Football and rugby aside, there isn't a game you can't play in Suffolk; you can even go skiing (albeit on a dry slope). Squash, tennis, cricket, basketball, even roller blading, they're all here just waiting for you to get involved. Advice, as if it were needed: if you bought your kids Ipads last year, make sure you leave them at home, they won’t need them.

Family Holidays in Suffolk – Click here to view our luxurious log cabin  accommodation in the heart of the East Anglian countryside.

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How to make the most of the beautiful region of Suffolk during your log cabin holidays with Windmill Lodges