| 
Here are a few suggestions in brief. Call into the TIC for more
information, leaflets and programmes of events on any of these suggestions,
and for lots more ideas!
Ideas for families for fine weather days:
• Step back in time at the Museum of East Anglian Life in
Stowmarket. See a Victorian school room but be sure to pay attention!
And browse along the row of Edwardian shops. The Museum (open daily
March - early October) has many special events and traditional holiday
fun and games.
• Go on a trip of discovery to one of the local nature reserves.
At Church Meadow you can find the remains of an early 18th century
garden that used to belong to Combs Hall. Visit Bonny Wood at Barking
Tye between April and June to find orchids - you may be lucky enough
to see the Greater Butterfly Orchid. Why not try pond dipping at
Fen Alder Carr which is home to frogs, newts and dragonflies.
• Picnics make for relaxed low cost fun especially by the
lake at Needham. If you want to leave the car at home, you can travel
by bus or train to Needham Market or even use the cycle path from
Stowmarket.
• A trip to the seaside. Felixstowe is easy to get to by car
or public transport and once you are there you will have a great
day on the beach, walking on the promenade and enjoying ice creams,
or will it be fish & chips?
• Get crafty and active with the Mid Suffolk Countryside Team.
They run a busy programme of outdoor events throughout the year
with low cost or free admission.
• For close encounters with furry and feathered friends visit
Baylham House Rare Breeds Farm at Baylham (open daily Feb –
Oct). Here you will meet Ibby the Alpacca, Bridie the Highland Cow,
Wilma the pig and Geraldine the goat. Special events in the year
include lambing in the spring and the Wool Festival in June. At
the Suffolk Owl Sanctuary at Stonham Aspal there are over 70 owls,
eagles and falcons, red squirrels and chipmunks, children’s
activities and flying displays. Don’t miss the Medieval Spectacular
in the summer, this is just one of the many special events they
stage throughout the year. (Open daily all year)
• Go wild! Go on safari to Africa Alive near Lowestoft (open
daily all year). See cheetahs, lions, rhinos and giraffe roaming
together. Or visit a zoo, there’s Colchester Zoo (open daily
all year) in Essex and Banham Zoo (seasonal opening) in Norfolk.
Ideas for families for rainy days:
• The Mid Suffolk Leisure Centre in Stowmarket has excellent
facilities including swimming pools, gym, climbing wall and soft
play area so there is something for everyone whether it’s
to get fit or just have fun. (Open daily all year)
• At the Ceramic Café at the Teapot Pottery in Debenham
you can paint your own pot. You will certainly be inspired when
you see the amazing range of teapots made by the pottery - anything
from a lighthouse to a tractor and new this year is the Royal Wedding
teapot. (Open daily all year)
• The Moyses Hall Museum, Bury St Edmunds and the Ipswich
Museum have lots for children to do and run extra activities in
the holidays at little or no extra cost. Both are accessible by
bus or train. Cambridge and Norwich also have lots to offer and
are on a direct line from Stowmarket.
• There’s always a lively programme of entertainment
at the local theatres and cinemas.
• Visit Melford Hall at Long Melford and see if you can spot
Peter Rabbit. Beatrix Potter came on holiday with her pet mouse
to the Hall and used sketches of the garden for some of her illustrations.
(A National Trust property. Seasonal opening)
Ideas for leisurely and good weather days:
• There are many fabulous walks in and around Stowmarket
from short strolls on country footpaths and nature reserves to the
long distance walk from Stowmarket to Ipswich along the river Gipping.
If you prefer walking on hard paths, both Thornham Walks and Needham
Lake have all weather paths and there are a number of town/village
trails which give you an insight into the history of the area. There
are maps and leaflets at the TIC to guide you on your way.
• For people with green fingers, there are a number of independent
and specialist nurseries in the area. However, if you prefer to
visit gardens rather than do the gardening yourself, Helmingham
Hall Gardens at Helmingham is a must. The Hall is a beautiful back
drop to the gardens (the house is not open to the public) with its
moat and park land, and there are rare roses and kitchen herb and
knot gardens to see. After which you can enjoy delicious refreshments
in the tea rooms. (Open selected days May - Sept).
• One of the most relaxing ways to travel is by boat. There
are seasonal boat trips from Flatford Mill, Sudbury, Snape and Ipswich.
Some of these trips include a meal. Or you can hire boats at Alton
Water, Near Ipswich, Flatford Mill and Thorpeness.
• There is no better way to see the countryside than on a
bike. The quiet roads, increasing number of cycle lanes in towns
and gentle countryside make for excellent cycling. Some cycling
guides are available at the TIC. There is off road cycling at Alton
Water, Thetford and Rendlesham Forest.
• Take a guided tour of the National Stud at Newmarket (open
daily Feb – Oct). This will give you a real insight into the
work of a Thoroughbred stud farm and the world of racing. Night
Tours available which include high tea at Wavertree’s Coffee
Shop Restaurant followed by an evening at the races with your guide.
• There are several castles and a large number of country
houses, some still in private ownership, that are open to the public.
For information about these properties, pick up the National Trust,
English Heritage and Invitation To View guides in the TIC.
Ideas for leisurely bad weather days:
• Whatever the weather museums are a good outing - you’ll
always learn something new. There’s plenty to choose from
and many are open all year round. There’s the Museum of East
Anglian Life in Stowmarket (open daily March – Oct), the Mechanical
Music Museum at Cotton (open Sun May – Sept) and the Mid Suffolk
Light Railway at Wetheringsett (open Sun & BH Easter –
Sept). Further away but easily accessible by road or public transport
there are also museums at Bury St Edmunds, Ipswich, Norwich, Colchester
and Cambridge.
• In need of inspiration? Some of our most famous painters
have been associated with Suffolk and you can still see the places
that inspired them. Gainsborough’s House in Sudbury (open
all year Mon – Sat) is a charming town house. For a time it
was the home of Thomas Gainsborough and has some of his original
paintings on display along with temporary exhibitions. At the 16th
century Bridge Cottage, Flatford, there is a Constable exhibition
and a short walk along the river bank will reveal the original settings
for some of his most famous pictures. Just across the border at
Dedham in Essex, is the Sir Alfred Munnings Art Museum (seasonal
opening times). This is located in the house where he lived and
worked for many years. The studio is just as he left it with his
complete brushes, paint pallet and overalls.
• There are many art and craft galleries and art exhibitions
in the county throughout the year. Lavenham, Snape, Woodbridge and
Southwold are particularly well loved by art aficionados. Suffolk
Open Studios (SOS) has become a popular annual event during the
weekends in June, when artists welcome the public into their studios
to sell and talk about their work. The SOS programme of open studios
is available at the TIC.
• Suffolk is blessed with many wonderful churches, not forgetting
the cathedral at Bury St Edmunds. The Cathedral tower was finally
completed almost 1,000 years after it was started to celebrate the
2nd millennium.
For further information please contact
the Mid Suffolk Tourist Information Centre:
At the Museum of East Anglian Life, Stowmarket, Suffolk IP14 1DL
Tel: 01449 676800 Email: tic@midsuffolk.gov.uk
www.southandheartofsuffolk.org.uk
|
