Suffolk boasts a beautiful coastline, with colourful scenery and heaps of history – so where can you find some of the prettiest villages in the county?
With holidays abroad off the cards for the foreseeable future, discovering new places close to home makes the perfect adventure.
Luckily, Suffolk has an abundance of beautiful villages to choose from and there are many different places to explore.
Here is a list of seven of those pretty villages you should visit.
East Bergholt
Once home to famous painter John Constable, the pretty hamlet of East Bergholt is one of the largest villages in the Stour valley.
Just a short stroll down quiet lanes from the village church brings you to Flatford Mill, the scene of one of Constable’s most famous paintings. The mill is now owned by the National Trust and is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Suffolk.
It’s easy to see how the rural area was a strong influence in Constable’s work.
Kersey
Less than three miles north-west of Hadleigh is a small picturesque village called Kersey.
It is often described as a truly quintessential English village, complete with an old medieval church and pretty timber-framed buildings.
The 14th-century church dominates the village, with its tall tower visible from almost every street.
You will also find the Kersey Mill – set in an outstanding area of Suffolk countryside with lots of rare birds and wildlife.
Waldringfield
The pretty riverside village of Waldringfield is the perfect destination for a relaxing summer walk, with some wonderful views overlooking the estuary.
It is found along the bank of the River Deben within the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), just south of Woodbridge.
Bird watchers, sailors and fisherman have all found joy in this beautiful spot.
Orford
The village of Orford has something to offer everyone – walkers, sailors, cyclists, bird lovers, music and art lovers, or those simply wanting to relax.
From its castle, pretty cottages and welcoming pubs to the picturesque quay offering river cruises, it’s a stunning village to photograph.
Make sure to stop off at the aesthetically pleasing Pump Street bakery – which is a gorgeous pastel pink – for one of its infamous coffees.
Lavenham
If you like Tudor houses, then Lavenham is the place for you.
This wonky village in mid-Suffolk has become one of the most popular destinations when people holiday in the county, due to its quiet country roads which are lined with interesting architecture.
The prosperous wool town has also preserved most of its cultural heritage - with many of the telegraph poles taken down and replaced with underground wires to preserve the historic look of the charming village.
Thorpeness
This seaside village has an unusual past and is renowned for being home to some of the quirkiest buildings in the country including the ‘House in the Clouds’.
The small village is dominated by the Mere, which is popular with locals and tourists all year round.
In 1910 Stuart Ogilvie bought the hamlet, hoping to transform it into a private fantasy holiday village.
Today the village is just how Ogilvie envisaged it with pretty mock Tudor houses and the fairy-tale houses – but it is no longer private and has a bustling trade in the summer months.
Somerleyton
The pretty village of Somerleyton is situated on the very edge of the Suffolk/Norfolk border.
It’s main attraction is the stunning Somerleyton Hall, which stands in 5,000 acres of English estate and boasts beautiful gardens.
It has been lived in since 1240 when a manor house stood there, and in the intervening years it was a Tudor House a Jacobian Mansion and a Victorian Hall.
The village itself is filled with ‘chocolate box’ thatched cottages and impressive scenery – making it a great place to relax.
What do you think is the prettiest village in Suffolk? Let us know.
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