For G’s birthday, we agreed that I would book him a surprise weekend away. He knew we were going away but had no idea where until the morning of, when I emailed him a postcode. Originally, I had big plans for a weekend in Berlin because he’s always said he wants to go but then it dawned on me that his birthday was the same week as SODDING BREXIT and so I angrily came to the conclusion that travelling to Europe just days after Brexit was too risky for my liking.
(Of course, 29th March came and went with nada so that was all v pointless.)
So we stayed on home turf and headed to Suffolk; and staying within the UK was actually what we needed in order to properly relax. I’d heard crackin’ things about Suffollk and was not let down; it was a delight.
Where we stayed
We stayed in Woodbridge; a sleepy town full of pastel houses and a whole array of foodie hotspots. Oh and in a windmill. Did I mention that bit?! There are a lot of converted windmills in Suffolk but I found ours via – you guessed it – Airbnb. The ground floor had been converted into an open plan kitchen/dining/sitting area and the second floor a big bedroom & bathroom – all rooms circular of course! The bedroom – with a super king size bed – had huge beams and old parts of machinery still in it and then a big staircase which lead to the floors above, all of which were the remainder of the unconverted mill. We had a lot of fun clambering up the precarious stairs/ladders and seeing the old mill that lay just above our heads as well as gazing at the views across Suffolk from the top.Where we explored
Our agenda for the weekend was simple: relax, wander and eat copiously. We ate a lot of crisps and dip. Drank a lot of wine (for me) and beer (for G). We stopped at pubs spontaneously during the day, to drink gin, sit by open fires and delight at the enormous dog. I took a long middle-of-the-day bath. We binge watched Race Across The World. And we headed out and about to get a taste of lovely Suffolk.Post-arrival in Woodbridge, to kill time before G arrived, I took a slow and long mosey around the town, drinking in the sunshine and feeling joyful at the sheer number of pastel coloured houses. Woodbridge was pure loveliness and I would recommend to anyone. Everything was quaint; from the houses to the boats bobbing on the water to the little church in the centre and whilst it seemed very quiet, you only had to step into a pub or café to find the place teeming with life. In terms of things to do, eating should be high on your agenda. Woodbridge turned out to be some kind of foodie hot zone and we ate spectacularly throughout the weekend; more on that below. There’s the Tide Mill Living Museum, a rare example of a mill where the wheel still turns, and windmills to be viewed. We did do a small portion of the well rated 4 mile walk around the River Deben on the Saturday but the fog was dense and the wind brutal, so we abandoned in favour of stocking up on goods from the local deli and getting cosy on the sofa. But it would be an absolutely gorgeous walk in the sunshine.
We were graced with beautiful sunshine on G’s birthday so we hopped in the car and headed out to the coast. Our first stop was Orford, a delightfully quaint village and home to the famous Pump Street Bakery where we stopped for breakfast. Orford has a pretty castle, a lighthouse in the distance (across the water) and a stupid amount of pretty cottages. Add in spring blossom and you could really see why Orford is called one of the prettiest places in Suffolk.
We then drove over to Aldeburgh, a coastal town also full of pastel houses. Seriously, Suffolk is pastel house goals. Aldeburgh is also home to a huge beach so, of course, a meander across the pebbles was a necessity, stopping for tea and cake along the way. We also checked out the Scallop sculpture which was eerie and lonely and beautiful all at once. Also a great photo opportunity which we all know I am constantly on the hunt for.
Where we ate
I have long had my eye on visiting the famous Pump Street Bakery, only 20 minutes from Woodbridge. The highly photogenic pink building stands out bold against the quaint cottages and there’s a lovely little bench for summer days where you can gobble up your bakery purchase straight away. They specialise in chocolate and sourdough bread but also do breakfast/lunch/brunch. We went for breakfast on a Friday morning and it was dreamy. There’s just one small communal table to sit at as well as a couple of window seats and I really like the stripped-back vibe of the place. G had a bacon brioche bun and I had poached eggs on sourdough bread and we both came away happy bunnies. We also stocked up on some of their chocolate but I was a bit gutted they didn’t have any cinnamon buns in the bakery which I’d heard good things about; always a good excuse to go back right?Honey & Harvey is another dreamy spot for breakfast/brunch/lunch. It is busy but not in an overwhelming way and heaps of people wanting to eat somewhere means it’s worth a minor queue. Don’t be deceived by the cute little shop front; it continues way back inside. You order at the bar which is heaped with big bowls of salad, quiches and cakes and everything we ate was really, really tasty. Also the milkshakes come in lil milk bottles which always makes me happy.
For the evening – I booked The Table in advance for G’s birthday meal and then felt super smug at such a good find. One of those restaurants where everything is just lovely from start to finish. It’s the perfect spot for a special occasion without being overly pretentious or pricey. Woodbridge Deli is a must if you’re fancying a picnic or night in. Think cheese, pies, chutneys; all the makings of a good deli. I love a deli, can ya tell?
There were a whole host of pubs hanging around but special shout out to The Angel which we fell into half because it was near our windmill and half because it was a rustic pink building. The Angel advertise themselves as having ‘the widest selection of gins served in East Anglia’ and – although I didn’t know this before heading in – did not disappoint. A lot of gins. Almost an overwhelming amount. But the bar man was really friendly and suggested one for me after gauging my tastes; and he got it spot on. There was a big open fire, a dog the size of a small bear and just a cosy let's-spend-all-afternoon-here vibe about the place.
And finally, a Sunday roast at The Unruly Pig is an absolute must. It was the fanciest and best roast I have ever had; honestly just divine. We started with sourdough bread and oils, absolutely demolished our gravy-laden roasts and I can’t even tell you how happy I was when I saw the fancy rice pudding on the menu. Salivating just thinking about this place.
This looks so lovely! I wanna go!
ReplyDeleteHannah
www.writtenbyhan.com
Would very much recommend!
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