Area & Activities

Some of the best local things to do when you stay at The Suffolk Byre, Beccles, Suffolk:

Close to our hearts, book tickets at Snape Maltings, near Aldeburgh for a fantastic evening of musical culture. Snape Maltings

Stay in luxury, but experience the excitement and variety of Suffolk’s Latitude Festival. Thursday 18th to Sunday 21st July 2013 will be a weekend to remember in our neck of the woods. Just a 10 minute drive from The Byre! Latitude Festival

Time your visit to stay at The Byre as the lion cubs are born at the Africa Alive! Animal Sanctuary in Kessingland, just under 5 miles from The Byre. Africa Alive!

Visit Southwold beach and quaint town centre with lovely restaurants and shops, this is just 10 miles from The Byre. Southwold is a charming north Suffolk seaside town on the Suffolk Heritage Coast. Almost an island, being bounded by the North Sea to the East, by the River Blyth and Southwold harbour to the South-West and by Buss Creek to the North, there is just the one road in to and out of Southwold, approached through neighbouring Reydon. A wonderful destination at any time of the year. With its working lighthouse, beach huts, award-winning pier, busy harbour, cliff top cannon and of course the beach, Southwold is a quintessentially English resort town. Take a boat trip on Coastal Voyager and see Southwold from the sea. Or venture across the River Blyth by foot ferry to Walberswick, perhaps crossing back by the footbridge, in so doing exploring the track bed of the old Southwold Railway. Southwold

Go crabbing and have some of the best fish and chips in Suffolk at Walberswick beach, also 10 miles from The Suffolk Byre. Over a thousand acres of heath and marshland around Walberswick are protected as an Area of Outstanding National Beauty (AONB). The seaside town of Southwold is within strolling distance along one of the many beautiful walks in and around Walberswick. St Andrews Church is at the top of the village, the size of the ruins demonstrating how wealthy and large the Parish once was. In fact this was the village’s third church built at the end of the 15th Century. Once prosperous, the church lost its tithes, became decayed and – would you believe it – had to be finally partly dismantled to provide for repairs and restoration to the south aisle. Within Walberswick there are tea rooms, restaurants, two public houses, an art gallery, original crafts and gift shops. Fresh fish can be bought from Uncle Fred in Church Lane and from the harbour huts on the Southwold side of the River Blyth, which itself may be crossed either by a bailey bridge or the foot ferry that runs during the summer months. A wide variety of flora and fauna makes Walberswick popular with ramblers and visitors alike. A major attraction for children in summer is crabbing by the harbour, where bridges and river banks become crammed with buckets and lines. In 2010 Walberswick hosted the thirtieth British Open Crabbing Championship. Over the years this annual family event has raised useful funds for various charities and good causes, both local and national, while participants enjoy the delights of this simple outdoor pleasure. Walberswick is a very beautiful village but the very factors that make it so popular with tourists, and indeed its inhabitants, have meant that – recently – management schemes have had to be put in place so that the village and its wonderful environs may be preserved for this and future generations. Walberswick

Go for a walk under the avenues of beautiful trees in Dunwich forest. Coastal lowland heath sandy cliffs and beach, rich in wildlife, offering tranquillity and excellent views. Tucked away on the Suffolk coast, Dunwich Heath offers you peace and quiet and a true sense of being at one with nature. A rare and precious habitat, the Heath is home to special species such as the Dartford warbler, nightjar, woodlark, ant-lion, adders and much more. Quiet and serene, wild and dramatic, this is an inspiring visit, whatever the time of year. From July to September, the Heath is alive with colour; a patchwork of pink and purple heather and coconut-scented yellow gorse is an unmissable experience. Dunwich

Spend the day bird-watching at Minsmere and drop in to the Westleton Crown for dinner before heading back. Bird Watching at Minsmere

Take a walk along the golden sands of Lowestoft beach and if you’re brave, a dip in the sea! An award winning local beach, just 9 miles from The Byre. Lowestoft Beach

Enjoy a thrilling visit to the extremely local Ellough Kart Track – go-karting fun for all! Just under 1 mile away from The Byre. Go Karting!

Visit Suffolk’s Theme Park Pleasurewood Hills for a day of rides and candy floss! Pleasurewood Hills

Visit Norfolk’s cathedral city, Norwich, with its cathedral boasting the second highest spire in England. Discover Norwich, Norwich Castle & Norwich Cathedral