Suffolk

Introducing Suffolk

You have to pinch yourself to remember that this charming rural backwater of England was once an astonishingly rich place that amassed great wool wealth and operated a string of busy ports. However, its gentle hills and lush valleys are filled with reminders of its golden age, from the magnificent ‘wool churches’ (as in paid for by, not made of) that dot the landscape, to the lavish pargeting (decorative stucco plasterwork) that adorns its buildings. The Stour Valley particularly delights with villages that seem freeze-dried since the Middle Ages, Bury St Edmunds impresses with both its mighty past and lively present, while the coast is strung with pretty and poignant seaside resorts increasingly nibbled by the sea.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009