Suffolk recommendations

[Stevie77]

Hello Mumsnet folks,

I’ve an ongoing list of things to do and places to visit but would appreciate loads more as well as places to eat (particularly local and fresh fish and seafood)!

We’re staying not far from Needham Market, have a car so can and will travel and will have our bikes with us. 2 kids, 10 and 6 years old.

Walks, bike rides, beach days, body/paddle boarding places, cool places to visit etc. Less indoors stuff although could be useful in case the weather is awful.

Thanks
(Also posted in Chat)

Needham lakes is nice and very local. Christchurch Park in Ipswich is lovely as is the waterfront in Ipswich, lots of nice places to eat there.
Felixstowe is good, the middle can be busy in hot days like this but either end is quieter.
The mere at Thorpeness is fun to hire a boat and go for a paddle and is close to Aldbrough, which is posh but very nice.

Rendlesham forest is great for bike rides. That is near Woodbridge which is a nice market town, as is Framlingham which has a castle if that's your kind of thing.

Suffolk food hall is great for nice treat food and they have fab ice cream now and a bouncy pillow. Jimmy's farm is also near there and is a good trip out. (It was on TV recently "spring at Jimmys" which my kids loved watching before we visited. There is also to banning near there at the ski slope which is great fun (wet days are better, you go faster!)

Tobogganing not to banning!

Kentwell Hall is about 40 minutes from Needham and has quite a few ‘living history’ days this summer.
The Owl Sanctuary at Stonham Barns. I believe that the adventure playground and crazy golf are open there as well.
High Lodge at Thetford Forest has Go Ape, loads of bike trails, walking trails, segways and a brilliant adventure play area. There’s a sculpture trail there too at the moment.

Hollow Trees Farm has a brilliant shop, cafe and farm trail, plus a toboggan run.

Oh wow, o went out for a couple of hours and can back to loads of excellent recommendations! Thanks everyone!

There is Alton Water and you can take your bikes.

Dedham is good too if you want to hire a boat there.

If you are part of the national trust, Sutton Hoo and Ickworth are open for bookings, as are some of the heathland car parks. Thorpeness and Aldeborough are lovely. Minsmere RSPB and Lackford Lakes (free, Suffolk Wildlife Trust) are good for nature spotting.