Long weekend in Suffolk with kids

[Scottishgirl85]

We're planning a long weekend in the June Bank Holiday and thinking about Suffolk. Any recommendations for a lovely base to explore from with family activities nearby? 2 kids in tow age 4 and 7. Never been, travelling from Bucks. We love quaint cottages, seaside, kids activities.

Got to be Southwold. Very quaint. Take the kids crabbing.

Southwold or Aldeburgh. I take my children who are similar ages to yours to Aldeburgh every year. It’s a shingle beach, but mine love it.

Southwold is a lovely place to visit but will be super expensive to stay in. Try and stay somewhere close like Beccles, Halesworth or even “castle on the hill” Framlingham.

Thanks all! Booked lovely cottage in Beccles and really looking forward to it!

Any local attraction recommendations welcome. Definitely will be having a trip to Southwold.

Some ideas for days out -

Suffolk own sanctuary
Banham Zoo
Africa Alive
Pensthorpe
High lodge
Norwich - Norwich castle is good but some of the main site is being redone
Framlingham castle
Ickworth hall
Thornham walks

*owl not own!

Other ideas

Sutton Hoo
Southwold pier
Foot ferry from Southwold Harbour to Walberswick and then crabbing ( hours of fun)
Framlingham Castle
Orford Castle
Norwich Castle museum if wet
Woodbridge Tidemill
Covehithe ( depending how old the children are but the beach is quite spectacular with eroded trees on the sand and nesting birds in the cliffs )
Thorpeness
Model boats at Aldeburgh
Easton Farm Park

Have fun

DC used to love visiting Southwold and Aldeburgh. The pier at Southwold is great. Go to the cafe at the top of the High Street.
Buy them toy boats to sail in the pond at Alderburgh.
You can go to Minsmere (RSPB).
Westleton has two second hand bookshops - one of which is in a converted chapel.
Leiston has a cinema.
Have a great time!

Oh nice! I used to live in Beccles. Enjoy.

Few more not already covered: from beccles you are straight onto the broads, so could hire a boat / do a boat trip from there. Beccles also has a great lido tho obv weather dependent. Further afield Roarr Dino park just north of Norwich and Bressingham near Diss are fab days out for the kids, and you could do a day trip up to north Norfolk coast from there as well as lots of stunning beaches go and see the seals at Blakeney point Cromer pier etc.

Wow thanks everyone!!

Walberswick for crabbing. It also has some nice beach dunes and you can make a foot ferry over to Southwold.

The Camel Oasis near Halesworth is worth a visit too.

Horsey Gap for seals on the beach
Happisburgh for the 850000 year old footprints on the beach and the iconic red and white lighthouse.

We've been going to Southwold since mine were tiny (family nearby) and we never needed much more than Southwold. There's the pier with a fantastic arcade of automata, the beach (the gun hill end away from the pier is nicer), gun hill to climb on the cannons, the lighthouse, nice pubs...
Walberswick for crabbing (you can get the little ferry over the harbour from Southwold side)
Minsmere or Dunwich for dunes and birds
Aldeburgh has a very famous fish and chip shop but I don't think there's much there for children.