things to do near Beccles, Suffolk

[Derbybound2022]

We are going to stay near Beccles for a few days. Are there any fun days out for children or where we can go on a boat trip? We plan to visit Southwold.

Big Dog Ferry, goes from by the Lido down to Geldeston Locks where you can have a nice lunch. https://bigdogferry.co.uk/

Canoe hire on the river by Beccles Lido (and/or the Lido itself if open!), Unicorn Alpacas is fun too.

Depending on the age of your kids, they might enjoy the Southwold maize maze.

Crabbing in Walberswick.

See what’s on at Thorington outdoor theatre.

There are often family things at Snape Maltings.

Dunwich beach and heath are great for walking. Aldeburgh is nice too.

You could go into Great Yarmouth for the full candy floss and donkey rides seaside experience.

I'd also recommend a Foodie road trip around the A143, Fen Farm Dairy, Grain Brewery, Flint Vinyard and finish at Bungay for a trip to the (tiny) castle, Earsham St Deli and the Little Green Wholefood shop.

The River Centre is nice (indoor pool, pub).

Petits, Africa Alive.

The Lido.

Rent a canoe from The Canoe Man.

Southwold and/or Walberswick inc the rowing boat ferry between them.

The lifeboat museum at Southwold (near the Walberswick ferry).

Tour of Southwold lighthouse (book via the Adnams website).

If your kids are small, Miniature World in Wroxham is good!

If your children are smaller (under 10) then I'd highly recommend a drive up to Bewilderwood, if you can read one of the stories then even better, it's a fantastic day out.

Park at Walberswick, you can get crabbing bits from the hut in the car park, nice clean public toilets in town too, once you finish crabbing you can go on the rowing ferry to Southwold, make sure you go up the (Grandpa in my pocket) lighthouse. RSPB Minsmere is also near Walberswick.

DD wasn't a fan of Southwold maize Maze but I thought it was a nice day out with play equipment for children and then we watched a show at thorrington outdoor theatre.

You can get the train from Beccles to Oulton Broad / Lowestoft or Norwich and its a lovely journey and you often see deer and birds of prey. The drive to those destinations is easy too.

As others have said Beccles lido is great but I believe they are shutting the heated pool soon for maintenance before opening for cold swimming.

If you have any horse lovers then Pakefield stables is always a hit with holiday makers to take a hack across the beach.

Seal watching boat trip from Lowestoft

Nicholas Everitts park at Oulton Broad have a pets corner, nice play park and next door is the River tour of the River Waveney

Carlton Marshes also has a lovely circular walk, plenty of deer to spot (sometimes an otter), good (free) play area and a nice coffee shop run by the Suffolk Wildlife Trust.

Canoe / paddle boarding / floating sauna hire, you can paddleboard / canoe up to the wonderful Geldeston Locks Inn

PleasureWood hills theme park is old and a little tired and depends on the age of children..

if you travel a little further out of Beccles there’s also Framlingham Castle or even BeWILDerwood

Great Yarmouth is OK for a touristy day out, I wouldnt bother going into town though most shops are closed and most use Gapton Hall retail Park instead. Park up by the Venetian Walkway (which is lovely and has a row boat lake) there is free parking near the Great Yarmouth ear High School instead of paying and displaying.
Do the retro Joyland for youngsters, Pleasure Beach for teens although I believe that has hiked its prices now. Hippodrome circus is well worth going yo if you haven't been before.

If you want to go the other. Direction for more quaint seaside Ness then Thorpeness has a boating lake and the house in the clouds and Orford Ness has very really coastal heathland and associated wildlife.

Susan Calman did a visit to Southwold, Walberswick and Thorpeness in her show which is on Channel 4 on demand

“Canoe / paddle boarding / floating sauna hire, you can paddleboard / canoe up to the wonderful Geldeston Locks Inn”

We hired a kayak from here last year and paddled to the pub. Idyllic site at the start, peaceful, beautiful river, the dragonflies were amazing - highlight of our stay.

it all sounds so lovely thank you! just need nice weather

If you do go to Great Yarmouth the Time and Tide Museum, Toll House Museum and Elizabeth House Museum are all fabulous. Also have a look at the Hippodrome, the only remaining purpose built circus building in the UK, proper Victorian steampunk vibes. We love it when our dc were small.

I've been to the river centre and it was nice, if memory serves you can hire boats. It's also a short walk from an architecturally interesting church with some interesting folklore attached to it if that happens to be your thing

Beccles has quite a few charity shops near each other - depending on the age of your kids you could do a charity shop challenge and choose each other a new outfit. Not very seasidey I realise!!

Beccles Lido, East Anglia Transport Museum, Walberswick beach, Time & Tide museum in Great Yarmouth, Somerleyton Castle.

Ds7 loves bewilderwood
We like to go fossiling on West Runton beach
Ds13 always drags us to the Dads Army Museum in Thetford (it’s surprisingly good!)
Bungay Castle is fun
Find some windmills! We have loads!
Again find some interesting churches!

Ds7 and dh went to High Lodge in Thetford Forest today and had a great time (good playpark and kids trails) but it’s roughly an hour from Beccles.

Find Black Shuck’s claw marks at Blythburgh 😂

Go karting at Ellough park

There’s a lovely 10km circular walk between Aldeburgh and Thorpeness. You can stop at the Meare in Thorpeness and hire rowing boats or kayaks. Then walk past the House in the Clouds, then along to Aldeburgh. You can then return by walking along the beach.
https://www.nationaltrail.co.uk/app/uploads/aldeburgh-thorpeness-walk_0.pdf

Not crabbing, poor things.