Castles, Cliffs & Constable – 9 Days
Fancy an unbeatable combination of castles, cliffs, coastline both wild and cultured, Constable Country and the mellow moods of medieval treasure villages, but want to be sure of some time for sand between the toes in one of Suffolk’s most stylish resorts? This tour includes it all with a generous helping of Southwold right in the middle, so you can enjoy the bright beach huts, long prom and tasteful pier, smart shops and galleries, relaxed cafés and great real ale pubs. Read More
England
Any Day
Bed & Breakfast
£1,349.00
9 Days, 8 Nights
Feb - Nov
Grade 3 (Moderate)
Overview
This tour allows you time to explore the full length of the Heritage Coast from Covehithe in the north to the River Deben in the south before returning via ‘Constable Country’ and the ‘Wool Towns’ of Hadleigh and Lavenham.
Itinerary
Day 1 Arrive & explore
Arrive at Needham Market, explore the area and spend your first night in or near this small market town.
Day 2 Winding lanes & windmills
An excellent day’s ride to Debenham, a pretty village with its overhanging houses and antique shops, Saxtead Green’s beautifully restored 18c post mill and into Framlingham. Here you stay the night with time to visit the massive castle in this lovely old market town.
Mileage: Rec 22: Min 21: Max 38 miles.
Day 3 Huge castles & haunting coastline
Visit Shawsgate Vineyard and cycle on to reach the coast. From Covehithe you travel down the unspoilt heritage coast to Southwold for the night.
Mileage: Rec 26: Min 25: Max 35 miles.
Day 4 Beach huts & benches
A relaxing day in Southwold a delightful cliff top town of narrow streets and spacious greens surrounded by cottages in flint, brick and colour wash.
Day 5 Stylish resorts, cliffs & curlews
On to the lost city of Dunwich, across heather clad Dunwich Heath, through the RSPB reserve at Minsmere and then to Aldeburgh for the night.
Mileage: Rec 21: Min 21: Max 28 miles.
Day 6 Waves & warrior kings
Going inland to find river crossings you visit the arts centre at Snape, climb to the top of dramatic Orford Castle, reach the tip of Orford Ness at quiet and beautiful Shingle Street, visit the site of the Anglo-Saxon ship burial at Sutton Hoo and finally to Woodbridge for the night.
Mileage: Rec 37: Min 16: Max 43 miles.
Day 7 Weaving towards the wool towns
Winding through Suffolk lanes you’ll pass through the pretty villages of Bealings, Tuddenham and Kersey. Your night’s stop is in Hadleigh an attractive market town with fine old buildings and quiet riverside walks.
Mileage: Rec 24: Min 24: Max 34 miles.
Day 8 From Constable’s inspiration to medieval masterpieces
Heading into the heart of ‘Constable Country’, you’ll explore East Bergholt his birthplace, Flatford Mill where a guided tour visits seven sites painted by Constable including the ‘Haywain’, Stoke by Nayland whose church tower is featured in many of his paintings, and finally to the famous ‘Wool Town’ of Lavenham for the night.
Mileage: Rec 30: Min 12: Max 35 miles.
Day 9 Rural return
Enjoy a leisurely morning in Lavenham before taking a gentle ride back to Needham Market, perhaps visiting on the way the Museum of East Anglian Life at Stowmarket.
Mileage: Rec 24: Min 16: Max 40 miles.
Gallery
Dates & Prices
Download PricesFor tour start days/dates, seasons and all prices, please click on the PRICES button above
PRICE INCLUDES
Ensuite accommodation as described with full English breakfast (prices based on two adults sharing)
Hire of hybrid bicycle and ancillary equipment (single pannier and handlebar bag or map holder, pump, basic tools, spare inner tube & puncture repair equipment, helmet if required)
Luggage transfer between hotels
Local assistance on call (we will attend for puncture repair in Suffolk)
Detailed itinerary with meticulously planned and researched routes following quiet country lanes with a choice of routes available each day (usually recommended, long and short)
Route notes, descriptions and use of good OS mapping (maps available on arrival). We pride ourselves on our detailed level of documentation which includes plenty of top tips for places to visit or for relaxing and sampling the local fare along the way. We send electronic versions of these documents by email approximately two weeks before your stay so you can plan ahead and look forward to your gentle cycling adventure
We have now switched the default navigation system to GPS – in our opinion this is now the most convenient method as it eliminates the need for frequent stops to check the map
- We provide you with access to a premium GPS smartphone navigation app (IOS or Android) and send you links so that you can download all of the route options before you leave home. We will provide a handlebar bracket for your phone if required; it is also recommended that you bring a spare battery/powerbank to make sure that your phone lasts the day
- We can also provide GPS tracks in whatever format if you prefer to load them into your own GPS Unit
- Finally, we can provide a limited number of GPS units with the routes preloaded – this is on a first come first served basis – please let us know as soon as you can if you would like to use one
- We will also provide OS 1:50,000 mapping on arrival as additional support to allow for any impromptu route changes
- Traditional map-based navigation (using marked OS maps) is still available as an alternative at extra cost upon request (at least two weeks in advance)
Please note that the price EXCLUDES
Costs of getting to and from the start point
Accommodation Options
Selected 4 star historic inn in Rickinghall, 3 star hotels in or near Southwold (2 nights), in Aldeburgh, Woodbridge, Bildeston and Lavenham or Long Melford.
We are pleased to discuss details on request.
Request Booking
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