Heritage Coast Tour – Unspoilt Beauty of the Suffolk Coast
This is one breath-taking tour – not in terms of miles or terrain, but thanks to the stunning views of amazingly unspoilt coastline. Start out through rural villages and market towns full of historic surprises, before reaching Covehithe’s crumbling cliffs and heading down to timeless Southwold. Bird reserves, wild dunes and winding creeks are all part of the natural enchantment; so too the man-made confections such as eccentric Thorpeness, Aldeburgh’s famous sculpture, Orford’s hauntingly mighty castle and smart Woodbridge on the Deben. Read More
England
Any Day
Bed & Breakfast
£731.00
6 Days, 5 Nights
Feb - Nov
Grade 2 (Easy)
Overview
There are few stretches of coastline as unspoilt as the Suffolk Coast. Our tour explores dramatic castles, picturesque riverside and coastal towns, heaths and marshes, and the lost city of Dunwich.
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
A delightful day’s cycle to Debenham with its antique shops and fine old buildings, on to the beautifully restored post mill at Saxtead Mill.
Arriving at your night’s stop in Framlingham, you can take time to explore the quiet market town and the superb 12th century castle.
Mileage: Rec 22 Min 21 Max 38
Day 3 Huge churches & haunting coastline
Visit a vineyard and taste Suffolk wine, then cycle on to reach the coast. At Covehithe the road ends abruptly at crumbling cliffs near the melancholic ruins of an enormous medieval church.
Travel down the coast to the charming town of Southwold for the night, with its pantiled Georgian cottages, pastel coloured beach huts and gleaming white lighthouse.
Mileage: Rec 26 Min 25 Max 35
Day 4 Stylish resorts, cliffs & curlews
A day by the sea, through Dunwich the onetime capital of East Anglia now lost under the waves, across the heather clad Dunwich Heath, through the RSPB reserve at Minsmere to Aldeburgh for the night. Here fisherman haul up their boats onto the beach of this fine old styled resort with its wide high street and smart restaurants.
Mileage: Rec 21 Min 21 Max 28
Day 5 Waves & warrior kings
Going inland to gain river crossings you can visit the Maltings at Snape, home of the Aldeburgh Festival, climb to the top of dramatic Orford Castle, reach the tip of Orford Ness at quiet and beautiful Shingle Street, visit Sutton Hoo the site of the rich Anglo-Saxon ship burial and cycle down into the market town of Woodbridge for the night.
Mileage: Rec 37 Min 16 Max 43
Day 6 Rural return
An opportunity to explore the river and Tide Mill at Woodbridge before cycling through rural Suffolk to return to Needham Market, possibly stopping at the beautiful Helmingham Hall Gardens on the way.
Mileage: Rec 17 Min 17 Max 28
If you would like to spend a little more time on the coast, consider adding a night in Orford, or ask us about second nights in Southwold, Aldeburgh or Woodbridge.
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
A selected 4 star historic inn close to Diss, 3 star hotels in Framlingham, Aldeburgh and central Woodbridge.
Options:
Upgrade hotel in Aldeburgh and Woodbridge.
We are pleased to discuss details on request
Request Booking
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