Blyth Valley Experience

For Foodies 01

A fantastic array of local produce in the area makes food shopping a pleasure not a chore. Myriad independent shops sell fresh local food from a network of amazing local food suppliers and producers: fish landed straight from the North Sea, organic and rare breed farms, artisan cheese producers, vineyards, first rate breweries,…

Churches 02

The Blyth Valley boasts its fair share of the 500 medieval churches of Suffolk, a rich resource for those interested in church architecture, history and beauty. From Holy Trinity Church at Blythburgh rising vertiginously from the marshes to St Peter’s, Wenhaston home to a remarkable medieval Doom painting to the thatched church at…

Food & Drink 03

The hostelries hereabouts are known for serving good food as well as a good brew. Many serve the popular local Adnams beer, brewed in Southwold (where you can even do a Brewery Tour). Many Free Houses hold Summer Beer Festivals. Quite a few talented chefs have succumbed to the charms of the…

Accommodation 04

The Blyth Valley offers accommodation to suit every requirement and every purse. Click on the map and icons to identify Hotels, B&B’s, Self-Catering Holiday Homes and Sites for Caravans or traditional Tents, as well as a touch of Glamping in Yurts. The map indicates the type and location of accommodation / enhanced entries include a brief description…

Activities 05

Walking & cycling are a given but there’s an exhaustive mix of other activities in or near the Blyth Valley. Fancy golf, tennis or swimming ? Horse riding & hacking? Like to try clay pigeon shooting? A spot of sea fishing, trout angling or coarse fishing? As for water sports, choose between water-skiing,…

Curiosities 06

There are all sorts of things to pique your interest in the Blyth Valley – fine examples of crinkle-crankle walls (unique to Suffolk), quirky village & pub signs, architectural wonders such as the Balancing Barn in Thorington and the metal dragon sculpture clinging to a chimneystack at Westhall. The Low House at Laxfield has…

Historical 07

Whether you’re into railways or timber-framed buildings, sailors’ knots or Anglo-Saxon ‘hoards’; aviation or archaeology; waterways or wars, there’s historical interest for everyone. Suffolk is renowned for its abundance of medieval churches many of which are found here. The archeology of the district is well documented at both the Halesworth & Laxfield District…

Natural World 08

Much has been written about this corner of Suffolk (see Simon Barnes) and as repeated visits by BBC’s ‘Springwatch’ attest, few places can match the array of habitat: from shingle beaches and crumbling cliffs, reedbeds, saltmarsh, to heath and farmland, a mix that encourages an extraordinary variety of flora and fauna: On…

Arts & Entertainment 09

The Blyth Valley punches well above its weight on the Arts front providing first rate performance, music, visual art and cinema. The Cut in Halesworth offers a very varied programme of drama, concerts and exhibitions throughout the year while, every October, Halesworth Arts Festival provides a specially curated programme of…

Cycling 010

The Blyth Valley is dissected by National Cycle Route 1 north-east/south-west through Halesworth. Check out the Cycling Guides produced by the Suffolk Coasts & Heaths AONB. The Halesworth Wheel cycle route with Halesworth at its centre, around 19 miles or 23 miles including the loops. Spokes from the centre to…

Walking 011

Walking is the best way to get to know an area; with its gentle undulations and myriad pathways and byways, the Blyth Valley is perfect walking territory (with or without your Dog). An ambitious walk would be the 17 mile length of the River Blyth from source to sea or ‘In pursuit of Black Shuck‘ from Halesworth to…

By Bus 012

Help preserve the valley and reduce traffic by taking the Anglian bus 88A between Southwold and Halesworth. The route has over 20 pass/stops including the villages of Blythburgh, Wenhaston, Blyford and Holton. The 88A runs hourly on weekdays (timetable) and connects with the Abellio Greater Anglian Train Service to Ipswich and…

WALK. CYCLE. SWIM. SEEK. DISCOVER. EXPLORE…