2027 - Constable Country - Timeless Suffolk

Itinerary

Holiday Highlights

• Hotel for 3 or 4 nights with breakfast & dinner
• Porterage
• Tea / coffee after dinner
• Time at leisure in Sudbury 
• Visits to Long Melford, Lavenham & Felixstowe (all tours)
• Entrance to Ickworth Estate (July only)
• Visit to Bury St Edmunds (July only)
• Guided tour of Constable's Flatford (all tours)
• En-route visit to Colchester (time permitting)

Suffolk - full of picturesque towns & villages

Day 1 - After boarding your holiday coach, take a little en-route diversion, stopping for sightseeing and refreshments in Colchester (time permitting). Colchester is Britain's oldest recorded town, with a colourful history dating back over two thousand years. This afternoon travel the short distance to the market town of Sudbury, your holiday base in Suffolk to check in at the 3* Mill Hotel for 3 or 4 nights DBB 

Day 2 - 3 (or 4) At leisure in Suffolk with two or three included excursions 

INCLUDED EXCURSIONS
Sudbury, Long Melford & Lavenham (all tours)
Enjoy a leisurely start to the day to explore Sudbury. Set on the River Stour, this ancient market town is surrounded by water meadows. Sudbury has thrived on the textile industry, firstly with wool, then silk. A statue of Sudbury's famous son, the artist Thomas Gainsborough stands on the Market Place. He was born here in 1727 and his birthplace, the historic Gainsborough's House re-opened to the public in 2022 after a transformational refurbishment. Visitors can view a comprehensive collection of Gainsborough's work (open daily 10.00 - 16.30. Entrance not included - approx. £16.50 pp in 2026). Take a drive out later on to Long Melford with its mile long high street populated by charming independent shops, vibrant art galleries, antique centres, cafes and, of course, typical Suffolk Inns. Then continue to medieval Lavenham. one of the UK's best preserved towns with its exquisite collection of 300 listed half-timbered and thatched buildings which have been left virtually untouched since the 15th century. You may like to visit the spectacular timber framed Lavenham Guildhall (entrance not included - approx. £11 pp in 2026. Opening times may vary). Take a snap outside Suffolk's most photographed home, the Crooked House, which is said to have inspired the famous nursery rhyme!

Constable's Flatford & Felixstowe (all tours)
Head off to the National Trust hamlet of Flatford, set within the Dedham Vale countryside, to discover the views that John Constable painted.  This is traditional Suffolk countryside with riverside meadows, woodland and fields and it is here you will find Flatford Mill and Willy Lott's Cottage on the River Stour as featured in Constable's famous painting, 'The Hay Wain'. A one hour guided walking tour will help you discover the scenes that made John Constable famous. Continue on to the coast for the remainder of the day by the sea in Felixstowe. Nestled between the rivers Orwell and Deben, Felixstowe is a charming seaside town with a vibrant town centre and the only seaside resort in East Anglia to face southwards. If you stop for a cuppa at the View Point Cafe, you won't be able to miss the huge container port at its southernmost point - known to be the largest container port in Britain. Or maybe take a stroll along pier or the traditional seafront prom taking in the fine Edwardian architecture, the regenerated subtropical Seafront Gardens, colourful beach huts and four miles of sand and shingle beach. Beach Street is a unique destination on the seafront of upcycled shipping containers which house independent boutiques, artisan producers and street-food eateries

                                                                                                                                      Credit: TheSuffolkCoast.co.uk

Ickworth Estate & Bury St Edmunds (5-day tur only - July)
Head up to the Ickworth Estate, an Italianate palace in the heart of Suffolk. The Rotunda forms the centrepiece of the estate and it showcases an internationally renowned art and silver collection. The house you see at Ickworth today - with its distinctive Rotunda - was the vision of the 4th Earl of Bristol, known as the Earl Bishop. Upon inheriting the estate in 1779, he aspired to build a house that would, in his own words, unite 'magnificence with convenience'. Ickworth's story encompasses five centuries of the Hervey family, a role in the First World War as a training location and eventual acquisition by the National Trust. The Italianate garden encircles the Rotunda with a mix of classical Italy and a touch of drama with a gothic-style stumpery. A lift is available in the Rotunda and there is an accessible route around the gardens. After the visit pop into Bury St. Edmunds, whose past is ever present in its handsome Georgian architecture. Once the most famous pilgrimage location in England, Bury is home to the magnificent St Edmundsbury Cathedral as well as the atmospheric ruins of the Abbey of St Edmund in the stunning Abbey Gardens. Known as Suffolk's foodie town, Bury St Edmunds is home to Greene King and many award-winning eateries. 

Return Day - After a leisurely breakfast, depart the hotel with an interesting stop en-route before continuing to interchange and onwards to your home towns. Back to top

Accommodation

Beautifully converted watermill on the riverbank

The 3* Mill Hotel in the centre of quintessential country town of Sudbury is set on the banks of the River Stour, nestled away in true Suffolk countryside.

It is a restored watermill steeped in history with all public areas refurbished to the highest standards.  

It has a bar, restaurant and sun terrace, each with picturesque views.  

Accommodation consists of 62 well-appointed bedrooms, many overlooking the meadows, all with wide-screen television and tea / coffee making.  Some bedrooms may be allocated in the riverside wing / annex building.

There is no lift at the hotel but there are some ground floor rooms. Back to top