Castles, Cliffs & Constable Ferry Hopper
Conquer a couple of estuaries with some handy ferry-hopping to cover even more Suffolk sights to your tour. This route takes in all the destinations and attractions of our 9A tour - castles, cliffs, coastline both wild and cultured, Constable Country, the medieval treasure villages plus time in stylish Southwold - and gives you even more time to explore the area around Orford, to discover Felixstowe and the Shotley Pensinsular on your way to the inspiring Dedham Vale and Stour Valley. Read More
England
Any Day
Bed & Breakfast
£1,199.00
9 Days, 8 Nights
Apr - Sept
Grade 3 (Moderate)
Overview
Conquer a couple of estuaries with some handy ferry-hopping to cover even more Suffolk sights to your tour. This route takes in all the destinations and attractions of our 9A tour – castles, cliffs, coastline both wild and cultured, Constable Country, the medieval treasure villages plus time in stylish Southwold – and gives you even more time to explore the area around Orford, to discover Felixstowe and the Shotley Pensinsular on your way to the inspiring Dedham Vale and Stour Valley.
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 *Ferry-hopping across the estuaries
Start the day with by heading south to cross the mouth of the River Deben by foot ferry at Felixstowe Ferry. Follow the coast south west through the seaside town of Felixstowe before using another foot ferry to cross the River Orwell to the Shotley peninsular. Visit the home and still recognisable subjects of renowned 18c landscape artist John Constable near the village of East Bergholt before reaching your destination near the pretty village of Dedham.
Mileage: Rec 41 Min 40 Max 44 miles.
Day 8 Weaving around the wool towns
A fascinating day’s ride to the ‘Wool Town’ of Hadleigh, reportedly the 14th! most prosperous town in the country in the14th and 15th centuries. On to the half-timbered houses of Kersey, certainly one of the prettiest villages in England, and then to Lavenham. Here you spend the night surrounded by the jumble of Tudor houses in this most famous ‘Wool Town’.
Mileage: Rec 27 Min 20 Max 33 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.
*Day Seven – Please note that operation of the ferries is weather dependent and in April and October may only run on ‘sunny days’. An alternative schedule may be necessary for this day.
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 Framlingham, in or near Southwold, in Aldeburgh, Woodbridge, Bildeston and Lavenham or Long Melford.
We are pleased to discuss details on request.
Request Booking
Related Tours
Castles, Cliffs & Constable
A real touring opportunity to discover Suffolk’s green and pleasant lands even along the haunting heritage coast. In Debenham, village verges vie with overhanging houses and antique shops; a white… Read More
England
Any Day
Bed & Breakfast
£1,060.00
8 Days, 7 Nights
Feb - Nov
Grade 2 (Easy)
Castles, Cliffs & Constable
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… Read More
England
Any Day
Bed & Breakfast
£1,241.00
9 Days, 8 Nights
Feb - Nov
Grade 3 (Moderate)
From The Wash to The Broads
They say King John lost his jewels in the marshlands of The Wash, but pedal out from historic King’s Lynn to the fine city of Norwich on this superbly scenic… Read More
England
Any Day
Bed & Breakfast
£1,259.00
8 Days, 7 Nights
Mar - Nov
Grade 2 (Easy)
News, Reviews and Stories
view all newsSupporting your independent travel to your Cycle Breaks holiday
About the nature of information we supply to help you arrange your independent travel to/from your cycling holiday destination by public transport if you wish. Our holidays are designed with
Read MoreCycling Holidays – 20 Top Travel Tips
Cycling Holidays – 20 Top Travel Tips Our 20 top travel tips – cycling insights from gizmos to great destinations, brought to you through the extensive travels of the pedal-powered
Read MoreCycling holidays in Suffolk – loads to enjoy!
Cycling holidays in Suffolk – loads to enjoy! Cycling holidays in Suffolk offer so many experiences to enjoy! Don’t just take our word for it – trust the other locals
Read MoreCycling France – Canal du Midi? Simply Delicious
Cycling France – Canal du Midi? Simply Delicious Mmmm… warming thoughts for cyclists from France’s ‘Black Prince Country’ – the Canal du Midi . So what do pancake day and
Read More