Castles, Coast & Constable
If you don’t want to miss a Suffolk trick, this tour brings you an unbeatable combination of castles, cliffs, coastline both wild and cultured, Constable Country and the mellow moods of medieval treasure villages. The landscapes may be enormously varied, yet the cycling remains reassuringly leisurely. If you feel that your perfect tour might also need a spot of Southwold , that oh-so-English, smart and stylish seaside gem, then never fear – we’ve got that covered too in our slightly longer tour, Castles, Cliffs & Constable (Tour 9A). Read More
England
Any Day
Bed & Breakfast
£1,020.00
8 Days, 7 Nights
Feb - Nov
Grade 2 (Easy)
Overview
From the beautiful southern stretch of the Heritage Coast, through ‘Constable Country’ and on through the historic Suffolk ‘Wool Towns’, this tour enables you to explore the many facets of Suffolk.
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
Day 3 Huge castles & haunting coastline
Today you can visit Shawsgate Vineyards before reaching the coast at Dunwich, the onetime capital of East Anglia, now largely lost under the sea. You’ll cycle across the heather clad Dunwich Heath, through the RSPB reserve at Minsmere to Aldeburgh for the night.
Mileage: Rec 31 Min 19 Max 35
Day 4 Scallop sculptures & shingle beaches
A day to rest in Aldeburgh, a charming old fashioned seaside town. Watch the fisherman haul up their boats onto the beach and later you can taste the local fare at the highly recommended restaurants.
Mileage: Rec 0 Min 0 Max 0
Day 5 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
Day 6 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 or Bildeston, both attractive wool towns with fine old buildings.
Mileage: Rec 24 Min 24 Max 34
Day 7 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
Day 8 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 23 Min 16 Max 40
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 close to the market town of Diss, 3 star hotels in Framlingham, Aldeburgh, central Woodbridge, Bildeston; 4 star hotel with spa facilities in Lavenham.
Holiday pricing is determined by start day and includes any weekend supplements.
We are pleased to discuss details on request.
Request Booking
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