Suffolk in the sunshine

As we are coming to the end of a two-week stint here in Suffolk we are thinking how lucky we have been not only to secure such a great gig but to have had such fabulous weather whilst we have been here!

This is our first visit to this part of the UK and we have been very impressed. We had not realised how pretty this area was going to be although, the fact that both Constable and Gainsborough were landscape painters inspired by the area should have given us a clue!

The scenery really is quite something. The whole area we have been exploring is within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with footpaths and bridleways from the door.

We have been staying just outside the market town of Sudbury, still a thriving town in the heart of the Stour Valley.

From here we have visited Lavenham, a prosperous centre of the wool trade in medieval England and now a remarkable collection of fine timbered buildings.

No matter which route you take you cannot fail to be impressed by the medieval cottages and houses at the core of the surrounding chocolate box villages - most of which were once the homes of wool workers and merchants.

Equally impressive are the local churches who owe their grandeur to the generous donations of wealthy wool traders.

Bury St Edmunds a scenic 18 mile road trip from Sudbury is a bustling and beautiful town where the abbey ruins and cathedral dominate the historic centre.

A visit to one of the nearby National Trust properties (Melford Hall) at Long Melford provided us with an opportunity to stroll in the modest English gardens and browse through the many rooms of this family home.

In between our little trips out we had some great walks locally with the two dogs, Molly the Boxer and Mildred the Border Terrier,we have been looking after, and also got the chance to pick some really good blackberries! A visit to the weekly farmer's market in Sudbury and the purchase of some Bramley apples gave us all we needed to bake a tasty blackberry and apple pie!

Food, as always, has figured highly during our stay and thanks to the hens laying some great eggs and the discovery of The Veggie Red Lion (www.theveggieredlion.co.uk) at Great Bricett, not to mention The Greyhound in Lavenham
(thegreyhound-lavenham.com) and The Black Boy in Sudbury our voracious appetites have not been left wanting!!