Exploring:
Bike:
If you fancy exploring the Broads by bike, there’s a useful document here with lots of information about transport links. And of course we’re just two-and-a-bit miles from Brampton Station so you can get up to Beccles and Lowestoft by train or head south to pedal around the southern part of Suffolk, including market towns such as the ever popular Woodbridge.
Wild Swimming:
For fans of Roger Deakin’s book Waterlog, there are a couple of places mentioned in the book that are within easy reach: you can swim in the River Waveney at Outney Meadow just on the edge of Bungay, and at the Locks Inn at Geldeston (one of our favourite places to swim).
There’s great sea swimming at nearby Covehithe (where you can also see at first hand the eroding coastline and read about it in WG Sebald's Rings of Saturn), as well as at Southwold and Walberswick and slightly further afield at Dunwich. Walberswick is our favourite place to swim because of its gently shelving beach which is mostly sand with little shingle (Southwold and Dunwich tend to be more pebbles than sand). When the tide's out at Walberswick there's a large pool (near the mouth of the river) which is great for small children to run in an out. The dunes help create a sheltered environment too. One of the things we love to do in summer is to cycle there for a pre-breeakfast swim and then have croissant and coffee sitting in the sunshine of a little courtyard cafe in Walberswick village - heaven!
Southwold and Walberswick, two great seaside towns facing each other across the Blyth Estuary, are some 10 miles east of Ivy Grange Farm. If you aren't already familiar with their delights, a visit to both is a must. Walberswick is delightfully old fashioned, very popular with crabbers during the summer season and has great tea shops and gift/craft shops by The Green. Good pubs too! Southwold is bigger and has Britain's newest pier with some interesting mechanical toys and exhibits including a big water feature clock, inspired by Tim Hunkin. Adnams Brewery is in Southwold and has a terrific shop and restaurant/cafe. There are masses of independent shops, good second-hand bookshops, plenty of places to eat and drink and a fantastic lighthouse to visit (where you can climb the seemingly endless spiral staircase).
There's now great new river trips up the Blyth Estuary, run by the Walberswick Ferry team - we haven't tried it yet but it's high on our to-do list as we've heard such good things.
The Saints - we’re right on the southern edge of “The Saints”, where you can famously get lost! Worth exploring by bike or car – remember to take a map! Have a look here for some background.
Covehithe is our closest beach, about 7 miles due east. You can see up close how the sea is eroding the coastline, park by the “Church within a Church” and walk to the end of the road, which now disappears into the sea. There’s some great walking (and swimming) from here – we’ve got guidebooks and maps in the barn for you to borrow.
For a fun way to see the River Waveney (and maybe a kingfisher or otter if you are lucky) try the Big Dog Ferry which runs between Geldeston and Beccles. The boat can take 12 people and can accommodate bikes (though it's wise to book ahead to be sure) and it's a great trip from Beccles up to the Locks Inn at Geldeston for lunch and then a leisurely ride back. The skipper is great and will fill you in on what to look out for on the ride, including the old tree trunk when the kingfisher likes to sit.
Stargazing: we are blessed with big dark skies and it's lovely to watch the star formations at any time of year and the shooting stars in particular during August. There is a nearby Observatory at Seething which runs public events that include use of the telescope in the Observatory. They encourage children (8+) to come along to events and, if you've never seen Saturn through a telescope, it's a must! Check their programme of events on the website,
Dunwich Heath is always worth a visit. It’s a large expanse of heathland overlooking the sea, very close to Minsmere. It has a good tea-room too.
Don’t miss a trip to Orford Ness. It’s a strange, wild place; fantastic for photography and home to a wide range of wildlife, a lighthouse and miles of pebbles and beach. On your way to the pier, check out Pinney’s of Orford for fresh seafood too. You can have a good day out in Orford, visiting the pubs, antique shops and castle.
Thorpeness is fun for the House in the Clouds as well as boating on the Meare or exploring this wonderfully old-fashioned seaside town.
Just down the coast from Thorpeness, look at Maggi Hambling’s Scallop on Aldeburgh Beach, and take in the Britten tour. If you have time, Aldeburgh cinema is well worth looking in on and carries the NT Live and Met Opera programmes.
