Exploring our fascinating, unspoilt countryside is free. Take a walk and enjoy the peace and quiet for an hour or so while you work up an appetite. Call in at a pub, cafe or local store to buy some food, looking out for locally produced ingredients. The perfect grazing walk.
Use the Grazing Walks Wool Towns and Mid Suffolk maps as your starting point to help you discover walks and great food, off the beaten track.
Visit St Mary Church (nicknamed the ‘thank God’, Church’ during the 2nd world war). Take a look inside at the unfinished carving on the beautiful arcading where the mason downed tools in 1349, when the Black Death reached the village..
Walking:
Pick from one of two circular routes, 2hr or 3hr: Discover Suffolk
Grazing:
The Bell Inn. Kersey
The Millers Kitchen, Kersey Mill
A great village to start a walk so call in at the Community Shop, to pick up some local produce and your walking map. Visit Dollops Wood for the bluebells in spring and see how many species of bird you can spot, and if you are here between July and September, call in at Dedham Vale Flower company to pick yourself some flowers to take home.
Walking:
Walks on the Stour Valley Path, Explore Boxford Valley – Dedham Vale AONB Stour Valley Project
https://www.discoversuffolk.org.uk/w
Grazing:
Polstead Community Shop (local produce and walking routes info)
The birthplace of Thomas Gainsborough, home to Gainsborough’s House Museum, and the silk capital of the UK. The water meadows are a great starting point for a walk and a picnic, and the thriving town is packed with places to eat and drink. Sudbury is well worth a visit on the Thursday or Saturday market day, or visit on the last Friday of the month for lots of Farmers Market foodie treats.
Walking:
Valley Trail – Around Sudbury along River Stour 3.5miles
Home to a flint and dressed stone church built in the 15th century, and look out for the Grade II listed stables and coach house, the only bit of Assington Hall park now remaining. Call in at the local shop, pub, church or village hall to pick up a footpath map and start exploring.
Walking:
Assington Parish map available locally in shop/church
Grazing:
Equal in status to Lavenham at the peak of the wool trade, wealthy Boxford merchants even minted their own coins at one point. On your walk, look out for the village bus shelter, originally a lock-up for criminals it still retains the initials ‘B.G.’ – Boxford Gaol – above its doorways. And if you visit the Fleece pub, spare a thought for the poor woman accused of witchcraft who managed to escape and avoid being burned on the pyre built in the pub yard.
Walking:
Boxford Parish footpaths walk. https://www.boxfordsuffolk.com/footpaths.cfm
Walks off the Stour Valley Path, Explore Boxford Valley – Dedham Vale AONB
Grazing:
A relaxing market town nestling in spectacular countryside that inspired Constable and Gainsborough and the former home of the East Anglian School of Art at Benton End. With 246 listed buildings, visitors will spot the highly ornate plasterwork (pargeting) decorating the walls of many houses dating back to the 17th century. With lots of lovely cafes, pubs and places to eat and drink, Hadleigh is a quiet place to take a break and include on a walk.
Walking:
Walking route…. Hadleigh River Walk
Another Hadleigh Walk
A pretty village, nestling in the Brett Valley with St Peter’s church at the top of the hill overlooking the village green. A lovely, relaxing place to stretch your legs, and the Lindsey Rose pub also has some great walking routes to try.
Walking:
Lovely, six mile walk crossing three pretty Suffolk villages.
Grazing:
Lindsey Rose, Lindsey
Picture book, medieval village with many houses untouched due to the decline of the wool trade making modernisation unaffordable for many homeowners. Famous for its Crooked House, and being featured in Harry Potter movies, the town is full of choice when it comes to food and drink, whether you are picking up a picnic or sitting down for a full meal alongside your walk.
Walking:
Circular walk from Lavenham taking in Nature Reserve and Balsdon Hall and ancient moats.
A beautiful village famous for the longest high street in the UK. Long Melford is a place to dwell awhile, packed with great places to eat, and places to explore. Visit Kentwell Hall, Melford Hall and Country Park, the Melford Water Meadows or venture into the hidden countryside of the Melford Walk along the disused railway line.
Walking:
Find copies of the local walking routes in the Walkers Hub in Hall Street or Holy Trinity Church.
Alternatively, take an hour or so to explore the Glem Valley Trail and uncover for yourself the fascinating links with Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland.
Cycle route available – Discover Suffolk
One of the largest villages in Suffolk, with former wealth from the historic manufacture of wool. The village suffered heavily when the industry declined, though weaving continued to offer limited respite in the 1800’s with silk, horsehair and coconut matting all being produced here. A lovely village for a walk or a bike ride with food and drink available to reward your exertions.
Walking:
https://www.idylliccottages.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/glem-valley-walk.pdf
Walks of the Stour Valley Path Explore the Glem Valley
Cycle route available – Discover Suffolk
Grazing:
Cavendish is often described as one of the prettiest villages in Suffolk. It is famous for its thatched cottages and picturesque green, set against a backdrop of the historic Saint Mary’s church and the Five Bells free house. A quintessential English village with a community shop that is potentially the oldest shop in Britain.
Walking:
Explore local group, Clare Walkers local walks.
Grazing:
Proud to be Suffolk’s smallest town, Clare boasts a castle, country park, museum and lovely places to walk and eat in the town centre and the surrounding countryside.
Walking:
Circular walking route around Clare Castle Country Park
Cycling route – discoversuffolk
Situated in the beautiful Stour Valley on the Essex Suffolk border, Belchamp St Paul and neighbouring Belchamp Otten were both mentioned in the Domesday Book. Off the beaten track and perfect for relaxing walk and some food.
Walking:
Walks off the Stour Valley Path, Belchamp Brook
Grazing:
A picture postcard village with a treasure trove of history Hoxne has an air of timelessness that makes it a lovely place to start a walk. This is where the tools of early humans were first recognised, where the largest hoard of Roman treasure in the UK was discovered, and where legend has it that Saint Edmund’s martyrdom took place. On your way past the medieval church, look for the moated vicarage, or visit Brakey Wood and take a look at the carved Hoxne man.
Walking:
This walking route will take you right to the heart of the areas history. The combination of lovely countryside and intriguing historical events makes this a treasured Suffolk Walk.
Grazing:
Greengold Cafe
Brome has one of Suffolk’s 38 round tower churches. Take a moment on a walk to compare this with the very simple building in Oakley, set alone with only birds for company, and don’t miss the painting of the Last Supper where St John appears so languid as to be asleep at the table.
Walking:
A five mile walk including Hoxne, Oakley and Billingford. In spring look out for bulbs on the Norfolk side of the valley. You will also pass the Billingford Mill, so you might want to check if it is open for a visit. Hoxne, Oakley and Billingford
Grazing:
Eye was once the smallest constituency in England and evidence of its rich history is still abundant in the remains of its Norman Castle, Medieval Guildhall and an impressive Church. The town is the perfect base to start a walk and there are lots of options for eating and drinking. Market days are Wednesday and Friday morning and a great place to pick up fresh produce.
Walking:
Link to walking route.
Just a half hour walk away is Thornham Parva, and the thatched church is well worth a visit. It has some spectacular 14th century wall paintings, and the burial place of Architect, Sir Basil Spence, famous for designing Coventry Cathedral.
Architect
Walking:
Trails are well marked and easy to follow with a surfaced path leading from the car park.
Grazing:
href=”https://www.the-auberge.com/”>The Bull Auberge, Yaxley
A village in the beautiful rolling countryside, just 3 miles from Eye and with plenty of peace and quiet. Surrounded by ever changing arable fields, meadowland and woods, it is a lovely place for a walk and a pub lunch.
Walking:
A lovely 6km walk taking in rolling countryside and small villages.
Grazing:
One of the most remarkable features of Thwaite church is the set of extraordinary, 16th century carved stone faces appearing to support the porch roof. You can’t help but wonder where the inspiration came from? Thwaite was also home to Orlando Whistlecraft, b.1810, a famous weather prophet and poet.
Walking:
A circular walk in peaceful countryside giving you time to relax, enjoy the view and think about lunch.
club route for a lovely relaxing walk.
Grazing:
The heart of the village is a designated conservation area so a perfect place to visit for a walk and a bite to eat. The parish walking group have produced three great routes, you can pick up in the local shop or the entrance to the woodland.
Walking:
Link to walking routes:
This route isllllll
Or you might want to try the Mendlesham Green circular walk.
Grazing:
A thriving market town with a busy train station making it easy to visit and leave the car at home. There are lots of places to eat and drink in and around the main street as well as green spaces to explore, including the Food Museum. Visit on market days, Thursday or Saturday and get a taste of some of the local food to take away on your walk.
Walking:
There are some great walking routes around Stowmarket and it is easily accessible by train or bus.
And there are lots more, including cycling routes on Discover Suffolk site.
