Suffolk
The county of Suffolk forms the middle portion of the East Anglia peninsular.
Snape Maltings © Travel About Britain
It is an agricultural stronghold in the southeast of England and its long farming heritage has created a county blanketed with open fields, criss-crossed with hedge rows, and dotted with trees and copses. Two of Britain's most sort after coastal retreats are housed on its shoreline; Aldeburgh and Southwold. There are very few major roads and motorways inland and rail access is limited, preventing the area from becoming a major commuting community for London to the south west, therefore keeping its rural idyll.
The northwest corner of Suffolk forms part of the Fens. In the south-west there are low undulating hills. The coast is also low-lying, and is gradually being eroded away and encroached on by the sea. The colour of the traditional timber framed Suffolk houses was originally obtained by mixing pigs blood with chalk and clay.
Ransomes of Ipswich, founded in 1789, were once Britain's largest supplier of farming machinery, also worldwide, famously renowned for their traction engines.
'The sound of water escaping from mill-dams, willows, slimy posts and brick work - I love such things.'
County Town: | Ipswich - distance from London: 82 miles (131 km) |
Nearby Counties: | Cambridgeshire, Essex, Norfolk |
Train Operators: | National Express East Anglia |
Nearest Airport: | Stansted |
Major Roads: | A12, A14 |
Highest point: | Rede, 420 feet |
Key Landmarks: |
Constable Country, Sutton Hoo, Newmarket Racecourse, Lavenham, Minsmere Nature Reserve, Lowestoft Ness |
Rivers: | Deben, Lark, Little Ouse, Stour, Waveney |
County Flower: | Oxlip |
Local Delicacies: | Suffolk buns - bun cakes made with caraway seeds or currants. Ipswich Almond Pudding - a traditional recipe originating from the 18th century. |
The Meaning of Suffolk
First recorded in 895 as Suth Folchi. An Anglo-Saxon term meaning 'the place of the south folk'
Map of Suffolk
East Anglia
