Now’s the best time to plan your 2024 holiday to make sure you get the accommodation of your dreams and to give yourself something to look forward to!
Not only does Suffolk have fabulous coast and countryside, wonderful food and drink, brilliant visitor attractions, ‘Downton Abbeys’ and castles, but it also has more festivals and events than the children have had Christmas chocolates and sweets.
Suffolk is not only the perfect destination for your 2024 holiday, it’s also got the perfect accommodation, from quaint cottages for two to stunning barn conversions for large groups.
And here’s our list of some of the reasons to visit Suffolk in 2024…
January: This is the best time to enjoy migrating birdlife, not least at RSPB Minsmere or other stretches on the Dunwich Coast and Heath AONB.
February: Head out on a super snowdrop walk at Kentwell Hall, Long Melford.
March: Nothing puts a smile on the face like the sight of delightful daffodils and Suffolk is carpeted with them. Try Ickworth, Melford Hall, Sutton Hoo, Kentwell and Nowton Park.
April: It’s Easter and the days are longer and there’s family time to be had in Suffolk. Look out for special events at places such as Thorington Outdoor Theatre and Jimmy’s Farm.
May: You know that warmer weather is coming when the stunt parties of swifts start swooping through village streets, hurtling around buildings, and screaming, ‘We’re back! Summer’s coming!’ This is a great time to explore the quirky mock medieval village of Thorpeness – take a rowing boat out on the mere and gaze at the House in the Clouds. Or how about heading to Orford where you can learn about the tale of the captured merman.
June: The Aldeburgh Festival of Music and the Arts was founded in 1948 by composer Benjamin Britten and singer Peter Pears. Devoted mainly to classical music, it takes place each June at Snape Maltings. There’s also First Light at Lowestoft.
July: Book tickets for Latitude in July. It’s not your run-of-the-mill festival. Set in Henham Park near Southwold, this one has comedians, literature, music, dance, theatre, poetry, wellness… and painted sheep. There’s also Primadonna at the Food Museum, Stowmarket and the July Festival at Newmarket.
August: Oh we do like to be beside the seaside, and now’s the time to do it! There’s traditional seaside fun to be had at Felixstowe and Lowestoft, or be lured by the genteel charms of Aldeburgh, Walberswick or Southwold with its Victorian pier.
September: A celebration of Suffolk’s thriving food and drink scene, the Aldeburgh Food Festival takes place in the beautiful setting of Snape Maltings, next to the River Alde, each September.
October: Autumn’s here, there’s the crunch of leaves underfoot, a nip in the air and the woods and forests are a beautiful orange hew. This is the time to explore the Brecks, see rutting deer and wild horses, and explore unique heathland. Head to Bury St Edmunds for spooky ghost tours.
November: Travel to Bury St Edmunds in late November for St Edmunds Day, the annual celebration of the eponymous King of East Anglia who was martyred by the Vikings for refusing to renounce his Christian faith. Bury is Suffolk’s foodie town so take time to explore the restaurants and stay for a farmers’ market.
December: It’s panto time, oh yes it is! Make a short break of it when you see the show at the Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds, at the New Wolsey and Regent in Ipswich, or Marina Theatre in Lowestoft.
