Valentine’s Day is on the horizon and romantic places in Suffolk are not hard to come by; you need only to discover a secluded spot in one of the Areas of Oustanding Natural Beauty or witness one of Suffolk’s glorious pink skies to feel a tinge of love in the air. But there are some romantic places in Suffolk that simply can’t be missed, especially if you’re thinking about popping the question while you’re here. So to help all you helpless romantics out there, we’ve put together a list of the six most romantic places in Suffolk to visit, whether it’s on Valentine’s Day or any other day of the year.
SNOWDROP WALKS AT KENTWELL HALL
A moated redbrick Tudor mansion is the backdrop for this romantic setting in the Heart of Suffolk. Between 11 Feb and 5 March, you can take a dreamy stroll around Kentwell Hall‘s Spring Gardens, carpeted with an abundance of Snowdrops. Make a short break and stay in The Mill in Long Melford . The Garden Room comes with a wood burner to cosy up next to for a romantic winter stay.
THE RIVER ORWELL AT SUNSET
Sunsets and rivers go together like flowers and chocolates. Why not take a walk around Alton Water on the Shotley Peninsular and then enjoy a luxurious night’s stay at the Salthouse Harbour Hotel and watch the sun go down?
River Orwell, nr Ipswich at sunset © David Park vividmind.uk
COVEHITHE AT DUSK
Seeing Covehithe’s abandoned church-within-a-church, and wild beach punctuated by salt-washed dead trees at dusk will give you shivers (in a good way). Remember to bring a couple of torches to light your way after it gets dark.
Covehithe Church at dusk (c) Rod Jones Photography
LAVENHAM AFTER DARK
‘Britain’s best-preserved medieval village’ looks particularly magical beneath a clear night sky, when the streets are quiet, and the crooked, timber-framed buildings emit a warm glow. Catch Lavenham on a winter evening when there’s snow on the ground and you’ll want to propose right there and then. Perhaps cosy fires, delicious fine food, and plenty of history and heritage are what you would like, The Swan at Lavenham offers all of these with plenty of luxury thrown in too.
The Crooked House in Lavenham at night (c) Paul Coghlin
MINSMERE AT DAWN
RSPB Minsmere might not be top of your list of romantic places. However, seeing the sunrise over the reserve while the dawn chorus rings out around you is an experience like no other. Stay in one of Durrants Holiday Cottages, they have more than 90 to choose from, dotted all over the coastal area, to return to for a hearty breakfast after seeing the day in.
RSPB Minsmere at dawn (c) Mike Read/RSPB Minsmere
DUNWICH AND WESTLETON AT SUNRISE
Romance isn’t just for Valentine’s Day, from July to September, Dunwich Heath and Westleton Heath are a kaleidoscopic landscape of purples, pinks, and coconut-scented gorse bushes. Take a romantic walk through the heather blooms at sunrise, we challenge you, not to feel loved-up (you won’t succeed).
Westleton Heath at sunrise (c) Justin Minns
ABBEY GARDENS IN THE SUNSHINE
Find a secluded spot in Bury St Edmunds’ flower-filled Abbey Gardens, kick off your shoes, and lie back in the sunshine. Remain until love blossoms.
Wait in The Abbey Gardens for your romance to blossom (c) VisitEngland
