WHAT WE WILL SEE (5 days from £739 Departing 8th May 2023)
The Historic Houses &
Heritage of Suffolk
Ickworth House
Guided tour of Aldeburgh
The Red House
Sutton Hoo
Christchurch Mansion
Constable Country –
East Bergholt, Dedham &
Bridge Cottage
The Munnings Collection
Gainsborough’s House
Lavenham
Melford Hall
Audley End House &
Gardens
Day 1
We meet at our designated pick up points and en route to our hotel we visit
the National Trust’s Ickworth House, located in 70 acres of stunning gardens
and 1,800 acres of idyllic ‘Capability’ Brown parkland. Dominated by its
huge central Rotunda dating from 1795, Ickworth is home to a fine collection
of Old Master paintings, silver and Regency furniture. We continue to the 4*
Stoke by Nayland Hotel on the outskirts of Leavenheath for a four night stay
on a half board basis.
Day 2
We enjoy a guided tour of the picturesque 16th century fishing village of
Aldeburgh with our Blue Badge guide this morning. We then partake in a
guided tour at The Red House, where Britten and Pears lived and worked
from 1957 until their deaths. The Gallery features an engaging permanent
exhibition that introduces visitors of all ages to Britten and his music, and
the interiors of the House have been presented as they were in the mid-
1960s, as has the historic Library room. This afternoon we visit the National
Trust’s Sutton Hoo, an Anglo Saxon royal burial site where the priceless
Sutton Hoo treasure was discovered in a huge ship grave in 1939.
Day 3
Our Blue Badge guide meets us at our hotel this morning and accompanies
us throughout the day. We firstly visit Christchurch Mansion for a guided
tour, a fine Tudor building set in an ancient and beautiful park close to the
centre of Ipswich. With historic room settings, outstanding paintings and
furniture, and the modern Wolsey Art Gallery with changing contemporary
exhibitions, it is one of the most important visitor attractions in East Anglia.
We continue to Constable Country, located on the Suffolk and Essex border
and renowned as the birthplace of artist John Constable. Our guided tour of
East Bergholt takes in sights such as John Constable’s Studio and St Mary’s
Church, built in the 15th and 16th centuries and renowned for the absence
of a tower or spire to house the bells. We continue to Dedham where our
guided tour takes in sights such as Constable’s School and Dedham Parish
Church, dedicated to St Mary the Virgin in 1492 when the present building
was begun. Here we have a guided tour of The Munnings Collection at
Castle House. Sir Alfred Munnings’ (1878-1959) prolific career as an artist
spanned nearly seventy years, and he spent over half of those working and
living at Castle House, the house of his dreams, in the heart of the Dedham
Vale. We finally visit the National Trust’s Bridge Cottage at Flatford. Located
upstream from Flatford Mill, Bridge Cottage houses an exhibition on John
Constable, several of whose paintings famously feature this property.
Day 4
This morning we visit Gainsborough’s House at Sudbury, where we enjoy a
guided tour on arrival. The house dates back to the 16th century and was
the birthplace of the famous painter, Thomas Gainsborough. The
outstanding art collection is shown together with 18th century furniture and
displays more of Gainsborough’s work than any other gallery. After spending
some time at leisure for lunch in Lavenham, we continue with our Blue
Badge guide to the National Trust’s Melford Hall, one of East Anglia’s most
celebrated Elizabethan houses, and where little has changed externally since
1578. The garden contains some spectacular specimen trees and a
charming banqueting house.
Day 5
After checking out of our hotel and before returning home we visit the
English Heritage’s Audley End House and Gardens near Saffron Walden, to
discover the sumptuous splendour enjoyed by royalty and the aristocracy in
one of England’s grandest stately homes. Taking carefully selected comfort
stops en route, we return back to our original pick up points.
NB:- Please note we reserve the right to alter the above itinerary if required for operational
reasons. Given the historic nature of the places visited, a certain degree of walking will
be involved, and this holiday may not be suitable for those with mobility problems.
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