July 2017| 75
acquaintances. Then it s first past the post mill and
along the National Cycle Route to the bustling market
town of Framlingham, famed for its royal history and
Crown Inn glory.
Castles and conundrums
The old coaching inn is a great place to refresh and stay
– rambling, but right in the heart of things on Market
Hill, just a few steps from the resting place of Henry VIII’s
illegitimate son, Henry Fitzroy, and Baron Bigod’s massive
12 th century curtain wall castle. Spin forward to the 21 st
century well, the
Tour of Britain will be coming this
way in September) and this is Ed Sheeran’s famous Castle
on the Hill. Nip round the back, and beyond the bailey,
the panorama of the great mere across to a ogwarts-
style college is more than memorable. But there are
other views to drink in just a pedal push up the road
at Shawsgate ineyard. Will the M ller Thurgau with a
Suffolk twist hit the spot Or do tomorrow s potential
pints of Southwold ales, sipped in-situ on the coast, hold
more eastern promise?
Suffolk coast is calling and Covehithe seems the perfect
enigmatic introduction.
With head down for a moment, and ploughing through
the gears as the North Sea ‘breeze’ brushes across the
wide sandy fields full of prime Suffolk porkers and verges
of dancing cow parsley, Covehithe’s majestic ruins appear
out of nowhere. The road goes nowhere too and, save for
a cluster of cottages, the village is strangely nowhere to
be seen either. Footpaths lead from the bizarre church
within a church, past the pigs to crumbling clifftops, a
wild and beautifully haunting landscape and a hungry
sea which explains all.
And so, the story of Suffolk s heritage coastline unfolds.
A few miles south, Southwold is a real beacon. The oh-
so-attractive and gently nostalgic seaside resort, with
its sophisticated pier and array of beach huts, has a
landmark lighthouse to warn of the sand banks at sea,
but ironically has had to bring in sand for its beaches due
to tidal drift. At the Adnams hotel in the vibrant town
centre, a local pint of ‘Ghost Ship’ seems an appropriate
Crumbling cliffs and captivating coastlines
Little compares to the quiet country lanes disguised
as NC
which lead past patchwork fields and ancient
abbey sites, through historic villages like Bramfield with
its crinkle-crankle wall and church with a round tower
that, for some reason, is not even attached. t s so traffic-
free and gentle that even the GPS seems to have got
the message and is enjoying a bit of a holiday, rather
than constantly re-calibrating to set the pace. And the
tiny hamlets and much-loved communities keep coming,
each with their own time-honoured titles like the unusual
ggeshall with its three-stage thatched church and
sparkling modern stained glass. Meanwhile though, the
evening companion, especially with a spot of reading
about the nearby eerie marshlands which so inspired
crime-writer,
ames.
A ferry good idea
t d be easy enough to coast down the Suffolk coast if
there weren’t so many estuaries to negotiate. But where
there s a will, there s a Suffolk way sometimes across a
bridge, but often by ‘foot’ ferry. Fortunately, bike wheels
are also accepted on board, so down at Southwold
harbour, there’s a little watery journey to Walberswick,
before pedalling down traffic-free stretches to discover
another town lost to the sea at unwich. The fab, free
little museum tells the tale of freak storms sealing the