The perfect holiday in Suffolk – East Anglia’s easy-going answer to the Cotswolds

Suffolk is the smallest and gentlest of the East Anglian counties.

Its biggest draw is perhaps its coast, which is home to two of Britain ’s most alluring seaside resorts Aldeburgh and Southwold .

The Minsmere RSPB Reserve and ancient settlement of Dunwich are at the centre of some glorious stretches of marsh, heath and woodland.

The old wool towns of Lavenham and Bury St Edmunds are handsome destinations for a lazy weekend break.

Suffolk is one of the driest and sunniest parts of Britain .

It is home to perhaps the best cheese to come out of Suffolk in recent years : the creamy, golden Baron Bigod , made with unpasteurised milk from grass-fed cows.

Tuddenham Mill enjoys a beautiful rural location and you can make the most of it in one of their quaintly titled Nooks’ cabins for two .

Summer can be busy along the coast and in the more touristy inland spots Lavenham .

But the crowds are rarely over-powering and getting off the beaten track is easy.

Winter can naturally be bleak in outlying villages and coastal resorts, but you are just as likely to visit on a bright, sunny day as a dreary one.