Discovering stunning Suffolk

The county's peaceful coast and countryside is the ideal destination for explorers

- Sue Taylor

When husband Ro suggested a trip “under the radar” to the Suffolk Coast & Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, I didn’t realise he meant it almost literally, although I soon discovered my mistake.

This pretty region is dotted with villages and market towns, shingle beaches, river estuaries, woodlands and more. Plenty to interest inveterate explorers like us, while at the same time providing the kind of ‘get away from it all’ camping break we love.

Run Cottage Touring Park, in Hollesley, between the estuaries of the Rivers Deben and Alde, was to be our tranquil home from home, and the perfect starting point for some interesting and enjoyable days out.

We had a great pitch, between the duck pond and the stream that borders the site, and soon made friends with the resident swan (which Ro naturally named Vesta).

We chose to explore the area by driving, but there are good public transport options should you prefer to leave your car on site. There are also a couple of ferries to get you across the estuaries if you fancy a boat trip.

Historic technology

So, back to being under the radar. We spent our first afternoon exploring the local area, and soon found ourselves at Bawdsey Radar Transmitter Block, a 10-minute drive from the site, which put us literally under the soaring column of the first fully operational radar station in the world.

After the inevitable jokes about not finding a signal, this proved an interesting museum, staffed by friendly, informative volunteers who were happy to explain its history, telling us some fascinating stories.