Suffolk in the Spring

As snowdrops and crocuses start to shoot up, our beautiful county has lots of activities and events on offer this spring time:

MARCH 2013

Sunday 10th March 2013Mothering Sunday Walk - Ickworth ParkIckworth House, The Rotunda, Horringer, Bury St Edmunds, IP29 5QEJoin a guided walk through Ickworth Park this Mother’s Day. Enjoy the stunning display of daffodils and discover the fascinating history of the church, rotunda, church and walled garden. Then treat your mum to a cuppa or lunch in the restaurant.

14th March 2013Flog It! Comes to Ickworth HouseIckworth House, The Rotunda, Horringer, Bury St Edmunds, IP29 5QEThe popular BBC One antiques series is coming to Ickworth! Bring along up to three of your unwanted antiques for a free valuation!

16th March 2013Southwold Concert Series: 'Bach, Britten, and Brahms'St. Edmund's Church, SouthwoldThe first of two concerts paying tribute to Benjamin Britten during his centenary celebrations. Britten's Third Suite for Solo Cello forms the centrepiece of the programme. Recital by distinguished Bulgarian cellist Alexander Somov and series director Nathan Williamson. Southwold is a popular “heritage” seaside resort, with plenty of accommodation options.

17th March 2013Ickworth House - Living History, The 1930sIckworth House, The Rotunda, Horringer, Bury St Edmunds, IP29 5QEDiscover life in service in the 1930's. Explore the maze of corridors and rooms where the ghostly servants busy themselves with preparing for the grand parties and entertainments of the Hervey Family.

23-24th March 2013NGS Open Garden Scheme: Wyken Hall, Wyken Vineyards, Suffolk, IP31 2DWSet on 4-acres, visit Wyken Hall’s old-fashioned rose garden, vineyard, orchard, nuttery, wild garden, maze, herb garden and woodland walks. Onsite restaurant and shop.

29th March - 1st April 2013Eastertide at Kentwell HallKentwell Hall, Long Melford, Suffolk, CO10 9BAIncorporating an Easter Egg Hunt and family activities, the Easter Re-Creation is one of Kentwell Hall's most popular weekends. Going back to the year 1557, watch over 100 Tudors as they carry out their daily activities, including making hot cross buns, performing traditional music and playing traditional games such as egg rolling! For more information visit the Kentwell Hall website.

30th March 2013Rendlesham Forest - Night AdventureMeet at Rendlesham Forest Centre Car Park, nr Woodbridge, Suffolk, IP12 3NFAn evening of sensory discovery! Look out for nocturnal wildlife, learn about astronomy and the night sky and much more! For more information and to book a place tel: 01842 816000.

Friday 29th - 31st March 2013Easter Egg Hunts and TrailsThere are Egg Hunts galore this Easter. For a selection of Suffolk’s chocolatey trails, look no further:

Dunwich Heath, Minsmere Road, Dunwich, IP17 3DJIckworth House, The Rotunda, Horringer, Bury St Edmunds, IP29 5QESutton Hoo, Tranmer House, Woodbridge, Suffolk, IP12 3DJMelford Hall, Long Melford, Sudbury, Suffolk (30th & 31st only)Elmhurst Park, Woodbridge, Suffolk (30th only)Languard Fort, Felixtowe (Easter trail on 29th March 2013 plus 95th Rifles re-enactment on 13th and 14th April)

30th March 2013Vintage & Modern Market, Market Hill, WoodbridgeDeben Events bring us another fantastic “Fair on the Square”, featuring an eclectic selection of vintage, retro and contemporary finds.

30th March 2013Woodbridge Tide Mill, Tide Mill Way, Woodbridge, Suffolk, IP12 1BYExperience the sights, sounds and drama of this fully-restored 800 year old mill - one of the last commercially working tide mills in the UK. Visit the fascinating timeline exhibition, with its display panels, interactive models, audio stations and videos.

The Woodbridge Tide Mill opens to the public from Easter 2013 through to October 2013. Woodbridge is a great place to visit for a short break or holiday, with plenty of accommodation options.

APRIL 2013

3rd April 2013Ipswich Afternoon Tea Walks - Explorers & AdventurersHear tales of adventurous characters from Ipswich's past, from early Anglo-Saxon settlers to medieval merchants, Elizabethan explorers and more recent heroes and heroines. For more information and to book phone Ipswich Tourist Information Centre.

Saturday 6 April to Monday 8 AprilHavergate's HaresHavergate Island, situated near Orford on the Suffolk Coast, is infamous for its boxing hares, which provide a comical sight in spring! In addition to hares, look out for little egrets, barn owls, migrant wading birds and much more. Boats depart from Orford Quay and prior booking is essential. Orford is a fascinating place to stay with its imposing Castle keep, and lots of accommodation options.

13th & 14th April 2013Suffolk Food Festival and Framlingham Country Show - Framlingham College, Suffolk, IP13 9EYThe Suffolk Food & Drink Festival and Framlingham Country Show celebrates the abundance of delicious produce sourced in Suffolk. Local farmers and producers will showcase some of the region's delicious wares, with tastings and cookery demonstrations. There will also be craft stalls and a full entertainment programme, including live music. An arena will showcase everything from geese herding, to falconry and dog agility trials. A great day out for the whole family.

27th April 2013Seafood in a Day & Pinney’s of OrfordJoin Suffolk Food Safari as they take you behind the scenes of one of Suffolk’s best-loved artisan food producers, Pinney’s of Orford.

The trip includes a river trip around Havergate Island and mysterious Orfordness. Join the skipper in catching lobsters of all sizes, and look out for seals, avocets and other birdlife.

MAY 2013

Bluebell WalksCaptain’s Wood, Sudbourne SuffolkEach May, Captain’s Wood exhibits one of the most beautiful displays of bluebells in the UK. Acres of these delicate, blue flowers carpet the woodland floor for a few weeks before disappearing for another year. Look out for the large herd of fallow deer that are important in maintaining the open-character of the woodland. Captain’s Wood is managed by Suffolk Wildlife Trust.

4th - 6th May 2013May Day Celebrations - Kentwell Hall, Long Melford, Suffolk, CO10 9BAVisit Kentwell Hall for a Tudor inspired event over the May Day weekend. Join in the fun and discover how the Tudor Gentry would have celebrated May Day, including daily processions over the weekend. Music and dance displays, revelry and ribaldry, the selection of the May Queen and plays of the time will also be performed, often featuring St George and the battle of good overcoming evil. For more information, visit the Kentwell Hall website.

Dingle Marshes – Wildlife WalksBeach Road, Dunwich, near SouthwoldMay is wonderful time to visit Dingle Marshes where you might get to hear the boom of a bittern or see marsh harrier. Water vole and the vulnerable otter also live at the reserve, alongside a large population of wintering wildfowl, avocet, white-fronted goose, lapwing and redshank. This valuable reserve is managed by the RSPB, Suffolk Wildlife Trust and Natural England.

12th May 2013“Eat the Forest” -  Meet at Rendlesham Forest Centre Car Park, nr Woodbridge, Suffolk IP12 3NFWhat foods are edible in our forest? Find out the answers at this “Eat the Forest” workshop with tips on foraging, identification and the opportunity to sample some seasonal morsels. Bookings essential by phoning: 01842 816000

Saturday 11 May - Sunday 2 June 2013Suffolk Walking Festival 2013Make the most of the great outdoors this springtime and join in with one of the many walks that the 2013 Suffolk Walking Festival offers. Take a bracing seaside stroll in the footsteps of Benjamin Britten; discover the Angle Ways and the historic town of Bungay; follow in the footsteps of the soldiers who defended Walberswick from German invasion, learn about Ipswich’s horrible history including gory executions; weave through flax fields near Halesworth or discover Lavenham’s 'Burma Road'. For more details download the Walking Festival Guide.

Saturday 11 May 2013Food Safari – A Taste of the Wild - Tunstall Forest, near Snape, SuffolkJoin a wild food foraging adventure through Tunstall Forest, near Snape. On this Suffolk Food Safari you will learn tips on how to identify forest wild foods, and how to preserve and cook them at home.