If you’ve been following our most recent blog posts and YouTube videos, you’ll know that after a week of R&R, we ended up making our way to Suffolk.
After a wonderful stop in Southwold, we continued our East Coast tour by heading to Dunwich. It’s actually not far from Southwold and, again, there is a huge car park.
Room with a view
Even better than that, the parking is right on the beach (What 3 Words: https://w3w.co/ambushes.cringes.kiosk). Walk up and over the stone dunes and you are greeted with a beautiful coastal vista. The day we visited was breezy and overcast but that just made the crisp sea air more refreshing.
We were still travelling with John, Mandy and Daz but this was our last day together. Daz had to go back to work and Jon and I wanted to go off and explore some nearby rubble! (Some very exciting nearby rubble, you’ll read about that further down!)
John had work to do and Daz had to get ready to head back but Mandy wanted to do a walk she had found last time they visited. It was a nice day so Jon and I tagged along.
Making tracks
We started out walking along the beach, eventually turning off left at the end of the fenced off nature reserve area. We then continued along the walking trail and looped round left again to walk through some beautiful woodland.
Coming away from the sea front, the winds had dropped and it was gloriously hot and sunny! Thankfully, as you reach the end of the woodland area and approach the road that takes you back to the car park, there is a lovely tea room called Dingle Hill Tea Room (What 3 Words: https://w3w.co/irritated.blues.fell).
Ladies that lunch
Jon decided to go on back to the van but Mandy and I chose to stop off for some refreshment after our walk. It’s all about supporting local after all!
We had the loveliest spot facing out over the green and the sun was still shining for us. The food was amazing. We actually both chose healthier options, a Jacket potato for me and a Greek salad for Mandy. A pot of tea later and we were ready to head back to the boys.
Not goodbye, but see you later
It was time for everyone to go their separate ways. Greg and Lou had come to meet John and Mandy and they went off to the pub for a catch up as we were plotting our next park up
We left the gang and made our way across to Framlingham. At this point you can probably guess what we went off to see. Framlingham Castle! We had passed it the last time we were in the East but couldn’t stop in. There was no way I was missing this opportunity this time.
Rubble lovers
As we usually do for places like this, we went that evening to check out the parking situation. The car park out front is fairly large and we could comfortably fit in the back corner. Even better than that, it was right outside the Castle. Like, right outside.
We had the best view from our bedroom window 
The girls enjoyed the view and the fresh air 
The parking was right outside! 
The view of the moat walk fromqoutside the grounds
We secured our spot early the next morning and sat and enjoyed a coffee from bed with views over the castle. It was such a gorgeous day we had the window open so the girls could also enjoy the fresh spring air.
It’s free for us to enter the Castle grounds as English Heritage members but you still need to book ahead at the moment. Our time slot came so we headed on in. It’s worth noting that the car park is also free for EH members and you can park there for the whole day. It makes the perfect base from which you can visit the town as well.
*Cue excited squeals*
The staff were so friendly and helpful. It really does feel like everyone has had a weight lifted off of their shoulders and is enjoying being ‘back’. Wristbands on, we headed in.
At the time of writing, the internal exhibitions were closed due to Covid but the wall walk was still very much open. The Cafe was still open for takeaway so *of course* we grabbed some bacon and cheese croissants to fuel our day.
As we entered the former workhouse (no stopping though!) and headed up to the start of the walk, we were pleasantly surprised to see that you walk up part of the original tower stairs.
We were so lucky with the weather that day. The sunshine as we moved through the small archway and out on to the walkway was like an extra hit of dopamine. We couldn’t stop smiling!
Views for days
We stopped to do a 360 and just take a moment to inhale our surroundings. It might sound like something out of a romcom or Disney film but we were just so happy and appreciative that we could do this again.
We had really missed that rumble of excitement that rolls through your body as you see the imposing figure of a Castle tower or Abbey ruin coming up on the horizon. Because of the purpose of most Castles, they are always in amazing locations as well; high up and surrounded by water or rolling hills.
Jon could see the Motorhome from the wall walk!
The inner grounds of Framlingham Castle are immaculately kept. There might only be one building remaining but this is still a dreamy place to visit. The beautiful blossoming trees and benches placed around the green were the perfect accompaniment to the spring day. They invited you to slow down, grab a seat and take it all in.
Out on the Town
We took the opportunity to walk in to the town of Framlingham itself. It was a beautiful mix of old and new architecture. We love it when original buildings are kept and interwoven with new as a town develops and expands. So much better than being torn down and all traces lost forever.
We made our way back to the van to have a late lunch and decide where we were heading next. A follower in Instagram had suggested a nearby town that they thought we might be interested in. We googled in and were instantly sold!
Refuel and off we go again
We had been doing park ups and pub stops for over a week so we needed to empty/refill. We also needed to get some laundry done so we decided to stop off at a Certified Location in Ashbocking for the night and get all of our ‘chores’ done. It provided the perfect opportunity to stop and relax for the night before gearing up for our next exciting destination!
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