Where to live in Suffolk: Wonderful places to buy a home
Demand for property in local towns and villages has increased significantly over the past couple of years with many people asking us ‘where to live in Suffolk?’
Suffolk is a place where you can get access to technology, good jobs and amenities as well as get into London quickly if you need to – the city is still just an hour away.
Its towns and villages offer both rural and coastal locations, and chocolate box villages with local shops, pubs and cafes.
Suffolk also has great schools, beautiful countryside for outdoor activities, cultural and historical attractions, as well as communities that are safe to live in.
So, if you’re considering moving to Suffolk, where are the best places to live?
Why move to Suffolk?
The county of Suffolk is split into two parts; rural Suffolk, which includes Kersey, Sudbury and Lavenham; and coastal Suffolk, which incorporates Aldeburgh and Southwold.
There is a varied historical culture about Suffolk with a mixture of young, middle-aged and retired people living here.
It combines the benefits of rural or coastal living but is also within easy reach of London and other major cities nearby.
Ipswich is the largest and oldest town in Suffolk, and it is a hub for employment.
Coastal Suffolk is popular with tourists but is also home to the OrbisEnergy centre, which is home to many companies specialising in wave, tidal and offshore wind technology.
Transport links are excellent from Suffolk; London is just an hour by train or two hours by car.
Stansted airport is also only an hour away and the Harwich ferry is nearby in Felixstowe which links with the Hook of Holland and Rotterdam.
There are also plenty of bus and train routes with good connections with Colchester, Chelmsford, Norwich, Ipswich and Cambridge.
Types of property in Suffolk
As with most of the UK, there are a mixture of properties for sale in Suffolk.
That said, the rural and coastal villages will feature more older-style, traditional cottage types than more modern homes and flats.
Towns like Ipswich will have more modern properties, as well as flats and apartments, that cater for students and young families.
Like many rural areas that are within an hour’s reach of London, the pandemic has driven many people and families to move out of the big city in search of a better work-life balance.
This has been reflected in house prices in Suffolk which, in some areas, have risen by as much as 14%.
The biggest increases are in East Suffolk, whilst West Suffolk have experienced more reasonable prices.
The trend is for holiday lets and investment properties, but there are also a lot of Londoners moving to the area, attracted not only by the more rural lifestyle but also excellent transport links.
The coastal towns of Southwold, Felixstowe, Aldeburgh and Woodbridge have proved popular and continue to do so.
Where should I live in Suffolk?
When choosing where to live in Suffolk, there are several front runners that Garrington would highlight as being top considerations for home movers.
Woodbridge
According to the Sunday Times’ Best Places to Live in the East of England 2021, Woodbridge in Suffolk tops the list for the second time in the last five years.
A traditional historic coastal market town that is near Ipswich’s urban area, as well as the many shopping outlets, schools and transport links.
Woodbridge is known for its houseboats sitting in the harbour, the tide mill, its annual regatta, biannual Maritime Woodbridge Festival and wild swimming.
Add into the mix Sutton Hoo, situated just the other side of the River Debden. This is the historic Anglo Saxon site and location for Netflix’s popular film, The Dig.
There is also an abundance of walks along the Suffolk coast, as well as Rendlesham Forest and Kyson Hill, which live up to its moniker of being an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Other popular places to live in Suffolk include:
Coddenham
Coddenham is close to the thriving town of Ipswich with all its bars, restaurants, cafes, shopping outlets and activities.
The village itself is a haven for locally sourced cheeses, meats, vegetables and breads, which can all be found at the Coddenham Food Store.
The Coddenham Country Club is the hub of the community and regularly hosts a range of events, themed evenings and an annual beer festival.
The Mill Hill Walk, which is maintained by the village’s band of volunteers, is a must in springtime for its snowdrops and bluebells.
Kersey
Despite being small, Kersey is lively and vibrant with a strong community.
The local school, church and The Bell Inn are home to plenty of events and activities happening in the village.
An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, as well as rare birds and wildlife, Kersey Mill is the location for local businesses, including a florist, art gallery, beauty salon and a gym.
An afternoon tea at The Copper Kettle Tearoom should not be missed either and, on sunny afternoons, there’s nothing cooler than a splash in the famous splash – small ford – that runs through the middle of the village across the main road.
Lavenham
This is where you should be if you want the true heritage of Suffolk.
This delightful, ‘wonky’ mediaeval village has a mix of red brick terraced houses and pretty Tudor cottages that would adorn any chocolate box.
The village community is extremely proud of the cultural heritage as a prosperous wool town, to the point that they took down many of the telegraph poles in 1967 and replaced them with wires run underground to retain the historic charm of Lavenham.
The Number 10 restaurant in a stunning 15th century building is just divine.
Meet friends and family for an award-winning coffee at Chilli & Chives, take afternoon tea at Munnings Tea Room – one of the most photographed buildings in the village – or relax and enjoy a pampered spa day at The Swan Hotel & Spa, but look out for the resident roaming ghosts!
Bury St Edmunds
Bury St Edmunds is a bustling, lively town, ideal for young families, that mixes its rich cultural history with modern amenities yet retains a strong community.
A blend of period timber-framed houses with pastel cottages and modern developments sit beside Georgian town squares and cobbled streets.
There is a great choice of schools in the area; two of particular note and both receiving ‘outstanding’ reports from Ofsted, are Sebert Wood primary school and Bury St Edmunds County Upper secondary school.
Just an hour from the coast and with excellent transport links to Cambridge, Ipswich and London, Bury St Edmunds is a popular area to live in.
Schools in Suffolk
There is a fantastic range of schools and colleges in Suffolk to choose from; indeed, Ipswich School was named sixth in the top ten of independent schools in East Anglia.
With over 60% of schools in Suffolk achieving at least a Good rating from Ofsted, it’s a case of being spoilt for choice.
Many of the villages in Suffolk benefit from a local primary school that are often very much community-led.
As well as Ipswich School, there are also a range of very good secondary schools including: Ipswich High School, Woodbridge School, Debenham High School, Royal Hospital School, Culford School, St Felix School and St Benedict’s RC School.
West Suffolk College, Suffolk New College, East Coast College and Framlingham College lead the way in terms of tertiary education.
The University of Sussex attracts students from around the world and has just launched its new research and engineering facility at BT’s Adastral Park – their DigiTech Centre – for students within the School of Engineering Arts, Science and Technology (EAST).
Where to live in Suffolk
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