Looking for a taste of Real England? Woodbridge, in East Suffolk, has to be your first choice. It has all the quirkiness of an ancient market town combined with the chic modernity of café culture.
The Anglo-Saxons, in about 600AD, were one of the first people to recognise the uniqueness of the River Deben and chose to set up a royal burial site at Sutton Hoo overlooking the land that now houses the town of Woodbridge.
Not surprisingly given its name, Woodbridge has a long tradition of woodworking and building. From the nearby oak forests trees were felled to construct boats throughout the ages. Boat-building is still active along the Riverside and there are working boatyards, a marina, boat, yacht, canoe and rowing clubs all lining the riverbank.
When the boatbuilders were not employed making ships they turned their skills to house building and the town is bursting with timber framed (and listed) buildings from as far back as the C16. These houses were built a little away from the river to avoid the tidal flooding and now stretch all the way up to Market Hill. Here is the Shire Hall where the goods going to or from the riverside quays were traded and just down New Street you will find the ‘steelyard’ building where goods were weighed. Grain was probably the item weighed here most often before it made its way to the iconic white timbered Tide Mill by the river to be ground into flour.
It was people that made the town then and it is characters that make it what it is today. The shopkeepers strive to choose eclectic and stylish products to sell in their stores and boutiques and offer the warmest welcome and smile to all who cross their threshold. You can buy a brand new violin from the violinmakers; Suffolk cheeses from the deli or the small foodmarkets; Vivienne Westwood shoes; knitting wools; unique notebooks; nuts & bolts; in fact anything and everything you ever wanted. The jumble of buildings, twisting streets and paths, sensational rooftops and big Suffolk-sky views only go to enhance the entire experience.
The hosts at all the eating places have their own take on what makes Woodbridge so special. They add their own flavours to the whole experience and revel in the abundance of exquisite local produce as well as flavours from further afield which long ago used to arrive at the Tide Mill Quay at the end of a long spice route voyage.
The town and area are packed with places to visit that will interest all ages from museums to the model yacht pond. The annual diary of events kicks off each year with the traditional Viennese Concert on New Year’s Day followed by the legendary Easter Egg Hunt through to a hectic schedule of Christmas events and fairs.
