Suffolk in May! And 2 bonus London questions!

Long Melford (it's a long story, lol), Sussex, May 5-11. I know it's a bit off the beaten tourist track, but that's the fun of it. It's about 30 m south of Bury St Edmunds, if that is more familiar, and 2 hrs north-east of London

Long Melford isn’t in Sussex it’s in Suffolk. And Sussex is South of London not North. Are you sure about where you are staying?

Actually, Long Melford is in Suffolk, not Sussex, so you might want to exit your post and the title. Suffolk is north-east of London, Sussex is south, makes a difference in any recommendations you get!

Man I CANNOT get the counties straight. Suffolk.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g186385-Activities-Long_Melford_Babergh_District_Suffolk_East_Anglia_England.html

As far as London museums availability I’d research each museums web sites. You’ll find pertinent up to date intel regarding admission times, special shows, etc.

As far as authentic spots I always make time for breakfast at the River Cafe around the corner from the Putney Bridge Tube station.

Last visit, November. 2024. Still open, good breakfast.

Met up with an old friend. They left and I walked over to the All Saints Fulham church, lit a candle and then strolled along the river path past Fulham Palace, turned right and meandered.

15 minute walk from the Wandsworth Station is Max Cafe. Hopefully survived Covid and is open.

If seeing the “ must see sites “ in Westminster then seek out the Regency Cafe on Regency Street. Very traditional English breakfasts served.

On my Fall sojourn I found and tried the Little Venice cafe behind the Holborn Tube Station. Traditional English Breakfast was fine. Pleasant staff and ambience.

Lastly, traveled to Hackney to meet up with GerryM.
Met at the Mess Cafe which nearly across the road from the Tube station. Definitely seems like a place to order a traditional English breakfast and then explore the Hackney neighborhood.

The traditional caff is a cafe, not a cafeteria (unless transatlantic definitions differ)- anyway, see this BBC News Article for what we are talking about- https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-30879406

You can still find these all over London and many provincial towns (I have several in my town in a part of the Lake District not visited by anyone on this forum, although we do get many American Visitors due to strong historical links across the pond). One example which springs to my mind immediately in London is the Double Six Cafe on Eversholt Street beside Euston Station.

One thing you often find in lay-bys on the A roads is food trucks. They can be great value, and are often something you just find.

Yes you'll find farmers markets in the provinces (in fact more likely to find them there)- https://www.suffolkmarketevents.co.uk/ so for example there should be one at Bury St Edmunds on 10 May. Early May is or should be too early for strawberries.

Visit Long Melford has a facebook page- https://www.facebook.com/longmelford/

With the IWM it depends what we are talking about- if you mean the IWM at Lambeth or at Duxford (Cambridgeshire, so not that far from Long Melford) no need to book. If we are talking HMS Belfast it is advised, if the Cabinet War Rooms/Churchill War Rooms then yes.

Long Melford is lovely. And you’re near beautiful Lavenham too.

Loads of farmers markets in those areas - this might help, and I bet there are more. https://www.suffolkmarketevents.co.uk/

I love that part of the world. Do try to get to Sutton Hoo if you can.

Suffolk is a very popular tourist destination for Brits, not so much for overseas visitors, I think simply because it isn’t as well known as the Cotswolds internationally. I think you’ll find plenty to do there. Dedham is very well loved but I have to say I’ve never been.

Thank you for your generous responses! I can't wait to go through the details. (I just got lectured over on TripAdvisor, so I think I'll stay here for a while!)

Long Melford is a delightful place and a brilliant choice for a place to stay. It may be off the tourist beat, but there's still lots to do and see in the immediate area. It was an important wool town in the Middle Ages and very wealthy. This is reflected in its large and magnificent church with one of the best collections of C15th stained glass. There's lots more information and pictures here.
By the church is brick built Hospital of the Holy and Blessed Trinity erected by Sir William Cordell in 1573 as an almshouse for a warden and twelve aged men.

Just a few minutes walk away is Melford Hall (National Trust). Beatrix Potter was a cousin of the family and was a frequent visitor to the hall.

A few miles to the north is Kentwell Hall, a moated Tudor Manor House with a rare breeds farm. A few miles to the west is Clare Castle Country Park with the ruins of a Norman Castle and closed railway station...

Go and sample some local wines - Gifford's Vineyard four miles north of Long Melford offers tours and tasting sessions. Alternatively if real ale is your thing, there is the Nethergate Brewery and Distillery in Long Melton which also offers tours as well as a shop.

There are delightful small towns and villages to explore - too many to list. This is a place to follow your nose and get lost in.

Lavenham (another splendid wool church and timber frame Guidhall) has already been mentioned. Bury St Edmonds is definitley worth a visit. A bit further is Framlingham with its ruined castle and another magnificent church. On the coast, you have places like Aldeburgh, Walberswick (with is small church tucked inside the ruins of a much larger wool church) and Southwold - each very different. Don't miss the wonderful Blythburgh Church in a lovely setting overlooking the marshes.

Flatford Mill, 20 miles east and on the River Stour is John Constable Country. Willy Lott's Cottage was made famlous in Constable's painting of the Hay Wain.

Your husband may be interested in the cabmen's shelters in London.

https://heritagecalling.com/2024/04/09/a-brief-introduction-to-cabmens-shelters/
https://cabmensshelterfund.weebly.com/

Some good suggestions here, a few additional thoughts:

• Very much agree with the Dedham Vale suggestion- wonderful place to walk and definitely recommend going to see Flatford Mill area
• Another great site nearby, over the border into Essex, is Saffron Walden which does have a market tho I'm not sure which days. It's a very cute town and you can also visit nearby Audley End House which is a very well preserved stately home with some parts going back to Stuart times. They filmed some scenes from The Crown there if that's of interest.
• Cannot advise on caf's as they are not really my thing but for a very authentic experience from a different era you can try F Cooke (they have a few different locations, including on Hoxton)- that is the place to try jellied eel which is as traditional as it gets.
• You do not need to pre-book free museums- I can definitely confirm V&A you can still just walk in. British Museum allows you to book slots for the permanent collection (the free part) if you wish but you can still just turn up. British Museum and National Gallery both have security queues now so leave extra time for that. As of now, you can still just walk into the V&A which is great!

Good luck and enjoy your time over here!

One little piece of English quirkiness you may come across is the Town Crier- the town of Clare (15 minutes drive from Long Melford) appointed it's first in 300 years just before the pandemic. Newmarket (for horse racing, 45 minutes away) also has one- she actually has a web site- https://www.britishladycrier.co.uk/

There may be others around there.

I looked that up as my town in the Lake District has one, based in the Honorary American Consulate, as another quirk.

As regards Morris Dancing (and there are various styles of it) googling produces quite a few in the area of which Slackmagirdle [chosen as an example for it's name] is just one- https://www.facebook.com/slackmagirdle/about/

Maybe message them and see what is happening that week.

I am very familiar with Long Melford having worked in Sudbury for a number of years. My sister still lives about 10 miles away from it and we often go there to have cake and coffee in the many tea shops along the hight street.

Long Melford is well know for antiques. As for local produce, I did find these places for you to look at:

https://blackwellandco-deli.uk/ is a local butcher/bakery in Long Melford
Clark & Son Butchers in Long Melford.

You will have to check on market days - they are not as big as they once were in many towns/villages. Long Melford has many independent stores some clothing, art, pottery etc. Parking is free along side the high street, if it is full (and it gets busy even during the week) go towards the green in front of the Church and Kentwell Hall and park. I have not actually been inside the Hall but they do have events on throughout the summer. You may want to check out their website.

Clare is a lovely picturesque village and just a few miles away. In the opposite direction is Lavenham which I would suggest over Clare if I had to pick. The medieval crocked timber houses of Lavenham are very well preserved and the Swan pub/hotel is nice for a pint or afternoon tea. Enjoy Suffolk it is a beautiful county. Several American military bases are in Suffolk, (some closed in the 90's) so seeing Americans will not be unusual for the locals but these days there are not many foreign travelers out that way.

May might be a little too early for strawberries, but you never know. We usually pick our own strawberries in early June. I will actually be heading across the pond next week and no doubt I will find myself having tea and cake in one of these pretty villages!

@JoAnne--I'm not surprised you got lectured at Trip Advisor. People can be very prickly on those forums! At times I've thought they were playing a game called "Who can pay the very least for transport?" LOL

You have gotten such great advice here! I just want to hop on to say (for the London bit) they are cafes - but it is pronounced “caff.” Brits do love to Anglicize the pronunciation of French words. A cafe is sort of what might be called a diner, or even a “greasy spoon” in the States. You’ll be able to get a full English breakfast, a fry-up, strong tea, and such delights as bubble & squeak and black pudding.

I tend to eat breakfast at home, so I don’t have any specific recommendations, alas, except to say that YouTube is a great place to look for eateries that would fit the bill.

Here are some YouTube suggestions:

Darren John has a food channel where he used to review a lot of cafes. He lives in Thailand now, and is kind of a goofy old Pooh bear, but he knows his food and LOVES a good fry-up.

If Joolz Guides recommends something (a cafe, a neighbourhood, a pub) you can take it to the bank.

Rob’s London has good recommendations. He’s been around and he knows his stuff.

Michaels Bites is a good food recommendation channel, too. I have just started watching, and really like his laid-back, dad-tastic style.

Have fun!

I don't think it's in Suffolk, but Ely isn't too far from Long Melford. It has a magnificent cathedral: https://www.elycathedral.org/

I am no help but I AM bookmarking, as this general area is on my “someday-hopefully-fairly-soon” list.

Wow wow wow. This keeps getting better! What a testament to thoughtful off-the-beaten-track travel this thread, and this group of humans is! Thank you so much everyone. I am giving you the ultimate compliment and PRINTING this. (No one prints anymore, right??) I want to be able to mark up and highlight this. Thank you so much.