A week on the Suffolk coast: why The Firs makes the perfect base

A week is the perfect length to fall for the Suffolk coast — and The Firs is the ideal countryside retreat to base yourself in while you do. Set on four acres in Cratfield, we're under half an hour from the sea yet tucked away in quiet farmland, which means you get coastal days out and peaceful, crowd-free evenings back at the lodge. We're an easy 2 hours from London and just 45 minutes from Norwich, so a week here is a proper escape without a punishing journey.

Here's how a coast week might unfold. Southwold for the pier, the lighthouse and the painted beach huts. Aldeburgh for fish and chips on the shingle and a seafood dinner. Walberswick for crabbing off the bridge. Dunwich for the heath, the beach and the story of the town that fell into the sea. Thorpeness for its curious boating Meare. Spread across a week, there's no rush — one coastal town a day, with time spare.

The beauty of a week-long stay is the rhythm you settle into. Slow mornings in the grounds; days by the sea; evenings around the firepit or sinking into your private wood-fired hot tub under the stars. On the days you don't fancy the drive, the gardens, the pizza oven and the sauna keep you happily on site.

For UK stays that let you explore the Suffolk coast properly while always having a calm, beautiful place to come home to, The Firs is hard to beat. A week here, and the coast starts to feel like yours.

Ready to plan a week on the coast? Check availability and book direct.